Banned From Boxing the Forgotten Grappling Techniques of Classic Pugilism Free Chapters
April 25, 2017 | Author: NewbearLongfish | Category: N/A
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Dedication To my wonderful wife, Mylinda, who's borne untold horrors by listening to me drone on incessantly on the topic of Western Martial Arts in general and this book in particular, who has put up with my bruises and injuries, and who, once as a birthday present, actually convincingly feigned interest for my somewhat unusual hobby. To my fantastic son, Christopher, who is always eager to wrestle or punch his daddy and to whom I hope to leave a legacy of love for the historic Martial Arts unique to his heritage. To my beautiful daughter, Allison, who makes me smile whenever I look at her and who lights up the room with her mere presence. To my Father, Russ, and Mother, Melody, who instilled and fostered curiosity and a sense of adventure in me. I will never forget the many stories of wonder and adventure from your library Dad, nor will I forget the “superhero” capes sewn from old towels, Mom. To my Western Martial Arts friends, training partners, associates, and mentors without whom I would not have been able come as far as I have. You each deserve to be named but I fear I would double the length of the book were I to do so. Nevertheless, I would be remiss if I did not mention Ken Pfrenger who started me on the path of Western Martial Arts and Mark Rainey, my sparring partner and co-founder of Cumann Bhata Dayton Western Martial Arts Club. I dedicate this book to each of you.
Special thanks to Tony Wolf for his efforts in proofing this document.
Table of Contents Grappling? In Boxing? C'mon now!.....................................1 InFighting............................................................................9 The Clinch and Chancery....................................................21 More Chances at Chancery.................................................37 The CrossButtock..............................................................50 The Backfall........................................................................66 The SideFall.......................................................................72 The Backheel......................................................................82 "Throwing": The Other Backheel.......................................92 The Back Hip Fall...............................................................98 Pull the Hair, Poke the Eye, Oh My!.................................104 Wrestling as an accessory to Pugilism..............................119 Drills.................................................................................126 Conclusion........................................................................135 Bibliography......................................................................139
Illustration Index Donnelly's In Fighting.........................................................10 Sullivan's InnFighting........................................................10 AllansonWinn Straight Hit..............................................12 Walker Straight Blows......................................................13 Walker Guard for Left Lead..............................................13 AllansonWinn Guard for Left Lead.................................13 Modern PeekaBoo Boxing Guard.....................................14 Fewtrell Johnson's Attitude...............................................14 Edwards SideStep 1.........................................................17 Edwards SideStep 2.........................................................17 Edwards HeadSlip and BodyBlow.................................17 Edwards The Clinch 1......................................................24 Edwards The Clinch 2......................................................24 Edwards In Chancery 1....................................................26 Edwards In Chancery 2....................................................26 Sullivan Chancery.............................................................27 Donnelly Chancery...........................................................27 Sullivan CrossCounter.....................................................31 Sullivan Change in position for CrossCounter................31 Fitzsimmons Duck and RighHand BodyBlow...............32 Sullivan Counter to Body.................................................33 Sullivan Change in position for Counter to Body.............33 Sullivan Escape from Chancery.......................................35 Sullivan Side Chancery....................................................38 AllansonWinn Side Chancery.........................................39 Price Side Chancery.........................................................40 Sullivan Front Chancery...................................................42 Price Front Chancery........................................................43 Sullivan Break for Side Chancery....................................45 Price Escape from Side Chancery....................................46 Sullivan Break for Front Chancery...................................47
