BOX AND BE FIT, CHAMPION ADVISES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18805, 6 July 1929, Page 33 (Supplement)

BOX AND BE FIT, CHAMPION ADVISES.

SPORT IS COMMENDED FOR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL TRAINING Box and be fit! That is the finest axiom any young man can have (writes Teddy Baldock, bantam-weight champion of the world). I have often heard opponents of boxing say, “Boxing is a brutal sport; it is savage and bestial.” I can say without hesitation that there is not one atom of truth in these remarks as applied to present-day boxing. In the old days, when men fought bare-fisted, ■ hammering away at each other for more than a hundred rounds, such a criticism might have been justified. But that was not boxing. It was fighting, and there is a huge difference between the two. When Jem Mace and his contemporaries were in their prime, it was no uncommon thing for a fighter to catch his opponent by the hair with one hand and to batter his face with the other. Indeed, it is for this reason that many of the old-time pugilists had their hair cropped short. I should have been one of the first to have joined in an outcry against such tactics. Since then, however, our ideas have progressed by leaps and bounds. Boxing allows only one way of winning—by fair means only. In those far-off days the man who fought with his head as well as his fists was unknown To-day the mere bruiser, the oldfashioned “slogger,” could not stand up for five minutes beside a real boxer. For boxing is a science just as much as fencing or billiards. This is a very

important point, and one which those who decry the noble art' are apt to overlook. Besides developing a strong and healthy body, a boxer develops a strong and healthy mind. Your champion is no mere auto- ; maton; he has been trained to think, and think quickly. He must make decisions without the slightest hesita- ; tion and adapt himself in an instant > to the tactics of his wily opponent, r He is, in fact, a past master in the art of mental gymnastic, i This mental exercise is quite as important as the exercise of the body. I 1 do not suggest for one moment that 2 a man with an agile brain and a puny t body can step into the ring and de--3 feat his opponent merely by means of i his superior brain power. Such _an 1 idea is absurd. To excel at boxing, body and mind must be tuned up to r. the highest pitch, and so work in per- \. feet unison.

One has only to see a boxing match to appreciate the truth of my words. See how the quick thinker has got in his blow and is away again before his adversary has time to realise it. See how his body responds to the messages flashed to it from the fast-thinking brain. Watch those wonderful muscles as they ripple beneath his skin. I suppose there are few amongst us, whether they be for or against boxing as a sport, who cannot appreciate the beauty of physical fitness. There is nothing more wonderful in the world. Boxing does more to keep a man in the pink of condition than any other sport. There is more physical energy expended in fifteen minutes in the ring than in two hours’ tennis, or a whole afternoon of cricket. It is for this reason that I strongly advise all those who contemplate taking up boxing to place themselves under the care of a qualified instructor. Beginners at the game are usually so enthusiastic that they are liable to overtax their strength in their eagerness to get on. This is a mistake. To become really proficient, months of careful study and practice are necessary, each step being thoroughly mastered before proceeding with the next. To a healthy man, the amount of satisfaction obtained from even an elementary knowledge of the sport is enormous. A boxer is taught that at all times he must have complete control of himself. If he loses his temper, he loses the fight. Therein lies the beauty of this great sport. Not every man who takes up this, the oldest and most manly of all sports, can become a champion. But he can develop his mind to think on the lines of a champion, and he will go far along the road to being a man in the critical eyes of this old world of ours. That is why I say, “Box and be fit,” for boxing teaches us to protect ourselves and those we love; but, more important than anything else, it teaches us the real meaning of the word “sportsmanship.”

(Anglo-AmeriCan N.S. Copyright) m