JU-JITSU VS. BOXING and WRESTLING

by Halford E. Jones

Ever since Gus Lesnevich knocked out the American Judo Champion in the second round of a match set in Chicago during the Second World War years, controversy has raged over the merits of boxing, judo, jiu-jitsu, and wrestling. On that decisive night, the supremacy of boxing was supposedly reasserted in the entire sporting world.

Black Belt Magazine reported a match between Gene LeBell, judo and wrestling expert, and Milo Savage, a boxer, in which LeBell defeated Savage with a judo throw followed up by a choke hold which rendered the boxer unconscious in the fourth round.

What do such matches prove? It is really difficult to say, unless the rules and conditions are conducive and open enough to allow full use of boxing and jiu-jitsu or judo techniques. Usually, the boxer must wear the judogi or 'jacket' which permits of grasping and strangling, while the boxer must contend with the judoka who does not wear gloves, either training gloves or speed gloves, nor shoes. Quite likely, the padded judogi helps stultify the blows of the boxer, who, wearing an unfamiliar jacket, is hampered in movement and so cannot throw adequate punches due to a binding effect on the arms and shoulders.

Recognized boxing punches are allowed and all contest judo throws and holds, except kicking in the karate manner. However, judo is confined usually to just throws and hold and the atemiwaza or Ate-waza branch is forbidden, partly because few American judo-ists know much about it. This branch, an integral part of the various esoteric jiu-jitsu styles and once part and parcel of the 'Kano' system, now known as Kodokan Judo, is extremely deadly and could render the average boxer, who under ring rules is vulnerable, easily unconscious.

Gene LeBell has since gone on to research and show certain weaknesses in judo as compared with the sport of wrestling, both professional and amateur. This comparison between sports has often proven fruitful, as between fencing and karate and boxing and karate, where similarities allow for a transfer of skills. But boxing, judo, and wrestling have very few things that are directly transferable and so constitute separate arts and sciences. An attempt to mix them up leads to a hodge-podge of little value.

But jiu-jitsu was given an opportunity to test itself against wrestling in a historic match between George Bothner and Katsukuma Higashi at the Grand Central Palace in New York City. Described as 'wrestling with death', the agile American wrestler defeated the Japanese expert in three falls despite all of the "wily" Oriental tricks of jiu-jitsu, such as, a kick to the stomach, a chop to the throat, and shoulder throws, but to no avail against catch-as-catch-can wrestling.

Higashi was no match against combinations like headlocks, half-nelsons, cross-buttocks throws, scissors and hammerlock that Bothner put on him so successfully, though the American admitted it was one of the toughest fights he had ever had.

Hampered by a heavy judo jacket, Bothner found that he could not grip the silken jacket of the jiu-jitsu expert in this no-holds barred match in which the Japanese received the larger share of the purse. Higashi was training the New York police under the auspices of Theodore Roosevelt, then commissioner of Police.

Higashi went on to compose with H. Irving Hancock, the book, The Complete Kano Jiu-Jitsu in which we find these curious, but enlightening rules stated: "It is understood and agreed that the jiu-jitsu man, whether he fights a boxer or contests with a wrestler, shall be allowed to use in his defence any of the tricks that belong to the art of jiu-jitsu. It is further understood and agreed that the jiu-jitsu man assumed no responsibility for any injury or injuries caused by any act or thing done during the contest, and that the jiu-jitsu man shall be held free and blameless from any such ill effect or injury that may be received during the contest."

Modern boxing, is, of course, hampered by rules which permit no fouls or illegal punches or tactics. Judo, likewise, has the same restrictions. But the old time boxing, much of it bareknuckle style, knew no such restrictions nor did true jiu-jitsu. Orthodox wrestlers, particularly of the Graeco-Roman style, also were restricted to certain rules which barred special holds, counters and throws. Today, professional wrestling is closer to the old style bareknuckle days than the so-called "safe" sports.

A Mr. Barton Wright began bringing Japanese jiu-jitsu experts to England around 1900 for the purposes of exhibition and demonstration and promotion of the art.

These "jiu-jitsu Japs" appeared in vaudeville and circus arenas and lent a mysterious character to the art by displaying the more fantastic throws, take-downs, defences against knives and guns. Along with the difficult terminology of Japanese, it took a long time to learn judo or jiu-jitsu despite the number of books revealing the tricks which caught popular imagination. The majority of the tricks are isolated techniques and only with the Kodokan system did some kind of training rationale become evident. But unfortunately, this rationale eliminated the more dangerous holds, • throws, strangles, and blows and kicks, which had so much appeal in the early part of this century.

Some of these manoeuvres became part of the professional wrestling scene, where the 'judo chop,' sleeper hold, and double leg nelson became popular until the advent of karate, which transformed the 'judo' chop into the deadly and lethal 'karate chop1! Both karate's and judo's use in the professional wrestling rings have been condemned by various wrestling publications and editors, but to no avail. The Japanese wrestlers whose knowledge of karate and judo is always tacitly assumed have mixed in some of the colourful Sumo ceremonies, stances, and tactics, which may perhaps remotely resemble some of those in karate and judo, but very tenuously.

But in the kempo style of jiu-jitsu we find the most deadly tactics, a system of self-defence against sudden attack with the intent to kill and responding in the same lethal manner! Under the old prize ring rules, notably in England, killing was not the aim but nevertheless many injuries occurred. The Pancratium of ancient Greece, Rome, and Persia combined boxing and wrestling in a style that can be traced, according to some experts, to ancient India.

Sada Kazu Uyenishi, author of The Textbook of Ju-Jutsu, relates how he defeated the strongest man in the British Army and Navy- by allowing one of his pupils, who had practiced for only five months or so, contest the giant figure. The pupil won decisively. He found it comparatively easy to unbalance the majority of European wrestlers with a simple pull on the collar or sleeve to cause a fall.

Photo A shows the popular 'judo' or 'karate' chop, also known as an 'atemi' in judo. Combined with a kick to the midsection, this blow with the edge of the hand can be quite lethal.

Photo B shows Joe Meyette of the Claremont Karate Club applying a commonly recommended jiu-jitsu hold which supposedly renders an opponent completely helpless.

Photo C shows Meyette applying on Clay-ton Foster a common wrestling hold, the body scissors as well as an arm on wrist lock. By spinning around Meyette could also apply a full nelson or a head lock, still retaining the scissors hold.

Source: Health & Strength Magazine, June 1972.