Price Escape from Front Chancery...................................48 AllansonWinn CrossButtock..........................................52 Sullivan CrossButtock.....................................................53 Walker CrossButtock.......................................................54 Price CrossButtock side view.......................................56 Price CrossButtock front view......................................56 "Gunner" Moir CrossButtock..........................................58 Sullivan Break for CrossButtock.....................................59 Hackenschmidt Counter to CrossButtock.......................62 Handonhip stop for CrossButtock...................................63 "Hipping in" stop for CrossButtock...................................64 Sullivan BackFall.............................................................67 Price BackFall..................................................................68 Sullivan Break for BackFall.............................................70 Sullivan SideFall..............................................................73 Price SideFall...................................................................74 AllansonWinn SideFall (he names BackFall)................75 Art and Practice of Boxing The "Lock"...........................77 AllansonWinn BackHeel................................................83 Edwards BackHeeling.....................................................84 "Gunner" Moir BackHeel................................................85 Edwards BackHeeling variation 1.................................88 AllansonWinn stop for BackHeel...................................89 "Gunner" Moir Block for Backheel.................................90 Art and Practice Throwing...............................................93 Walker's Backheel...............................................................95 Escape from Backheel.........................................................97 Sullivan's Back Hip Fall......................................................99 Art and Practice Back Hip Fall.......................................100 Check Lead Hand and enter for throw...............................101 Hair Pull assisted balance break........................................106 InnPlay The Pinnion......................................................108 InnPlay Elbow assisted Pinnion.....................................108 InnPlay ArmWrap style Pinnion...................................109
InnPlay Boxing Choke...................................................110 InnFighting Twist the head............................................113 Escape from Parkyns HeadGrappling..............................115 InnPlay Elbow strike breaks Front Choke.....................116 Walker Stop for CrossButtocks: The Lock....................122 Walker The Chip.............................................................123 Note: I have redrawn, by hand, sketches of any images for which I do not own Copyright on or have specific written permission to use original scans of the images found in the historic texts. Although the text itself from these historic manuals has long since passed out of Copyright, the digital scans of the images are considered “new art” and have not. Images which I have re-sketched are denoted by the presence of a block style typeface “LKL” in one corner of the image, indicating that I have re-sketched this image and it is not the original scan of the image, which the originating individual still holds Copyright on. Images with a hand-written “LKL” in one corner indicates an original sketch by me.
THE GRAPPLING OF PUGILISM
CHAPTER I ~
Grappling? In Boxing? C'mon now! That seems to be one of the most common responses to the assertion that, yes indeed, Boxing contains grappling. Well, at least it used to, that is. This is often accompanied by the suggestion that “proper” Boxing doesn't contain grappling but that low-brow “street fighting” type Boxing, used by thugs, leg-breakers, and ner'-do-wells possibly could. Sometimes the response is a variation of the idea that “proper” Boxing doesn't contain grappling but that the popularity of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) competitions such as the UFC has seen a sort of bastardization of the real, technical, “Sweet Science,” Boxing to include things that have never, ever, been a part of “true and proper” Boxing. A somewhat more charitable variation asserts that, though “proper” Boxing doesn't include grappling, certain practitioners have contaminated the pure sport by including it, perhaps from some unspecified and un-Boxingish martial art, 'um, maybe Muay Thai, Karate or something'. You may already be familiar with the fact that older 1
