Page:Japanese Physical Training (Hancock).djvu/191

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Self-Taught Things
131

merely vanquished. But, after the principle of the trick has been mastered, speed—and then increasing speed—is always insisted upon.

It is in the study of this feat that the Japanese student of jiu-jitsu learns much about his anatomy, and learns especially how to know the weak parts of his body from the strong. First of all, he strives to locate the muscles that do not seem to be in the least affected by the work. These call for no particular attention at the time. But the student finds that some of his muscles weaken readily during such a struggle. It may be that he suffers the most pain in his wrists. In that case, if he is conscientious in his task, he practises most assiduously at the resistant exercises, both alone and with a companion, that have been mentioned. The hand-throw, too, comes in for a good share of his attention, until he finds that his wrists are as strong as need be.

If upper portions of his arm are weak, the student is advised to give a good deal of time to the resistant arm exercises. If the back proves weak, then the Japanese student is advised to practise bending backward and forward,