New York Times Book Reviews: 3 Books on Jiujitsu 1904!

[Bill Mattocks]

Click on the link to read the entire review; it's a badly-scanned PDF file, but readable if you don't mind cocking your head over to one side a bit. Worth it, though.

http://tiny.cc/eoey5

JIU JITSU.; Three Books on Japanese Physical Training for Men, Women, and Children.*

June 18, 1904, Saturday
Section: REVIEW OF BOOKS, Page BR410, 991 words
THESE three books all develop the principles of the Japanese system of physical training known as "Jiu Jitsu," an "exhilarating, life-giving work," as the author expresses it, the most wonderful system of all that exist in building up a perfect, healthy body -a body capable of undergoing a strain that would seem incredible to a Caucasian.

Check this one out while you're at it:

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9505E3DF1E3AE733A25753C2A9649D946797D6CF

ENGLISH EXPERT SHOWS NEW JIU-JITSU PHASE; Produces Anaesthesia Instantaneously by Pressure on Nerves. RESTORATION IN SAME WAY Practices Before Private Assemblage at Dr. Thomas's Residence, Rendering Physician Unconscious.

 

[Makalakumu]

Thanks, I sent those links to my sensei.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Thanks, I sent those links to my sensei.

Here's something cool - it could be that Jui-Jitsu died out in the US (it came back later of course) due to just ONE little wrestling match!

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9A04E6DE143AE733A25751C1A9659C946497D6CF

Sadly, this PDF file is hard to read. Scroll ALL the way down to read the first column, then all the way up and to the right to finish it.

Here's the preview:

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9A04E6DE143AE733A25751C1A9659C946497D6CF

JIU-JITSU.

March 12, 1905, Sunday

Page 8, 495 words

The pretensions of jiu-jitsu received a rude shock the other day when a West Point football champion walked off with the operator of the Japanese formula under his arm kicking and clawing like a newly captured Cebu monkey. The incident deprived the Oriental practice of a Congressional appropriation to provide for instruction in it of our budding men-at-arms.

Isn't it funny how sometimes one little insignificant event can change the course of history? Butterfly wings, bubba.

 

[frank raud]

Here's something cool - it could be that Jui-Jitsu died out in the US (it came back later of course) due to just ONE little wrestling match!

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9A04E6DE143AE733A25751C1A9659C946497D6CF

Sadly, this PDF file is hard to read. Scroll ALL the way down to read the first column, then all the way up and to the right to finish it.

Here's the preview:

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9A04E6DE143AE733A25751C1A9659C946497D6CF



Isn't it funny how sometimes one little insignificant event can change the course of history? Butterfly wings, bubba.

One of the men involved in the demonsration at west Point was Mitsuyo Maeda, the man who taught the Gracies in Brazil.

From wikipedia:

Early in 1905, Tomita and Maeda gave several public demonstrations of judo: on February 17, 1905, Tomita and Maeda gave a demonstration at Princeton University, when Maeda threw N.B. Tooker, a Princeton football player, while Tomita threw Samuel Feagles, the Princeton gymnasium instructor.[13] On February 21, 1905, they gave a judo demonstration at the United States Military Academy at West Point: Tomita and Maeda performed kata -- nage-no, koshiki, ju-no, etc. At the request of the crowd, Maeda wrestled a cadet and threw him easily. Because Tomita had been the thrower in the kata, the cadets wanted to wrestle him too. Tomita threw the first (Charles Daly) without any trouble. However, Tomita twice failed to throw another football player named Tipton using tomoe-nage (stomach throw). Tomita was much smaller, so the Japanese claimed a moral victory.[14] The Americans just laughed, and instead hired Tom Jenkins, a former world champion professional wrestler, to be the Academy wrestling coach.
The Japanese experts did better at the New York Athletic Club on March 8, 1905: "Their best throw was a sort of flying cartwheel," said an article in the New York Times, describing Maeda's match with John Naething, a 200lb wrestler. "Because of the difference in methods the two men rolled about the mat like schoolboys in a rough-and-tumble fight. After fifteen minutes of wrestling, Maeda secured the first fall. Ultimately, however, Naething was awarded the match by pin fall."[15] On March 21, 1905, Tomita and Maeda gave a "jiu-do" demonstration at Columbia University attended by about 200 people. Following introductions, Tomita demonstrated falls and throws, then Maeda threw the university's wrestling instructor. According to the student newspaper, "Another interesting feature was the exhibition of some of the obsolete jiu jitsu tricks for defense with a fan against an opponent armed with the curved Japanese sword." Translations were provided by chemist Takamine Jokichi.[16]

 

[frank raud]

Here's something cool - it could be that Jui-Jitsu died out in the US (it came back later of course) due to just ONE little wrestling match!

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9A04E6DE143AE733A25751C1A9659C946497D6CF

Sadly, this PDF file is hard to read. Scroll ALL the way down to read the first column, then all the way up and to the right to finish it.

Here's the preview:

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9A04E6DE143AE733A25751C1A9659C946497D6CF



Isn't it funny how sometimes one little insignificant event can change the course of history? Butterfly wings, bubba.

Bill, I do think it is an exageration that jiu jitsu died out in the US due to this wrestling match. By 1905 there were American instructors in jiu jitsu ( John O'brien and Harry Skinner as examples), Irving Hancock was writing books about jiu jitsu(Jiu jitsu combat tricks was published in 1904. People were blending jiu jitsu with wrestling and boxing(The new science of Weaponless Defence by Prof. F. S. Lewis, published 1906). The first dojo on contintental American soil, the Seattle Judo dojo was founded around 1903.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Bill, I do think it is an exageration that jiu jitsu died out in the US due to this wrestling match. By 1905 there were American instructors in jiu jitsu ( John O'brien and Harry Skinner as examples), Irving Hancock was writing books about jiu jitsu(Jiu jitsu combat tricks was published in 1904. People were blending jiu jitsu with wrestling and boxing(The new science of Weaponless Defence by Prof. F. S. Lewis, published 1906). The first dojo on contintental American soil, the Seattle Judo dojo was founded around 1903.

By 'died out', what I meant was that it was something of a craze in the early 1900's in the USA, but then dropped from public consciousness following WWI. Of course it was still around, but it just wasn't in 'the public' to the extent that it had been.