THE GRAPPLING OF PUGILISM styles of Boxing, older rule sets, which for convenience sake I'll call 'Classic Pugilism'1, did, in fact, contain a great deal of grappling. Or, perhaps, you're new to the idea and are intrigued. If so, welcome to a new, well old, and valuable slice of Boxing from the past. Yes, it's true. Classic Pugilism historically included numerous elements of what we call today, “grappling.” It was common during earlier periods to call it wrestling or, often, to refer to individual techniques. Nevertheless, include them they did. These techniques encompassed trips, throws, bodygrapples, body-clashes, and, sometimes, what we today would call downright dirty fighting. Our pugilistic ancestors were rough men who participated in a rough sport. There were several evolutions of the rules of boxing, but again, for convenience sake, let's separate it by its three major divisions. Boxing can be said to be one of man's two oldest sports, the other being Wrestling. Boxing historians can, and have, made a case that the roots of Modern Boxing hearken back perhaps as far as ancient Egypt, but most are content to trace it back to ancient Greece where it appeared in various forms. Nevertheless, the verifiable roots of Modern Boxing are difficult to trace earlier than post-Roman occupation England. Yes, there likely has always been a sport in which two men punch each other in the head, but was that Boxing? Well, maybe. It depends on the definition. Clearly the sporting context of Modern Boxing has its roots in the fisticuffs sports of England. Maybe the Romans brought it with them as a sport adopted form the Greeks, as they did with so much of Roman culture. Maybe the indigenous tribes of the British Isles already had the sport. Maybe, as some research indicates, James Figg, the first of the “stage gladiators” to practice Classic Pugilism in London, imported it from Italy. Perhaps it sprang full fledged into the culture much as Athena 2
THE GRAPPLING OF PUGILISM burst full grown from Zeus' skull. Whatever the case, the history of Modern Boxing is clearly English in origin. Even within that history we we want to look at certain periods which we will define by rule sets. These rule sets are the Broughton era rules, the London Prize Ring rules, and the Marquis of Queensbury rules. We'll focus mainly on the Broughton era rules and the London Prize Ring rules but touch upon the Marquis of Queensbury rules as well. Broughton is said to have coined his rules after killing a man in the ring (I did mention that Classic Pugilism was a rough sport). Apart from details of the ring, winning the bout, rounds, and awarding of the purse, his rules were thus: "That no person is to hit his Adversary when he is down, or seize him by the ham, the breeches, or any part below the waist: a man on his knees is reckoned down." Notice that this leaves more than a bit of play. What, among the modern “dirty tricks,” is legal under this one sentence rule set? Quite a lot. The London Prize Ring rules were somewhat more extensive and, among other things, stipulated: No butting. No hitting a downed man. No hitting below the belt. No gouging or biting. No kicking or falling on an opponent knees first. ● No grabbing from the waist down. Again, what isn't forbidden speaks volumes. The Marquis of Queensbury rules effectively ● ● ● ● ●
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THE GRAPPLING OF PUGILISM eliminated grappling from the sport by stipulating, “No wrestling or hugging allowed.” However, that is not to say that Marquis rules were immediately adopted by all. There remained a period of overlap between each of the rule sets and many of the manuals written after the Marquis of Queensbury rules were published give eloquent testament to the fact that matches including grappling were still fought for quite some time. But is it useful to me today? I mean, really, what's the point of it today? Can't you just go down to the Brazilian Ju Jitsu or Judo club? Well, sure you could. But at those clubs you'll learn Brazilian Ju Jitsu and Judo. You won't be learning the historic grappling of Classic Pugilism. Sure there are a lot of similarities, however, most Brazilian Ju Jitsu and Judo schools are not going to teach you how to integrate their excellent grappling arts with Pugilism. Yes, if you're creative and hard working you can figure it out. Sounds like a pretty good plan. But wouldn't it be nice if you had some hints on how to integrate? You might also think about going to a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) school. These schools do a lot of work on integrating grappling and striking, it's true. And they do a very good job at what they do. Again, however, it should be noted that, though a fine approach, the training outcome is not the same. MMA schools are generally training with a sport MMA goal. Now, I'm not talking about that old saw of “they have rules and a 'real fight' doesn't.” We certainly don't need to cover that well trampled ground again. A fundamental difference in the training goals, and therefore the training methodology, is the outcome. MMA focuses on submission. Classic Pugilism was focusing on a similar, yet different, type of submission. Remember, in Classic Pugilism, ground grappling was forbidden. Wins in the ring came from knock 4
