The Day Book

"If the youth of America are to build up their bodies and their minds to be ready for war or for universal military training there is no branch of athletics that will be more worth their while than boxing."

This is the advice of Johnny Kilbane, featherweight champion of the world and one of the greatest boxers of all time, to young Americans who may be called out in defense of their country.

Kilbane is 27. He is a picture of physical perfection. But at 18 he was a frail youth weighing 90 pounds, with no chest development and with sagging shoulders and little vitality.

Here are Kilbane's rules of conditioning. What they did to make Kilbane strong and healthy they will do for any boy.

1. Avoid dissipation.

Do not form
Bad habits.

Smoking hurts the wind and drinking tears down the body tissues faster than they can be built up.

2. Get to bed early. Get a regular amount of sleep. Eat regularly.

3. Exercise every day. Practice deep breathing, take long walks or runs.

4. Learn boxing, under an instructor if possible.

"When Uncle Sam wants men he does not want weaklings," said Kilbane. "The reason so many men cannot pass physical examinations to get into the army is because these men did not take care of themselves when they were young.

"There is nothing in the world that will so develop a boy as learning to box and in order to know how to box he must take other exercises which will give him wind and endurance and will build up his body.

"Boxing has another advantage. It builds the mind. It causes a person to think quickly and accurately. It makes it possible for him to meet difficult situations and know what to do without hesitation.

"The boxer who will conscientiously try to improve his mind will do so more quickly than the man who has never learned the fundamentals of boxing. He will grasp that which he is striving for much easier and will be able to put it to better use.

"Hitting and blocking are the essentials of boxing.

"Most young boxers make the mistake of swinging. A boxer never should swing. There is little force in the blow and it is awkward and leaves the body open.

"Hit from the toes, throwing the entire weight of the body into the punch. Throw the body forward and upward in hooking and forward in jabbing.

"The hitting arm should be moved only slightly in hitting. Correct hitting from the toes will carry the arm with it,

"In blocking do not knock the opponent's arm up or down. Turn it slightly, just enough to make the opponent miss. This throws him off his balance and usually leaves an opening for an effective counter.

"Many times a blow may be avoided by sidestepping. This requires much practice.

"A beginner should not try to slip the head to avoid blows. Only the cleverest boxers can do this successfully. If not done correctly the boxer is likely to be feinted into an opening, leaving his entire head unprotected.

"To learn scientific boxing a beginner should have an instructor. If this is impossible he should practice before a long mirror. In this way he can study his defects and remedy them.

"Shadow boxing, bag punching, exercising with weights and jumping the rope are the best supplemental exercises."