WRESTLING / JUDO FIASCO

The only thing that wasn't “phoney” at the recent Judo / Wrestling show was the collection afterwards for the Children's Home.

While the Judo experts went through their paces, a character in a strange rig out held together by a black belt, informed us after each throw the name of that particular throw. He must have been reading an Oriental Menu, because he kept using such phrases as “that was a Sukiyaki”, or “that was a Chow Mein” or “that was a Chop Suey”.

Before and after each throw, the contestants bowed deeply to each other. This courtesy (?) is a relic of one of the World's most detestable and hypocritical periods, namely, that when Oriental Fascism, and particularly Japanese Fascism ran rife.

Like the American “give me” and the British “please”, they were at their most courteous when abrupt, and abrupt at their most courteous. They bowed deepest prior to committing hari-kari; were the personification of etiquette when torturing soldiers during the last war; were courtesy itself before carrying out executions and were negotiating for peace at the very moment Pearl Harbour was being bombed.

So this courtesy, because of what it reflects and represents, would be well dispensed with. In all fairness we must say that all of this is not a reflection upon the contestants in the public lounge who gave of their best, which at worst was entertaining.

The wrestlers only succeeded in acting at acting. They would not get any Oscars and therefore could never make the grade on TV. The referee's Falstafian figure left them little room to move in.

One of the wrestlers, a picturesque character was garbed like Romeo, but although dashing is not at all handsome. The other, a Runyonesque character, was dressed in the conventional manner. “Some hunk of man that Keith”, said an admiring lady, a “Speak” which brought a withering look from her boyfriend.

The wrestling was entertaining, particularly when the contestants were at their most “violent”. It was when we laughed the most! There were a few anxious moments when they “got their lines (loins?) mixed”. A minor officer, who was trying to look officious and intelligent - an infinitely harder task than the wrestlers had with each other - was about to intervene when they succeeded in disentangling themselves.

Yet the Judo / Wrestlers have contributed more to the Social Club and the Children's Home than any other single body.
The Editor

Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel - Dr. Johnson