THE GRAPPLING OF PUGILISM out or pummeling so severe that the opponent could not continue with a general stipulation that, and this is important, the combatants were Bare Knuckle. You already knew this but I want you to pause in consideration momentarily. Often, intentionally or otherwise, MMA schools teach from the position that your fights are going to be conducted with some sort of hand and knuckle protection, however light you might think it is. And though this produces very good results, it's still not truly comparable to how you have to fight Bare Knuckle. As you learn the grappling used in Classic Pugilism you'll notice one very interesting and useful fact. All of the grappling techniques have variations which do not require the use of the fingers for grasping. You can see this even in the manuscripts which are transitional between the London Prize Ring and the Marquis of Queensbury rules. In those manuals the illustrations usually show the participants wearing gloves, often called “mufflers” or “mittens,” still performing these grappling maneuvers. Even when their hands are effectively useless for grabbing, these grapples still work. Can you imagine any situation you might find yourself in that it might be advantageous to know effective grappling while unable to grab? Perhaps, for instance, if you hit something wrong at the wrong time from the wrong direction and now have a fractured hand? If it can happen to Tyson, it can happen to you. Another striking property of these grapples is that they are “high percentage.” “High percentage” generally means that a given technique is simple to perform and uncomplicated, making it easier to remember and execute with a higher likelihood of successfully being performed under stress against an opponent doing his utmost to prevent you from performing the technique. Finally, it should be noted that Classic Pugilism was 5
THE GRAPPLING OF PUGILISM considered Gentleman's Self Defense and taught as such. Billy Edwards his manual Art of Boxing and Manual Training said, “I have already said that in usual sparring no such thing as hugging, holding, wrestling, or kicking should be permitted; but taking it for granted that having made yourself thoroughly at home with the regular methods, you are naturally anxious to know something about modes of fighting that are confined, I am happy to say, only to the prize ring proper, and the knowledge of which will often stand you in good stead at a pinch...” Note the number of Classic Pugilism manuals which are titled “Defence” in one way or another, such as The Science of Self Defence, or Boxing, a Manual Devoted to the Art of SelfDefence. Additionally there are any number of articles printed in period sporting and men's magazines such as The Practical Value of Boxing as a means of defence against Attack by Hooligans by “Gunner” Moir (which is specifically intended as self defense against an attack on the street rather than as sport) or Boxing for the Man on the Street by Reg. L. Baker2. In other words, society at large during the time Classic Pugilism was practiced recognized it as valid and effective self defense. It worked for them and it can work for you as well. With that said, a note on what this book will cover is in order. As the title and previous text implies, we will be looking at grappling in Classic Pugilism. We will examine the historic grapples recorded in period manuals. We'll look at them in detail, deconstruct them, study how they are performed, what some setups for them are, and what the counters are for them. One thing you'll find as we investigate these historic grapples is that there were no hard-fast naming conventions. 6
THE GRAPPLING OF PUGILISM One of the most common grapples, appearing in nearly every manual, is named the “Cross Buttock.” Yet the Cross Buttock illustrated by the anonymous “Celebrated Pugilist” in his manual The Art and Practice of Boxing is remarkably different from what Edmond E. Price illustrates in his manual The Science of Self Defence. However, the “Celebrated Pugilists'” Cross Buttock is the same as John E. Sullivan's “Back Hip Fall” in his manual Boxing, a Manual Devoted to the Art of Self-Defence. In the following chapters devoted to each technique, we will follow the naming convention that seems to be best represented for each technique or, failing a greater consensus, with whatever seems most logical to me. What we won't cover in this book are elements of Classic Boxing clearly distinct from grappling. While some of the setups and defenses will require striking, blocking, or footwork, and some description may be necessary, we won't be closely examining these aspects. Not that these portions of the composite are less important, simply that this book is focusing on the grappling element.
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THE GRAPPLING OF PUGILISM 1
I did not coin the term 'Classic Pugilism' in reference to older styles and rule sets of Boxing. I first became acquainted with the term through my association with Ken Pfrenger, a Western Martial Artist, researcher, and Classic Pugilism advocate. 2
Both articles republished on the web by Craig Gemeiner at http://www.savateaustralia.com
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THE GRAPPLING OF PUGILISM
