BOXING.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 10508, 11 February 1928, Page 3

BOXING.

‘LA SAVATE. ’> BEST FOOT F1IBS!’. In the dear dead days beyond recall—even before the Smith African war—when British boxing 'could still be’ taken seriously, old boys ■ n clubs stared with amazement ai a picture on the cover of “The Idler,” Jerome K. Jerome’s brilliant magnz.inc (now, alas, like its founder, no more!) which portrayed two French Tioxers lighting with their feet. It, is true (writes the London coirespondent of the Sydney Sun) that foot fighting of the baser sort was I lien no novelty. It was carried out with some skill in the slums ol W’lii fiooha pel, 'Stepney and Shoreditch, the instriunic-nts being -bobnailed boots, and the victims generally wives and infrequently policemen. Kipling, then a contributor to “The Idler” as one of that bright Hand which included W. W. Jacobs, .Robert Barr, fsrat-l Zangwill. James Payn, S. 11. Sime and Aubrey Beardsley, described in “Tlil Record of Radalia Berodsfoot’ t-s - nelly bow it was done. Slidi being Ilie state of alfairs nieo rosy old ge.nl,lemon were horrified (yes damme, sir, horrified!) *o find that foot fighting could lie elevated to the science of an art. It was unthinkable that such a polite race as the French should bring so vulgar a pierformaiieo into the ring, ' add a graee to it, and establish it as a manly art under the title of “La Savate.” | The Savate has just. Icon revived in London, and, in full accord with outworn British tradition, it was demonstrated by a lady and a gentle- | man. But, both were French--and film lady could take ample care of herself. The couple were Madam'Dubus mid her husband, two noted Parisian exponents of this form o: self-defenee. The skill and : droit ness of their performance lit The Bing, Blackfriars, where more than one Australian boxer lias acquired a cauliflower ear, aroused much inteiest. , Most of tlig criticisms of the I.ondon boxing writers were conservative in tone. Here is a representative sample."— “For n fighter to attack with, the foot is repugnant in our way el thinking, lu>t. as long ns the two combatants agree to such a tiling, its employment ’is- as fair fur one as the other then. With all flat, however, the Savate boxing c;TvoiP-s too much of the “all in” business, and 1 am sure if would never appeal ’o the English temperament, as a competitive sport for that reason. a form of athletics and as a medium of expression for something find is graceful and artistic in movement. if. is not without a certain appeal. ft, was this side of tho entertainment that appealed to the ring •fans. La fc’avato is only for the voting, however. People like Lord Derby, who cannot touch their toes, would find its bending and thrusting movements much too difficult, it. combines the virtues of fencing, wrestling and physical jerks all in one. but is no game for Pinero’s man of lortv. Madame .Dubus is an even more vigorous exponent of the art than her husband—and neither of them subscribes tor a moment to tlie maxim “lfs no use kicking.” They have proved the contrary. After having watched their skilful and attractive contest, the moves in which are more visible to the spectator (though not to the unskilled participator), than those of the conventional boxing match under Queenshury rules, an amateur lightweight “put on tlie shoes” with a sovatenr. It was amusing—for everybody but the tvro, whose opponent scented to have, as it- were, dipped his foot in earthquake and eclipse. The savateur, having explained that it was possible to kick how, when, where, and as one liked, or “box wiz z.e foots,” opent-d the ball. As (jolott Burgess might have said, it- was the greatest since Marathon. 1 Both men were wearing boxing ] gloves and light canvas shoes. After some preliminary sparring, in ' which the Frenchman was always ( just out of roach, his leg shot out ( r.nd his foot shaved the English- I man’s oar. “La Savate” Itad begun 1 with a left too to the jaw. It went 1 mi like a firework. The -'Frenchman. in the words of a dazed spoelalor, “high-kicked like Pavlova. pironoMcd like Karavin'a, and carl- j wheeled like Crock.” Tie was on ( ids bools: and the Englishman did not know whether he was or not. i He was swiftly trodden info ex tine- ‘ fion: and ilie Frenchman said that I iI was a more dusting. ' ; Only onto, with the effect of a hit’- s cup in Hie midsf of a peroration, was 1 he dieeked. He dropped on his hands , like an acrobat and lashed out wit It r both feet at once. The Englishman J seized his ankles and turned him a ' complete somersault. He bounced like a ball, the re! Bund of which L was a heavy blow oil his opponent's \ chest. Sparring was resumed. The 1 Englishman dropped his guard and J lunged, ft was over. A comet shot t past and somebody turned off the t sun. In other words, there had been J a foot to tlie solar plexus, and nilother to the point. r

LONC LOST TROPHIES. t'A 1 {-PENTIER’S GOLD (TP. It's reniarkai.'-le how some :»eop!e get iattfeched to things!: G-eorges Carpentier, for instance, has become so attached to that- iloOO geld ■hallenge cup put up by Mr D. M. Gant some years ago that nothing will induce him'to separate himself from it.

Tlie cup was given to symbolise the British heavy-weight championship and and our own Joe Beckett became the first holder by putting Bombardier Wells on his back; but after Carpentier had in turn pul. Beckett horizontal in the same ring, Joseph, in a moment of detachment, handed over the golden bauble (<> die Frenchman.

Georges accepted tlie gift gracefully and in the proper spirit, and naturally he could not think of offending his admiring friend by offering to return the gift so handsomely made! But that he did not bring if over to show Joseph—a.s a token that !i lt treasured it as a loving cup; a memento of a former happy meeting— before patting him horizontal a second time was remiss and ungrateful of Carpentier. It is hinted that Frank Harvey, tin, "Plymouth featherweight., has become similarly attached to the challenge bolt given by Mr Harry Jenkins to symbolise tho West of Engand 0-4 championship a l-'-'t -Harvey won by bearing Bugler Lake,