Japanese Physical Training/3

by H. Irving Hancock

CHAPTER III

FEATS THAT STRENGTHEN THE HEART AND LUNGS—WORK THAT BRINGS THE ARMS TO A CONDITION OF MAGNIFICENT DEVELOPMENT

Once the health of the stomach is assured, or is even conscientiously undertaken, the next step of importance is to do everything possible to develop the heart and lungs—for how can one hope to develop into the best type of athlete if these two latter organs are not as strong as they should be?

For training the lungs deep breathing is the finest thing taught in the jiu-jitsu school. Deep breathing means that the breath must be drawn in so far that the lowest muscles of the abdomen move vigorously at every inhalation and exhalation. The ancient samurai was accustomed to going out into the open air as soon as he rose in the morning. There he devoted at least ten or fifteen minutes to continued deep breathing, standing with his hands on his hips in order that he might feel the play of the muscles.

Then there came a second step in breathing. This consisted of deep breathing in such fashion that the muscles just over the hips expanded at the sides like bellows, while the shoulders did not rise a fraction of an inch with inhalation. This second exercise is the more valuable in breathing work, but it cannot be readily mastered until the first essential idea of breathing as deeply as possible at each inhalation is understood. Deep breathing is practised by the dumb animals, as may be ascertained by watching the play of the muscles along the belly of a cow or a horse when walking. Savages who possess a fairly high type of physical development breathe deeply and properly. Civilised man is in danger of losing the art.

Deep breathing should be practised not to the point of fatigue at first, yet so constantly that after a while it will become an unconscious habit. Even when this is the case, ten minutes on rising in the morning should be devoted to especially applied effort along this line, and the same amount of time just before retiring at night. In the jiu-jitsu schools of Japan the student, even when he has acquired the right method of breathing, is obliged to devote a few minutes at the beginning of the lesson to deep breathing, closing the lesson in the same way. Beyond this and exercise little is needed to make a normal pair of lungs reach their highest perfection.

Nor is the proper development of the heart of much greater difficulty. Assuming that the stomach is in good condition from right diet, and that the lungs are acting properly on account of deep breathing, the heart has made an excellent start. In all exercises care must be taken that the heart is not made to palpitate severely. Should there be undue uneasiness around the heart, the Japanese instructor, after listening to its sounds, orders the student to lie flat on his back, with arms and legs extended—the arms at right angles with the sides of the body, and the feet as far apart as they may be placed with comfort. In this position the sufferer breathes gently but deeply, with the result that the heart is soon in normal condition. Even then, for a few minutes more the student continues in that position. When he has advanced farther in his course he has learned not to overtax the heart. Eventually he strengthens the heart to such a degree that there are few kinds of physical tasks that can trouble his heart in the least.

One of the first exercises to be taken up is one that should be practised daily as long as the study of jiu-jitsu is continued. This task is known among the Japanese as "The Struggle." The two opponents stand face to face, stretch out their arms laterally and clasp hands with palm to palm and fingers interlaced. Each falls forward, placing his chest against his antagonist's, feet as far back as possible, so that the body is in a slanting position, and at the same time with the feet spread as far apart as possible. In this attitude the opponents begin to struggle, each striving as hard as he can to press his chest so forcefully against the other's as to drive him back. Victory belongs to the man who can gradually force his adversary from the middle of the room to the wall. Out of doors the same feat can be practised by starting at a middle line, with "goal" lines drawn in the soil behind each contestant.

Just how much of this strenuous exercise is beneficial must be left largely to the judgment of those engaged in it, always bearing in mind what has been said above about not overtaxing the heart to the point of severe palpitation. At the outset, not more than three or four "struggles" per day are to be recommended, nor should any one "struggle" last, at first, more than two minutes. There will come a time, when, if jiu-jitsu is faithfully kept up, two well-developed and equally matched opponents can struggle for twenty consecutive minutes without either gaining material advantage. At first not so much attention should be given to victory as to the training of the muscles. If one of the students is decidedly the superior of the other in strength, then the stronger one should offer just enough resistance to continue the "struggle," and should allow the weaker contestant to slowly gain the victory once in a while. No exercise known in jiu-jitsu will do more than this one for gradually toughening all

WRIST-TO-WRIST RESISTANT EXERCISE.

the muscles of the body. Yet when practised in moderation the main benefit goes to the heart and lungs.

Just as soon as the "struggle" has been mastered, arm exercises are given. These are many and varied; in fact, all exercises that involve the use of the hands belong to this class. The arm should be developed in sections, and all of the exercises that are to be described in this chapter should be taken in the same lesson.