CHAPTER II ~
In-Fighting “In-Fighting” today conjures images of a group of people airing petty squabbles amongst themselves. However, as you pugilistic readers know, the term had a very specific meaning in Classic Pugilism. But what is it? It's more than just “boxing at close quarters,” as it's commonly thought of today. Also called “Rallying,” effectively the term referred to fighting from a range where clinching is often a natural consequence while avoiding the clinch. In Modern Boxing, this would be an ideal place to use close range hooks and punishing body blows and often sees boxers enter into the Clinch and “hug” when tired. Georges Carpentier in his manual The Art of Boxing said of In-Fighting, “In-Fighting, as the name implies, is boxing or fighting at close quarters, the bodies of the opponents even touching each other.” More than simply boxing at close quarters, though it is also that, the opponents are “touching” each other. 9
THE GRAPPLING OF PUGILISM Sullivan, in his manual, says that In-Fighting, “...Consists in getting your arms inside your opponent's an delivering several blows in rapid succession.” The key here is to have both of your arms inside of both of his. Or, as Carpentier so elegantly sums up, “The point in in-fighting is to get clearly inside your opponent's guard, your arms between his, to have a clear opening to hammer in blows, upper-cutting being also made easy from a close inside position. In that case the opponent is outside, and can only rap away uncomfortably at the back of the head, or strike out at your flanks.” Note the illustrations from Sullivan and Donnelly both show the boxer engaged in In-Fighting has a superior position in that he's inside the power of his opponent whose only option would be hooks and body blows. [Ill. 1-2]
Illustration 1:
Illustration 2:
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THE GRAPPLING OF PUGILISM So why is In-fighting an important element to grappling in Classic Pugilism? No doubt it is obvious that it places the boxer in an ideal position to grasp and grapple. As R.G. Allanson-Winn, says in his manual Boxing, “'In-fighting' generally resolves itself into a wrestling match, or one man gets the other's head in chancery...” This is a dominant position for most of the front, or head on, grapples. For instance, as a prelude to Fibbing (see Chancery), Price says, “Soyer, or some other great cook, enjoined as a preliminary to skinning your eel, 'first catch him;' we would bid our reader first to get in close to his opponent; indeed as close as possible.” ...but gives little enough detail on how to get in that close. However, we can see that In-Fighting is the ideal position from which to launch this particular grapple. Billy Edwards presents his description of In-Fighting separate from his instruction on grappling. On how to secure the proper hold for Chancery, Edwards claims that “I know not. No rule can be laid down...” He doesn't know how to instruct it but that an experienced boxer will somehow 'just know' where and how to secure the hold; “...but in close quarters and at 'in-fighting,' opportunities present themselves, and the expert takes advantage of them.” He expounds upon In-Fighting earlier in his manual, apparently without showing the obvious connection between In-Fighting and Fibbing, Chancery, Chipping, Cross-Buttocking, etc. I think, perhaps, the estimable Mr. Edwards was being too modest. OK, great. So the ability to get to In-Fighting is a 11
THE GRAPPLING OF PUGILISM wonderful skill and an ideal setup for the grappling of Classic Pugilism. But how does one get there? Experienced boxers, as with Edwards, sometimes don't really realize the what the process was that put them into In-Fighting, it's become so very natural for them that it seems to happen without conscious thought. There are any number of tactics or tricks that will place fighters into In-Fighting but for simplicity sake, we'll look at two of them, one historic and one somewhat more modern. In much of Classic Pugilism the strikes were often initiated from longer range, as would be expected in a match where closing range could result in one party being grappled and thrown violently to the ground. As a result, strikes tended to be much more linear. Two common strikes, in particular, were the Straight Punch, either Lead or Rear, [Ill. 3-4] and the Rounding Blow. The Straight, similar in some ways to a modern jab, proceeds linearly to the target while the Rounding Blow takes a somewhat more hooking path, an outside arc, to the target.
AllansonWinn: Straight Hit
Illustration 3:
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Illustration 4: In both cases, one standard defence was to intercept and block to the outside using the forearm on the same side as the attack. If the opponent strikes with a Straight Left then block it to the outside with your right forearm.[Ill. 5-6] Note how this immediately places your right arm in the proper position for In-Fighting? Though you have many options to counter-punch by simply stepping forward you are automatically propelled into In-Fighting position.
