Edwards, Billy – Art of Boxing And Science of Self-Defense, Together With A Manual Of Training. Illustrated from Photographs

Description

Edwards, Billy ‘Art of Boxing And Science of Self-Defense, Together With A Manual Of Training’ 1888 1st edition published New York, The Platt & Nourse Co. (Has an 1888 copyright by Excelsior Publishing House on the opposite side of the frontispiece. 111-pages with no aditional advertiseent pages. Spine conver is worn with some tearing but the title can be clearly seen. Some wear along the edges of the cover, else good condition.

Written by Edwards—the former Lightweight Champion of America and England—with the help of his long-time friend and former ring rival Arthur Chambers, the book sought to demystify boxing and present it as a legitimate sport and a medium for physical fitness for the general public.

Technical Instruction: The manual covers the fundamental mechanics of 19th-century pugilism. It catalogs explicit rules for footwork, striking techniques, infighting, and grappling/throwing techniques, which were common transition elements from the old London Prize Ring rules.

Visual Illustrations: The book famously includes 26 engraved illustrations/lithographs. To accurately convey the mechanics, Billy Edwards and Arthur Chambers physically posed for these images to demonstrate proper guards, blocks, and counters.

Holistic Fitness and Diet: True to its title as a “Manual of Training,” it goes beyond fighting mechanics to lay out strict recommendations for an athlete’s diet, nutrition, and everyday exercise routines.

The “American Fair-Play Rules”: Edwards included and advocated for a lesser-known set of regulations known as the American Fair-Play Rules. Because these detailed rules were published here, the book uniquely became a central piece of evidence in the landmark 1894/1895 Supreme Court case (Louisiana State vs. Olympic Club), where lawyers used the text to legally differentiate regulated boxing matches from illegal, brutal prizefights.

The book captures a pivotal moment in sports history when boxing was evolving from a banned, underground blood sport into a highly technical, mainstream athletic discipline.