Describing a wrestling match between women in Japan, a writer says: "The wrestlers arranged themselves in two sides, each side led by a captain. They sat cross-legged around the platform in the dirt, all but the chosen to begin who advanced into the center with the umpire. They squatted upon their feet and bowed to each other slowly and solemnly. Politeness thus being fulfilled they stood up again and bent over one another like two game cocks, watching intently for chance to seize an advantage. During the preliminaries the audience was tense with expectation. Then suddenly the women sprang, hissing at each other furiously and gnashing their teeth, at first by simulating ferocity to spur themselves up to greater excitement, but, after a few clutches, in deadly feminine earnest, the umpire meanwhile buzzing close to them as they swayed round the narrow ring.
    "Any and all holds seemed fair means to the end of pushing a combatant over the edge. Sometimes with a clean throw one woman landed her opponent sprawling in the midst of friends. This was the signal for the umpire to begin "Hitotsu futatsu mitsu yotsu, itsutsu (one, two, three, four, five) in a series of irregular and disconnected squeaks; and before he ceased counting another wrestler from the losing side jumped up to meet the champion who stood panting, hissing and spitting like a boiling kettle in the enter of the arena.
    "This time there were no preliminaries. A wild rush, and like two furies or two beasts the women were struggling again. Some affected quick clutches, some locked their adversaries in their arms and stood stock still for full five minutes. Some picked up opponents almost at once and threw them bodily over the ring, while others rolled over with them."