AllansonWinn Illustration 6:
Illustration 5: 13
THE GRAPPLING OF PUGILISM From a more modern perspective, another option would be to simply “crash guard” and force the way in. This is accomplished by adopting a protective guard position with the hands, called an “Attitude” in Classic Pugilism, and push in. The Attitudes best suited for this entry tend to be somewhat wedge-like, using the forearms and hands to protect the head. Modern examples of guards well suited for this would be Rodney King's “Crazy Monkey” style or a classic Peek-a-boo position. [Ill. 7] The goal is to protect the head from the punches which will be inevitably thrown as driving in and crashing the guard. Examples of Attitudes appropriate for this entry from Classic Pugilism are in evidence as well. Again, not surprising considering that, even then, it made sense to maintain a guard which would protect your head. Two strong candidates would be Mendoza's Guard or the guard which Fewtrell attributes to Johnson. [Ill. 8]
Illustration 7:
Illustration 8:
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THE GRAPPLING OF PUGILISM No treatment of the subject would be complete without considering strategies to prevent closing to In-Fighting rage and how to manage when forced into In-Fighting. Preventing an opponent from closing to In-Fighting when he is determined to is very difficult. It's axiomatic that if someone wants to close to In-Fighting or grappling range, there's little enough to be done to prevent it, particularly if he is smart about the entry and uses a strong defensive posture or a good setup in combination with a strong defensive posture. That is not to say it is impossible but only that odds favor the person attempting to close range rather than the person attempting to prevent it. Unsurprisingly, the historic methods for preventing an opponent from closing to In-Fighting closely match modern methods. The “Celebrated Pugilist” in his manual The Art and Practice of Boxing offers this advice for preventing an opponent from entering into grappling (tripping) range: “To prevent which, follow the directions given just now, strike sharp forward; and if you are attentive to your adversary's motions, you will quickly perceive, that before he attempts to trip you up, he will look at your feet that he may make good his attempt, by which means you may easily discover his intentions; strike him instantly in the face or about the head, and thus you will render his preparation ineffectual, and make it tend to his own discomfiture.” The “Celebrated Pugilist's” advice then is to use a preemptive strike to the face, sometimes called a Stop-Hit, to halt forward motion and distract the opponent. This, again, emphasizes the 15
THE GRAPPLING OF PUGILISM necessity of maintaining a guard which protects the head when initiating the move into In-Fighting. His advice, further, is to note telegraphing or “tells” from your opponent. Pay attention to how your adversary fights. Less experienced fighters will often have a “tell” when they are preparing to use a certain tactic, be it grappling or something else. As Carpentier says, “Note a boxer at work, and you will ascertain at length that the feet take certain characteristic positions prior to certain attacks.” Additionally, the various side-step and punch tactics are often illustrated as a response to forward movement, usually in the form of a response to a Straight Punch, which were often used in combination with a drop-step movement. However, in his manual, Daniel Mendoza wrote, “If he [...] plunges at you head-long, you may either strike straight forwards and catch his face on your fist; or turn round on your left heel, and let him fly over your thigh; or jump on one side and strike him with one hand as he advances, and the other as he passes by.” Consistent with advice from later writers, Mendoza suggests a stop-hit. He then suggests a preemptive grapple and throw, a variation of the Cross-Buttock; more of a trip really, which we will examine in more detail later. Finally, Mendoza offers a combination of footwork and body movement simultaneous with counter-punching which is well illustrated in Edwards' manual. [Ill. 9-11]
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Illustration 9:
Illustration 10:
Illustration 11:
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THE GRAPPLING OF PUGILISM Again, in his manual Defensive Excercises, Donald Walker reiterates the stop-hit method, “To prevent his closing with you, as soon as you expect him to do so, you must instantly strike at him in the face or body with great quickness, by way of keeping him busy,—and retreat;—then advance again,—and so on, to perplex him” Of course, this leads to the next logical question; how to manage the fight when the opponent has already successfully closed to In-Fighting? Edwards says, “If, then, you are caught in this predicament (which, by the way, is just what happens in a general street row), stand up square, bringing up the right foot and right shoulder; let the heels be pretty even and about a foot apart; slightly