Concerning Hacken= schmidt.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 18 March 1910, Page 4

Concerning Hacken= schmidt.

A PEN SKETCH. Tn this month's issue of "The Triad," a journal that always contains many interesting items sandwiched between scoldings of certain newspapers and uncertain people, there is a fine pen picture of Hackenschmidt, the wrestler. The writer remarks:— Among the pleasantest.peoplo I have recently mot, I must name Hackenschmidt the wrestler. The man of mighty muscle is curiously disinclined to talk about his prowess, and in his habits and conversation is as gentle as a sylph. Ho is well educated, speaks three or four languages fluently, confesses that he does not like wrestling, and is never heard to mention a'racehorse. The wretched business of his match with Gotch he will not discuss. "It is very good to make money," he told me, "because money is so useful for many things. J became a wrestler because I could make much money no, and I have met many very good men in my wrestling. It is pleasant to win a match against a good man, but it is not always pleasant. There have been times when I almost wished that I might have lost; though one never really wishes that—no. But there are the Turks. They are much misunderstood, those Turks. They are fierce and formidable antagonists, but they believe in Allah as a child believes in its father. Their faith in Allah is such that they are not wilbe beaten by n Christian; andwhoin. bebeaten by a Christian ; and when* they are beaten—oil, but it does make them very sad. I remember once in Vienna. I had defeated a Turk- such a good chap lie was— and it was a. very enthusiastic victory for me. While the people cheered me, I turned away and passed my opponent's dressingroom. And there I saw him on his mat kneeling, with his face bowed to the dust, sobbing, sobbing. Ho thought that Allah had deserted him, and I felt sorry that I had Avon that minute. It is not at all a shameful thing to sob so, when a man believes .his religion and thinks he lias offended his God. The Turk is a very strong and agile man, and he.wrestles to win. It is hard to wrestle with him, for his grip is of steel, and his heart is the heart of the lion ; hut he plays the game fairly according to his rules, and one respects and likes him. HINTS ON TRAINING. In some reamrks on training, the groat Russian said :—"I do not say to your young men and hoys in tin's fine country that they should wrestle or box. I do say that they should take care of their bodies and lose no opportunity to make themselves strong. To do that, they must live clean and regular lives, _ and train always with their brain as well as with their muscles. Tell them from me that I have nothing to gain in these things I say. I have no interest in any company that makes or sells sports goods. What I say is said because I like to speak true. Tell them, then, to keep away from all rubber training things. These tilings do not make good muscle and they do not make condition. Rubber men are flabby, and they cannot stay. Let your' hoys he content to do as the strong men do, and not as the strong men sometimes advertise that they recommend to do. Plenty of good walking always—that is the great thing. Plenty of fresh air. Plenty of natural deepbreathing. ' Everything natural, nothing mechanical, nothing strained. Once in good condition, they must start with weights. Light weights first, and increase of weight gradual and systematic. Everything must be gentle _ and steady: no suspicion of strain or rush.' They must never train long enough at one time to become tired. They must _ vary their exercise in every possible way, so that no muscle shall be developed disproportionately at the expense of another. That is where walking is so very good. It puts every omice of a man in condition. To stiffen that exercise, gentle running up a bill is very fine. That is the way to get proper deepbreathing exercise—far better than all mechanical respiratory > exercise at an open window, for instance. There is the matter of expansion. Very good, but expansion will come naturally under good training. Natural'expansion Is not to become dble to blow oneself out like a frog or a balloon. When lam asked ivhat my expansion is, I give the figures marked in normal breathing: T do not stand still and try bow much I can swell myself for special measurement. The thing to do is to do things in nature's way. Nature intends the strong und healthy man. to think intelligently of what he is doing. The daily labourer who performs heavy tasks mechanically does not get much strength or stamina ; but the man who puts his mind to the task of developing all his muscles by scientific exercise gets strong, because the mind controls the body, nnd when you have the will to do the thing is done. "You cannot train on beer. I nm not what yon call Prohibitionist—oh.not at all; I think it is not at all good, that thing. But von will not get strong if you drink beer when you are training. Tt spoils vour wind and makes poor flesh. ' A little claret or claret-nmi-water with a meal is very good. T have nothing to say against beer as a drink for any people; hut I know that if yon are seeking to be strong, beer goes not at all well with exercise, and I have > proved +.lm+, e'l.irp.t, irncs verv well indeed."