Page:Japanese Physical Training (Hancock).djvu/208

 148 the attack upon the upper body of his descending enemy. Just as there are no "fouls" in the Japanese method of combat, so all the highest development of the art of jiu-jitsu is based upon the employment of the utmost degree of deception. There is but one exception to this rule: When the vanquished one slaps a thigh, or the floor when down, the victor must release his man and does not expect further attack.

Agility is further obtained by falling face downward upon the floor and then turning over on the back like a flash. Arms, hands, and legs are employed with as much celerity and accuracy as if an actual combatant were at hand. A welcome variation is found in running at full tilt toward an object that is swinging, suspended from the ceiling. Without slackening his speed, the student grasps the object, or tries to do so, stopping only when he finds the prize within his hand. Success in this feat is at first almost impossible; by degrees it becomes more and more easy of accomplishment. There is sport in the game, and it can be introduced into any American