bend both knees; drop your chin well down into your throat and lean forward. Keep your eyes open; no amount of blows must cause you to shut them in this extremity. If you do you are lost indeed. Strike out with right and left just as fast as you know how, but do not draw the fists farther back than the ribs, and swing the shoulder in with each blow. Make play at the face if you can, and keep the fists and arms close together, so that your opponent don't get a chance to get in between them. If you are so unfortunate as to let your adversary have the inner gauge of you and you cant get at his face, why, then all you can do is to get in all your work on his body, and be sure to let the blows go home hard and heavy. Of course when “in-fighting' you will not choose to make play at the body rather 18
THE GRAPPLING OF PUGILISM than the head and face, but hit at the body rather than not hit at all.” Sullivan's advice is similar, if somewhat more abbreviated. “Having the feet close together lean forward, lower the head, keep your eyes on your opponent, use both hands and swing the shoulders forward with each blow. In In-fighting the arm should not be drawn back, the force of the blow being given by the movement of the shoulders.” Carpentier has a somewhat different approach, however. Since, in his view, one of the main advantages of having the inside position in In-Fighting is “to have a clear opening to hammer in blows, upper-cutting being also made easy from a close inside position,” his advice is: “Should he attempt that, the manner to prevent him is very simple, and consists of raising the upper part of the arms, having the elbows sticking out, much as one would do if mounted on a bicycle which is too small or too low.” There is an additional option mentioned by both Mendoza and the “Celebrated Pugilist.” That option is to beat your opponent to the punch (groan) and initiate grappling. Recall that Mendoza said, “If he [...] plunges at you head-long, [...] turn round on your left heel, and let him fly over your thigh...” 19
THE GRAPPLING OF PUGILISM The “Celebrated Pugilist,” for his part, said, “When your adversary's body and your's are almost in contact, before he can grasp hold of you properly, dart your left under his right arm, and bringing it round his back, seize hold with your hand of the inside of his left arm near the elbow...” Though some writers mention the possibility of stepping back out of range as a potential option, they never offer it as a first option, nor on its own, in a vacuum, without striking. Further, this seems to be the least effective of options since it is always easier for the opponent to step forward than for the defender to step backwards.
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THE GRAPPLING OF PUGILISM
CHAPTER XIV ~
Conclusion It is unarguable that beginning sometime in the first half of the 20th Century, some time after WWI, there began a gradual decline in popularity of martial arts native to Western Civilization. This may be attributed to many causes such as the devastating casualties of WWI which had the effect of culling countless practitioners of Western Martial Arts with fewer practitioners than some more popular arts. Further there was the homogenizing effect of the re-instituted Olympic Games which promoted some Western Martial Arts at the expense of others. At the same time, martial arts from Asia slowly began to take public attention and fascination. These Eastern Martial Arts gradually replaced the Western Martial Arts in the minds of westerners. There was a particular and noted upswing in Japanese based martial arts following WWII. There was another for Korean based martial arts following the Korean conflict. Yet another surge, this time of Chinese martial arts, followed the collective events of Nixon's visit to China, the 135
THE GRAPPLING OF PUGILISM entrance of the weekly serial TV show “Kung Fu,” and the huge splash Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do made. That is not to say that these various Eastern Martial Arts were unknown in the West. Edward William BartonWright introduced Judo and JuJitsu to Europe in 1900. Teddy Roosevelt studied Judo with Professor Yoshiaki Yamashita in 1904. Mitsuyo Maeda traveled to Central America in 1908. Hawaii was a well known center of Japanese Martial Arts prior to WWII. Chinese immigrants brought Chinese martial arts with them during the Chinese Immigration waves of the mid19th Century. Nor is it to say that Western Martial Arts were completely forgotten. Boxing enjoyed then, and continues to enjoy today, a popular following as a well developed sport. Wrestling is still practiced as a competitive sport in High Schools and Elementary Schools in the U.S. and abroad. The U.S. military prior to, during, and following WWII taught a knife and bayonet system based first on european fencing and later on bowie knife methods. Nevertheless, Boxing slowly morphed in the public mind from a “science” of “defense” into the “Sweet Science” of a sport. Wrestling was relegated to increasingly smaller youth sporting events and the popular but schlocky “B” grade entertainment. Fencing became something that nerds in white leotards did while fantasizing they were Captain Blood. Western knife methods were relegated to something that grandchildren asked WWII veterans about and were answered with vague stories of rough military training and “behind the lines” remembrances. To the public at large, Western martial skills were replaced with Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Kung Fu, Judo, Escrima, and Arnis. Though the origin of the very term “Martial Arts” is steeped in Western martial tradition, in most dictionaries 136
