THE SMART JAPANESE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7978, 6 April 1904, Page 2

THE SMART JAPANESE.

SOME INTERESTING REMINISCENCES. (By OHIO; in the "Argus.") My first experience of the little men who are now playing a great part in the Par East was on Queen's Birthday, 1881, at Hobart, during a review of the Taemanian Volunteers,- in the Domain. The cadets and junior officers of the Ruijio, the first of the Japanese ships to come to Australia, were marched up to the parade-ground, and halted in double line. They watched the Volunteer show stolidly till it was over, and then marched away again. In the evening there was a military ball, in the. Hobart Town Hall. The third dance was in progress, when in filed the same little fellows. They formed up along the wall, just as they had done against the battery fence in the Domain. Our dancing was altogether new to them, and they watched it with a seriousness that was disconcerting. Not a word of comment seemed to pass between them. The Hobart men broke up the formation; each visitor was introduced to a partner, and asked to dance. They caught the idea readily, but afterwards explained that in Japan they did not dance j the dancing was done for them by persons who were paid for the entertainment they gave. The square dances presented no serious difficulties to them, but the waltz was an evolution too intricate for them to master at sight. The efforts made by their partners to teaoh them resulted in a remarkable scene. Here and there girls, with their skirts shortened sufficiently to display their feet, were showing the steps, and the attentive Japs were down on their hands and knees noting the movements. On board the Ruijio they made excellent hosts, as we who were favoured with invitations to an "At Home " found. Their table wa3 modelled on examples which they bad seen ashore. Only in unimportant details was there evidence of imperfect observation on their part. For instance, one officer helped a lady visitor to custard with her beef, having been misled to the use it was to be put to by its similarity in name, colour, etc., to mustard. At informal visits they sang for us and we sang for them. As something appropriate to a man-o'-war, one of our party gave "The Death^of Nelson," which proved a happy choice, for they hastened to explain that they knew all about Nelson. He was one of the " traditions " of their navy. The officers showed us how quickness and cleverness were impressed on them in early youth, . principally through their school games. They were very quick with their hands. In some cases the penalty for non-success is " punishment," as they ex* pressed it. This means that the vanquished competitor opens his hand, and the victor with the first finger of his right hand pulls back the small finger of his left, and lets it go trigger-like at the open palm. Japanese are noted for the smallness of their hands and feet ; the fingers of many of' the adult officers were not larger than those of a seven-year-old Australian. But with the trick described they could inflict a sting which seemed to dwell longer in the memory than the keenest strokes which any of us had got from the master in our school days. Anyone of the Japanese officers could twist a strip of paper into a string strong enough to withstan " a severe strain, and strings so made by further twisting were cleverly formed into imitations of quadrupeds or reptiles. Japanese proficiency in wrestling or in fencing with the two-handed eword is well known. They gave us .examples of both. We wondered to see them so smart with the sword, and asked the reason. An officer, by way of reply, suggested that Australian youths were expert in the use of their fists, because when they had differences they fought with their fists. In Japan, boy< fought with small Eticks. To show what they could do as athletes, one midshipman came forward, and one of us was invited to choke him, and not be restrained by fear of hurting him. The experimenter used all his strength, but the Japanese only smiled blandly, and enjoyed the attempt to " garrotte " him. A process of training which was not explained to us had" developed the muscles of his neck to such a, degree that he could, by contracting • them, completely protect his larynx. - In jiujitsu, a form of wrestling, they disarm an opponent by making.- use of the strength he puts forth to overturn him. Thus, when two men engage in a hold, on© presses the other gently backwards or forwards until he feels he is resisted sufficiently. Then ' the attack is changed with lightning suddenness from thrust or pull, as the case ; may be, to the opposite direction. The op- i ponent, who was withstanding a pull, finds himself going down backwards, just as he would have done if he had been holding a rope which had unexpectedly broken. (For a comparison of styles, an Australian amateur, whose weight exceeded 14st, was opposed in a friendly wrestling bout to a Japanese who weighed 9st olb; The contest did not last many seconds. They grasped each other by the right elbow and left side of the collar. The Japanese put his right foot against his opponent's waist* band, and falling backwards himself to the floor, drew his opponent down, supporting him horizontally on his own straightened leg. Then, by a dexterous downward tug with the hands and thrust with the foot, the Japanese landed the Australian, who had turned a somersault, on i»s back on the floor beyond him. •