Jacomb, William J. – Boxing for Beginners and Bayonet Fighting

Description

Jacomb, William J. ‘Boxing for Beginners and Bayonet Fighting’ 1918 1st ed. 80 pages. Some wear on spine with very minor fraying near bottom, 1″ closed tear and fraying at top, some former owners writing in pencil inside front cover, else good condition overall. Tight binding, straight and very clean inside other than the inside of the front cover.

Boxing for Beginners: With Chapter Showing Its Relationship to Bayonet Fighting was written by William J. Jacomb and published in 1918 by Lea & Febiger (Philadelphia and New York).
Book Description
The book is a thin, roughly 84-page manual that serves as a fascinating historical artifact of the World War I era. Jacomb, a Canadian military officer and boxing coach, designed this guide specifically for training soldiers. It is divided into distinct sections covering standard boxing fundamentals—such as stance, punching mechanics, defense, footwork, and the orchestration of mass tournaments.
What makes the book highly collectible is its explicit military overlap. It features a detailed section connecting boxing movements directly to bayonet combat. Jacomb details how standard boxing mechanics (like left leads and uppercuts) precisely mirror essential bayonet maneuvers (like long thrusts and chin jabs) to instill structural combat agility and close-quarters physical courage in recruits.