First of all, let the antagonists stand facing each other in such attitude that the right arm of one is opposite the right arm of the other. Now let each take a short step to the left, extending right arms at the side so that the clenched fists are a little below the hip. Let each antagonist press the inside of his wrist against the inside of his opponent's wrist. The arms must be held rigid, with all the muscles tense. Now let one of the opponents begin slowly to swerve his man around. The assailant will have to take a few short steps as he slowly succeeds. The man on the defensive will have to move his feet a trifle, but should be as pivotal as possible. The one who is being moved should resist just enough barely to avoid defeating his adversary.

As soon as the one on the defensive has been swung around as far as can be done without radically changing the position of his feet, a moment's breath should be taken, and then the one lately on the defensive should swerve his late assailant back to where the affair started.

Care must be taken at all times to keep the arms rigid and the muscles tense. The combatant who is being moved must employ all the resistance that can be used without defeating the attack. If this exercise is to be of value these points cannot be too thoroughly impressed. One of the illustrations of this volume shows the correct attitude for the wrist work, and gives a good idea of all of the arm work.

In the arm work there is some danger of overtaxing the heart and lungs, but this cannot happen if the exercisers rest at the first signs of palpitation or panting. Never go past these danger signals! After the preliminary training has produced great physical endurance, these symptoms rarely, if ever, will appear.

Now comes the next step in the proper development of the arms. The opponents should stand in the same attitude as that employed in the wrist exercises. This time the opposing forearms are crossed halfway between the wrist and elbow, and the same kind of work is performed. When this has been done two or three times, the antagonists should cross arms at the elbows. Usually, in this work, the arms should be held rigidly straight, but at times it will be found of advantage to "hook" elbows, with the arms somewhat bent. Afterwards try the same exercise with the arms crossed midway between elbow and shoulder. Last of all, "hook" shoulders together, and swing around in the same fashion. Care should be taken not to develop the right arm at the expense of the left. There is another danger in this arm work that must be carefully avoided. The average student finds the lower-arm work more pleasant than the upper-arm work. He will develop magnificent muscles in the lower arms while failing to exercise the upper arms sufficiently for the needs of physique. The Japanese student of jiu-jitsu is taught to keep hard at work on exercises for the upper arm. Yet great "bumps" of muscle on the upper arm are not desired. The best play of effective muscle, as is shown in one of the accompanying photographs, is found just over the bend of the upper side of the elbow.

While the preceding exercises necessarily must be used by two students, working together there is another form of arm work that may be practised by one. After a few deep breaths, stand erect, with the arms held slantingly forward, so that the clenched fists are just below the waist-line. Strain the arms to the utmost tension, all the while increasing the clenching pressure of the fists. Slowly raise the arms before the body. While so doing, resist the upward movement of the arms as much as may be done without defeating the raising of the arms. In other words, make the arms go up, yet resist as much as possible by downward pressure. This little trick of physical training, borrowed from the Japanese, is the foundation of one of the best-known and most successful systems used in this country to-day. The only fault to be found with the American

RESISTANT WRIST EXERCISE, AS PRACTISED BY ONE PERSON.

adaptation just referred to is that it does not go far enough to embrace all of the Japanese ways of increasing muscle, strength, heart, and lung action.

Having acquired the principle of these resistant exercises, raise the arms, held straight before the shoulders, slowly from in front to a position where the tightly clenched fists are just over the head. Take two or three deep breaths, then lower the arms to starting position. On the downward movement, resist by a counter-pressure upward, allowing the arms to reach the starting position only after a struggle. After a little deep breathing, hold the arms slantingly at the sides, at the same position below the hips as in the other exercises. The fists, of course, must be tightly clenched, as before. Raise in the same manner to a position over the head. Take two or three breaths and then lower the fists to the starting position along the same lines of resistant work. None of these resistant exercises for the arms can injure the heart unless taken with extreme immoderation. Palpitation or panting will give the warning signal far ahead of the danger-point. After some weeks of faithful practice the student will find that both heart and lungs have been greatly strengthened, and that his endurance under arm strain will be little short of marvellous.

Yet in order to make this work effective, the student should never forget the principle of constantly employing resistance to the upward or the downward movement of the arms. At the outset, two upward and two downward movements of the arms from in front, and the same number at the sides, should be sufficient for the morning and for the evening work. The beginner's own intelligence should teach him how to increase this work as time goes on. A Japanese who has been under instruction in jiu-jitsu for three months is able to keep up these arm exercises for fifteen minutes at a time, and without the slightest feeling of fatigue. Even from four to six weeks will convince any persistent investigator that the arms may be built up to the point of superb strength without resort to the Indian clubs and dumb-bells that were unknown in ancient Japan. But the fact should never be lost sight of that the deep breathing is as essential as is the resistance of the muscles.

