BOXING.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 12 July 1924, Page 10

BOXING.

RIGHT WAY TO HIT

. (Referee.) Chatting witn a well-known boxer a week or two ago on the subject of the best way to hold the fist when hitting, one was surprised to learn that he always used his hands with the palmt turned in. Clever men of the past, especially Peter Jackson, struck with the palm of the hand either nn or down, and almost invariably hit with the back knuckles. The soundness of this method was proved in Jackson’s case b.v the fact that, despite, his years-of fighting and the resultant wear and tear of his armament, he went to his grave with every knuckle as sound as a bell.

During an interview with a San Francisco newspaper man, George Green, a skilful exponent of the game when clever men were plentiful, had something to say regarding hitting. “We’re going back,” declared Gteen. “We do’nt even know how to hit. Go to a boxing show, and you will see boys attempting to box with palms held upwards. “Most of these boys have been taught to box that way. Look at the pictures of the old-time champions, and invariably you will see that they likewise held their fists palm upward. That was considered the proper way to box in their day.

“How in the world a man expected to put his full force into a blow delivered to the head of another when his fist was in an unnatural position 1 cannot understand.

THE NATURAL WAY

“My idea is to do things in the natural way. If you pick up an object off a table you do it with palm down. And if’ you want to throw a ball as hard as you can you certainly do not use the underhand delivery. “Look.” said Green, and as he spoke he placed his doubled fist on a friend’s jaw with the palm of the hand upward. “Now see if you can hit me on the face.” The friend landed. “Now, don’t imagine you are getting away with anything,” said Green, “l wanted to show you 110 weasy it was.” Then Green turned his hand with palm downward. “Now flit- me,” ordered Green. Again the friend slammed away. But this time he didn’t land, wanted, to show you how easy it was.” way.

“That’s the difference between the old way and the new,” he declared. “When you hit at the face with the palm upwards your own jaw is unprotected. Turn the palm down, and you can put the full force into your blow, and at the same time establish a guard that the other fellow cannot break through unless he beats you to' the punch. “Boxing, you understand, is a comparatively new art. The champions of the bare knuckle days were sluggers, and not boxers. Therefore it is not surprising that we still have a lot of old fellows teaching boxing under methods that- a.re not practicable in the modern game-. JIM CORBETT’S INFLUENCE.

“These men were taught that the proper way to hold your hands was with the palms upward. And few men can forget what they learned in their younger days. “The proper way to hit is the way Jim Corbett <iid. We mast give Corbett credit for a lot of things in connection with scientific boxing. Corbett received his first instruction from Walter Watson at the Olympic Club, San Francisco. But Watson had only the fundamental principle of boxing. He was an Englishman of the Jem Mace school. “He gave Corbett the idea as to

feinting and general footwork. Cos'bett improved on the idea, and in a very short time knew more than his teacher. Then, when Watson retired as instructor of the Olympic Club and went into business, his place was taken by Corbett.

“That marked the beginning of a new style- of boxing. Corbett was its master. He dropped the hitting with palm upwards, and taught his pupils, of whom I was one, to hit with palm down.”