THE GRAPPLING OF PUGILISM today it specifically defines it as: “any of the traditional forms of Oriental self-defence or combat that utilize physical skill and coordination without weapons, as Karate, Aikido, Judo, or Kung Fu...” Though not entirely forgotten, Western Martial Arts were largely the reserve of a distinct minority struggling to gain even the smallest bit of attention amidst the ever expanding deluge of Eastern Martial Arts. And then something happened. Perhaps it was a subtle shift in public perception. Maybe it was a resurgence of interest in Western history by westerners. Perhaps it was the influence of popular entertainment with a Western Martial Arts theme such as that of Tolkien and movies such as The Mark of Zorro. Whatever the cause there's been a new Renaissance for the Western Martial Arts. Interest in these unique and culturally rich historic skills is again on the rise. There has been an explosion of activity and attention for the Western Arts. People who once only thought of Kung Fu, Judo, and Kali are now looking at Boxing, Wrestling, and Fencing. However, in comparison with the amount of written material for Eastern Martial Arts, there is a dearth of written material for Western Martial Arts. Oh, there are many historic manuals, if you can find them; mostly in the hands of private collectors or forgotten and molding in the corners of antiquated libraries. Yet new writings on Western Martial Arts are fighting to catch up to the sheer volume of material already written on Eastern Martial Arts. It is a fight that practitioners of Western Arts are stepping up to. They are “Toeing the Scratch” so to speak. 137
THE GRAPPLING OF PUGILISM Similarly, there is an equal shortfall of written material concerning the specific topic of grappling in historic Boxing. And so, into this exciting Renaissance, I present this book. I hope that it is informative, interesting, entertaining, and helpful. I hope that you use it as a reference, loan it to your friends, recommend it to your associates, and enjoy the heck out of it. With it, I hope to do my part in promoting the rich heritage of Western Martial Arts and to add my name to the roll of those Toeing the Scratch.
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THE GRAPPLING OF PUGILISM Bibliography Allanson-Winn, R.G. Boxing. London, G. Bell & Sons LTD, 1915 Baker, Reg. L. Boxing for the Man on the Street, c1920 The Duke of Beaufort, K.G., Alfred E. T. Watson, Walter H. Pollock, F.C. Grove, Camille Prevost, Egerton Castle, E.B. Michell, and Walter Armstrong. Fencing, Boxing, and Wrestling, London, Longmans, Green, & Co., 1897 Carpentier, Georges. The Art of Boxing. New York, George H. Doran Company, 1926 “A Celebrated Pugilist”. The Art and Practice of Boxing; or Scientific Mode of Attack and Defence. Liverpool, Willmer & Co., 1825 Dempsey, Jack. Championship Fighting Explosive Punching and Aggressive Defense. New York, Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1950 Donnelly, Ned. Self-Defence; or, The Art of Boxing. Strand, Weldon & Co., 1886 Edwards, William (Billy). The Art of Boxing and Manual of Training. New York, Excelsior Publishing House, 1888 Fewtrell, Thomas. Boxing Reviewed; or, The Science of Manual Defence. London, Scatcherd and Whitaker, 1790 Fitzsimmons, Robert. Physical Culture and Self Defense. London, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Drexel Biddle, 139
THE GRAPPLING OF PUGILISM Publisher, 1901 Gorn, Elliott J., “'Gouge and Bite, Pull Hair and Scratch:' The social Significance of Fighting in the Southern Backcountry”, The American Historical Review, volume 90, February to December 1985, pp 18-43, Journal of Manly Arts, April 2001, http://ejmas.com/jmanly/articles/2001/jmanlyart_gorn_0401.ht m Mendoza, Daniel. Treatise on Boxing, c1800 Moir, “Gunner”. The Practical Value of Boxing as a means of defence against Attack by Hooligans, c1910 Parkyns, Sir Thomas. The Inn-Play or Cornish-Hugg Wrestling., Nottingham, England, William Ayscouh, 1727 Price, Edmond. The Science of Self Defence A Treatise on Sparring and Wrestling. New York, Dick & Fitzgerald, Publishers, 1867 Sullivan, James E., Boxing, a Manual Devoted to the Art of Self-Defence. New York City, American Sports Publishing Company, 1893 Walker, Donald. Defensive Exersizes., London, Thomas Hurst, 1840 Wolf, Tony. The Bartitsu Compendium Volume 1: HISTORY and the CANONICAL SYLLABUS, 2005
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