BoxRec

Hope people find this as fascinating as I do. A full copy is available if you wish just email me. i have edited out some small parts of the article.


The Lincoln daily star Feb 16 -1918

BOXING ,DESPISED SPORT
PROVING WORTH IN ARMY

Films showing the relationship between boxing
And bayoneting, and demonstrating the methods
Of using the bayonet have been prepared by the
Commissions on training camp activities of the
war and navy departments…..to facilitate the
education of soldiers and sailors along these
lines.
Johnnie Kilburne, Benny Leonard, Kid McCoy
And James J. Corbett posed for the pictures
Illustrating in detail the proper way of starting
And landing the different blows and how to
Put the full force of the body behind them.

“Bayoneting is boxing with a gun in your hands “
is one of the expressive sub-titles of the film, which
afterwards shows Johnny Kilbane starting a left hook
for the head of Benny Leonard and captain Donovan
using the same movements in sending his bayonet
slashing for the neck of an armed antagonist.

The similarity between other blows in boxing
And bayoneting is also shown . For instance A soldier
using a right hook to the jaw duplicates the blow
when he swings the butt of his gun on the Jaw of a foe,
In addition the pictures make clear that a man who has
Developed speed on his feet through boxing has a
Decided advantage over his opponent in a duel with
Cold steel.

Benny Leonard, lightweight champion of the world
And boxing instructor at camp Upton, Long Island,
Is prouder of his success as a tutor than his boxing
Laurels.

“It’s incredible the way boxing has taken hold of the
men hear. They’re simply wild over it. In the classes
when I am explaining and illustrating the blows and
positions, they hang onto every word and watch my
movements like a cat watches a mouse.”

“In bayoneting where boxing instruction is particularly
valuable, because the principles are so much alike,
the results are even plainer . the men charge the
dummies with more dash than before”

Boxing has been outlawed by most of the states. There
is no interference of course with the amateurs but the
professionals are jammed into jail once they even hint
at arranging a ring encounter.

Yet it is from the professionals that Uncle Sam is
Deriving his best help in teaching and drilling his
Soldiers for the biggest fight in world history.

Rather unusual isn’t it that an outlawed sport should
So suddenly prove itself such a valiant aid to the
Great American republic. As a matter of fact
Boxing should not be prohibited by so many of ther
States. After the war is over the sport will be sure to
Come into its own. Under the proper supervision,
Meaning laws which will drive the crooks out of
Business boxing can become a respectable popular
Sport . anyway the present crisis is proving that a
Boxing glove is one of Uncle Sam’s handiest
Implements.

............................................................................


a title for the film " the noble art of boxing "
- how to stick it to a friend -

had Tyson been an instructor
"fight and bite"

robert.snell1 wrote: The Lincoln daily star Feb 16 -1918

BOXING ,DESPISED SPORT

Some things never change do they.

Thanks for the info, it was an interesting read.

I have footage of Johnny Kilbane, Benny Leonard, and Mike Gibbons teaching boxing/bayonet tactics to soldiers during WW1. I also have several articles Kilbane and Gibbons wrote during the war about Bayonet/Boxing tactics. Gibbons even wrote a handbook on the subject.

thats interesting as it relates to another post i did with regard to film footage . I had a feeling that you may have or be aware of footage regarding this article i found.
where the articles published in the newspapers - which one please- and did the handbook include photos of Gibbons

Id have to go through my records and find what papers the articles were in. I didnt file the ones of Kilbane because they were unrelated to Greb so they are mixed in with a lot of other stuff. The ones of Mike should be easy to dig out.

Ive never seen the training manual mike wrote but here are links to three photos of Mike training troops.

http://members.aol.com/tmgps2/armyblok.htm

http://members.aol.com/tmgps1/mjg-ww1-1.html

http://members.aol.com/tmgps2/uppercut.htm

It wasnt at all uncommon to see this sort of thing. Most of the major boxers in the USA acted as physical training instructors in camps and on ships during WW1. Greb trained and did recruitment. Tommy and Mike trained troops. Benny Leonard, Jeff Smith, Willie KO Brennen, Eddie McGoorty, Mike O'Dowd and many many others did as well. Kilbane actually was kicked out of his camp (he wasnt officially in the army) for going awol and then slapping an officer (if I remember correctly). This is why Jess Willard and Jack Dempsey were so heavily criticised during and after the war, it seemed (and still does) that when every other fighter in the country was scrambling to the service of Uncle Same they were busy trying to line their pockets.

The same phenomena is found in France and Britain where you had guys like Billy Wells, Pat O'Keefe, Georges Carpentier, Battling Siki, Eugene Criqui, Dick Burge, Jack McCauliffe and others joining the service and either training or actively fighting in the war.

Joe Rivers joined the service and when he was shipping out to Europe and boat was torpedoed and sunk. One of the service men lost at sea was Joe Rivers and for days papers gave eulogies to the fallen fighter. It turned out to be a different Joe Rivers and the former opponent of Willie Ritchie and Ad Wolgast survived the war.

cheers for that very full and informative reply and I, as will everyone else, will checkout those links.
With regard to the training manual i wonder if the US army have a copy of it stored away in there archives ?

nice little job for someone to take on folks

As you point out it was indeed not uncommon for boxers to have taken up that sort of task during the war and how ironic it must have been for the US boxers.

An example from the Uk is with "Peerles" Jim Driscoll . The Great War deprived him of a chance of further world champion bouts. He joined the army and belonged to a famous khaki boxing squad that included Bombardier Billy Wells, Pat O'Keefe, Johnny Basham, Dick Smith, Captain Bruce Logan and the Might Atom, Jimmy Wilde.

i think I am correct in saying they were not allowed to take part in boxing whilst in the army.

As far as i am aware the facts on Dempsey are not in dispute. there is a photo of him on a building site which is well known and stage managed to give the idea he was doing his bit. the shoes he was wearing at the time gave the game away.

as for joe rivers he must have had all the articles framed with the caption "later guys later"