THE "SCISSORS" GRIP.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 12516, 26 July 1911, Page 8

THE "SCISSORS" GRIP.

Details pf the match between Shima, the Japanese wrestler, and the Sydney boxer, Howard, shew that while it was not edifying, it was exciting, and highly interestirig as showing how the 'skill of a jiii'-jitiii expert can defeat the strength" of a bigger v 'man. The conditions Were that Howard was to be allowed t6 hit at- |ill times and under all circumstances,, while Shima was to follow the "rules' of jiu-jitsu: ' Howard' was to Wear Bofc (dozes, Shima was riot to hit with clenched hands, and there was to be no kicking, y Howard hid an advantage of two- storie 'in- weight over the Japanese. At first - it' werit very hard with Shima, to the "consternation of the Chinese m the audience, : who were strorig partisans for the Japanese. Shima tried unavailihgiy to get a hold of his opponent's leg, and Suffered severe bodyblows ii*-,' doing* so. ' The manoeuvre ended m the Japanese going down heavily to a blow on the heady and some thought] he would ' not come ■up •:• for the ' second bout. 'He; did 'so, howeVeiy and took more lieavy prinishment nonchalantly. Then he threw himself, feet foremost, intb the aii** at Howard's legs, and caught one of them between two of his toes. The- other leg was put on, and be had the "scissors hold" on the boxer.The Argus thus describes what happened afterwards :— --"The little man lay upon his back at the boxer's* feet, the legs crept up the boxer's legs, like the tentacles of a small qctopus dragging down a very large crab. A twist of the body, and Howard too, was on the mat. The legs of tne Japanese writhed and twisted into the 'ankle-break' grip, and beads of perspiration came out on the boxer's face as the cruel pressure was applied, ' He, hammered at the thigh muscles of jthe i^^%'sey* bftt*. Shima put on a little-^or^4>reSftiti r ie, tfhd the boxer, gave iri 'luhmn^to'' 'W£ -'center*- and wondering; Ji&W jit $$• 'ftad happened." The Chinese Spectatpr^ were' greatly- excited.. They vo^ifertc^M^o^laitoedsyictory for the wrestler, 'dfte.flf l ihemvexHbrting him to "pu^•i^!e^(?firiglee3|lhah> , leg out." In the third ■X-hdut**^Hpitea-?d hit Shima again and again with*'-*ilaggering blows, but the man's capacity for punishment was extraordinary*. Onbe again' he tried] the "scissors hold," and got it. Despite the pounding of the boxer's, fists, the deadly pressprb was increased, arid Howard had. to give m to prevent his leg being broken. Howard was handicapped by his Boz gloves, or "pillows,'' as boxers call them, and is willing to meet' Shima again if the, use of standard gloves is permitted.