There is another kind of arm work at which the Japanese student spends much of his time in the preliminary stages of his instruction. As these exercises tire the arm, until it has been brought up to its proper state of development, they should be taken, at first, with the greatest care not to overtax the muscles. By degrees the student learns how much he can endure, and what is more important, the amount of this sort of exercise that he can take from week to week.

First of all, the young man is taught to stand erect with his arms held parallel in front, his clenched fists a little below the line of his hips. After making the muscles tense he slowly moves his fists from side to side with a twisting motion of the wrists, and this motion should be made so that the movement is felt all the way up to the shoulder. After rest, with deep breathing, the arms are held extended sideways just on a level with the shoulder. The clenched fists are turned as far as they will go in either direction, the same care being taken as before that all the muscles up to the shoulders are put in motion. Next, the arms are extended in front, in horizontal, parallel position, and the same work is executed. After that the exercise is done with the arms above the head, and then with the arms held behind the back in as near a parallel position as can be had, and with the clenched fists just below the hip-line. These exercises, if persisted in, will give any man of normal strength arms that are magnificent from the standpoint of physical culture.

There are other exercises for the arms that can be originated by any student to his advantage. Japanese young men, while attending jiu-jitsu schools, are encouraged to find out as much for themselves as is possible. While the arm exercises already described comprise all that Japanese instructors consider necessary, modifications of these gymnastics are devised by intelligent learners with a view to giving the utmost variety to the work. Any work that employs the muscles of the wrist, forearm, upper arm, or shoulder is of advantage—always provided that there is no undue fatigue of the muscles, and no palpitation or panting. The hand is exercised by a rapid closing and opening of the fingers, the thumb at the instant of closing passing over the second and third fingers. In this work it is best to hold the arms out horizontally before the body, although it is sometimes of advantage to hold the arms in the other positions indicated in the foregoing descriptions of arm exercises.

Another form of hand work that is much employed consists of clasping the hands just before the waist. The fingers are tightly interlaced, with the left thumb crossing the right. The right hand is made to turn the left hand over as far as possible, and with a severe wrench. Then the left hand retaliates upon the right. All depends upon the tightness of the grip. The wrists are benefited almost as much as are the hands. The forearm receives some strengthening, while the muscles all the way up to the shoulder are developed in gradually decreasing degrees.

Of benefit to the hands and wrists, and, incidentally, to the arms, is the feat performed with the aid of a short bamboo pole. Any stout stick will answer the same purpose. The man on the defence grasps the stick before him with the hands about two feet and a half apart. The assailant takes hold with both hands just inside of his opponent's. Then a struggle follows for the possession of the stick. Every part of the body is brought into play. If one antagonist is much stronger than the other it is not necessary for him to take the stick away. It is sufficient for him to prevent himself from being defeated. After the work has been continued until the contestants are reasonably fatigued, rest follows. The man who has been trying to hold the stick places his hands inside the other's and struggles for possession.

Not before all these preliminary exercises have been shown and understood does the Japanese student of jiu-jitsu pass on to the back-to-back task. This feat is the natural complement of the "struggle" already described. The two men stand with their backs together. The arms are extended at the sides so that the hands are about on a level with the waist-line. The hands are then clasped so that the adversaries' fingers are tightly interlaced, with the backs of the hands opposing. One of

BACK-TO-BACK WORK.

The complement of "The Struggle." A splendid way of developing the back muscles and other muscles of the body.

the men bends forward in such a manner as to lift the other off his feet, and holds him clear of the ground as long as possible. To hold one's companion off his feet in this manner for a period of ten seconds is all that should be striven for at first. In time it becomes possible to hold an antagonist free of the ground for the space of at least a full minute. A graduate in jiu-jitsu could easily carry a companion in this position for a distance equal to that of the length of several of our city blocks.

At the outset, especially, not all of the tasks already described can be undertaken in a single practice bout. The exercises should be taken in rotation, and with a view to giving equal strain and development to all parts. No instructor of jiu-jitsu will allow his student to benefit one portion of the body at the expense of another. When the American learner in jiu-jitsu begins, it will be well for him to note the amount of exertion he can endure in each one of the exercises, the length of time required for the work and for the intermediate breathing, and on this basis he can formulate a schedule that will show him exactly the amount of time he should devote daily to each feat and to the aggregation of feats to be attempted in a single day's work.

As the muscles, lungs, and heart become gradually toughened, the beginner, if he uses the discretion that has been indicated, will lengthen the period of his practice bouts. The Japanese takes all of his instruction in one daily lesson at the school. In the rush of American life the Occidental may find it to his advantage to divide practice into halves, one for the morning and one for the late afternoon or early evening.