LONG BEFORE "LOFTY"

New Zealand Listener, Volume 1, Issue 5, 28 July 1939, Page 49

LONG BEFORE "LOFTY"

Boston Crab No Mystery To The Sphinx

WRESTLING .THROUGH FORTY-FIVE CENTURIES (No. |) HE illustrations you see on this page not a new idea in comic strips. or a hand-out to a poor relation of the " Listener’s" artist. They are visual proof that Earl McCready and Lofty Blomfield did not invent wrestling after all. Even the Greeks, whose old-school-tie methods were reported here on July 7, were not the fathers of the modern protege. The sport in its present form was known, and must have been popular, among the Egyptians 4,500 years ago. Under some low hills in Upper Egypt, ‘near the village of Beni-Hasan, close to the Nile, some ancient patron of games caused to be painted, about 3,000 years before Androcles was pulling thorns out of lions’ feet with the Roman equivalent of the Boy Scout’s allpurpose knife, several hundred likenesses. of wrestling matches and methods then in use. Some of these are reproduced. In the originals different colours distinguished the wrestlers and made the holds clear. They have been outlined in black and white for reprinting from a volume by Professor E. Newberry in the Archeological Survey of Egypt. The complete story makes exciting reading. It is not clear in the end who wins, for the rules deciding matches in those days were different. Falls were not counted as such. The wrestlers fought until one acknowledged defeat, The artist has been kind and leaves it as a no-decision bout. Wasn't it about five years ago that we began to hear about the Boston Crab, as if "Lofty" had made it up all by himself? The Sphinx saw it used beneath the half-finished Pyramids, Mr. Blomfield, and smiled her -inscrutable smile forty-five centuries before

you’ were heard of. And those elbow-jolts, which Mr. McCready views with such disapproval, were old stuff even then. Only one or two of the more complicated modern holds do not seem to be represented. Twice in a second bout, illustrated in 150 paintings on another wall, the Boston Crab can be seen developing, variations of scissorholds are common, and a large number of others. are closely similar to modern methods. Professor Newberry -does riot tell us whether the Egyptians had their holds classified or not, or whether they were named. The paintings give every indication of method in the first case, and there is no reason to suppose that the Egyptians did not keep audiences informed about " Hassan’s Hug," or the "Mummy’s Cradle-roll." There was no wireless, but no doubt court scribes recorded proceedings on stone or papyrus. Picture Tut the Terrible Tank dropping gleefully on to the press bench, and the local scribe even more gleefully greeting him with half a hun-dred-weight of notes on the Beni- Hasan granite. If human nature: has altered so little since. 2800 B.C., is it not unreasonable to presume that the Egyptians also liked their bit of blood and thunder once a week? © The First Fifteen G. G. Aitken, who was All Black Captain in 1921, has a difficult job om his hands. From 4YZ, Invercargill, he will attempt at 6.15 p.m. on Saturday, August 5, to pick a first fifteen for the world. It will be interesting to see how an expert fits into place the more or less transient stars of Rugby. Carisbrook is to be the scene of the second OtagoSouthland Rugby match of the season. It will be broadcast by 4YA from 2.30 p.m. on August 5.

Frank Kilby, as a half-back, has seen as* much as anyone of the effect of refereeing on Rugby, and he will give you some of his ideas in a’ talk from 2YD at 8 p.m..on Wednesday. Other talks on Rugby are: G. G. Aitken from 1YA at 7.45 on Friday, and from 2YA at 7.40 on Friday; Mark. Nicholls (discussing selection methods) from 4YA on Tuesday, August 1, at 8.45 p.m. For the Five-Club Golfer Brassie, Spoon, Iron, Mashie, Putter, 18 holes, a sweet temper, and who needs a plus handicap for happiness? If he is lucky the five-club golfer is just starting, is playing wonderfully, and has not yet learnt that the second year is always the worst, and after that every third. Altogether, he can be a very happy person, and it will please him to learn that Andy Shaw is going to smooth away his few remaining troubles in.a series of short talks from 2YD on Saturday evenings, starting on August 5 at 9.20 p.m. Thirty-three Years In thirty-three years Bill Meredith, 1ZB’s genial sports announcer, has refereed over 1,400 Rugby matches, a total including close to 100 international, inter-provincial, and inter-colonial, and nine Ranfurly Shield games. He was the original sports announcer for 1YA in 1926 and is now heard from 1ZB in regular sessions at 7.30 on Friday nights, and at 6 p.m. on Saturdays, when he gets in first with a review of racing results. From the Diary Horses-New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Meeting at Addington from 3YA on Saturday, August 5, at 11.30 a.m. Boxing-Relay from 2YC on Thursday, at 9.5 p.m. Wrestling-From 1YA.and 2YA, at 9.5 p.m. on Monday. Hockey-A discussion of the rules by a player and a referee, from 2YA on Saturday, at 7.40 p.m. Ice-hockey-Ken Tory, Canadian expert, will be interviewed in the 3ZR scsae Club on Thursday, at 8.30 p.m.