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GAYLE NEMETH
and the Sport of WHIPBOXING © Marc Wickert 2004 If cracking stock whips at the speed of sound tickles your fancy, then the new martial art of whipboxing is definitely for you. A whipmaker from Macleay Island, Queensland, Gayle Nemeth says her favourite pastime evolved into a sport form through whip demonstrations she presented at festivals. "During the Year of the Outback, we were invited to do a show at the Stockman’s Hall of Fame for the Drovers’ Reunion in Queensland. At the same festival, we also put on a display in whipmaking at the Last Great Harry Radford’s Cattle Drive. Our demonstrations with stock whips involved some target work with attitude, and we developed the sport from there," says Gayle. "It’s actually quite awesome: The whip going off with so much power in your face is very disorientating. The shockwave, and also if the whip crack goes off in the right spot, has the effect of almost bringing you down, almost knocking you out. I’ve experienced that sensation a couple of times: just the buckling of the knees, momentarily, through the concussion of the whip going off." Gayle says this stun effect occurs when the whip cracks around the ear or temple region, and is enough to cause a person’s mind to go blank for a few seconds. She adds that the air rushing into an opponent’s face, through the protective mask, can have the same impact. "It’s the vacuum created in the final loop of the whip, and the air rushing into that vacuum, shooting into your mask, that gets you."
According to Nemeth, whips are an integral part of mankind’s history. Although whips have been used extensively for the herding of livestock, she says the lash was originally employed for the herding and disciplining of humans. "Whips were used for keeping people in line: They built the pyramids with them. And they were a symbol of power and control." Gayle, a whipmaker by trade, studied the history of whips and came up with the sport in which the aim of the game is also to herd your opponent. With the five-foot whip travelling at the speed of sound, Nemeth is able to control her opponent with a flick of the wrist. "The whips are coming so quickly at you, and because of the action of the stock whip – it requires only a minute movement of the hand, I can get you three or four times as you blink. "The other thing I’ve noticed is, there is a genetic-type memory within all of us of the noise that the whip makes: the power it creates and the clap it generates. There’s a genetic link, like thunder and lightning, that brings people to instant alertness. That real crisp note of the whip cracking, that memory is within all of us, and is passed down through the generations. And to produce that beginning-of-time type of sound is a power and a joy." Gayle witnesses that joy almost every day when she puts whips in people’s hands and they are unable to crack them. After they are instructed in the correct techniques of whip cracking, the students then grow in height with new self-esteem. "And it’s a great leveler. It doesn’t matter if you’re 20 stone and well built, that has nothing to do with it. It’s all about accuracy. There was a young girl who beat a big guy at Caboolture while the whipboxing was being filmed for television just the other day. "We also use the fights for mother-in-law v daughter-in-law matches…They are real grudge fights, as you can imagine, mate. Then there’s the boss v employee bout, which is very interesting and a lot of fun." For enthusiasts who want to take their whipboxing more seriously, that’s okay too. Gayle is a pioneer in the sport and can take a fly off the wall every time with her five-foot stock whip. Her deadly accuracy ensures she never misses a shot. And this is why the sport is being heavily patronised by martial artists wanting to add a new dimension to their training.
"I am regularly being approached by martial artists wishing to learn whipboxing and wanting to purchase whips from me. One particular instructor tried to use his martial arts techniques to get inside my whip’s range, but with the sensation of the whip going off three and four times a second, it was just too disorientating and overpowering for him. Plus I can change the whip’s direction with just the flick of my wrist." Nemeth uses five-feet-long stock whips, because she’s found the longer the whip, the slower the action, and the five-foot stock whip works out ideally for speed and accuracy. For protection, exponents also wear long Drizabone coats that are padded with wadding, denim jeans and boots. "Our faces and heads are covered with a fencer’s mask, and we’re developing a sensor to have stuck right on the nose, so the score can register on a board. With all this protection, it’s impossible to get hurt," assures Gayle.
And what about rules? "There aren’t any! We just have three rounds, generally, and the winner is the first one to score three hits where the whip crack is evident. We also award the best of three rounds, with the third round being a one-minute free-for-all. Our only stipulation is that you must aim for the head, and those shots are the only ones that score." Why do the shots have to be directed to the head, one may ask? "Well, most Australians are thick in the head, mate. It doesn’t hurt if they get hit there!" Gayle Nemeth’s Aussiewhipmaker Stock Whips are the real Australian stock whips, made famous by the stock whip inclusion in the display of authentic Australiana at the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, Sydney 2000. They have proudly supplied the trade in Australia since 1845. Gayle now continues this long and proud tradition, setting the world standard for hard-working, well-balanced stock whips.
For more on whipboxing or to purchase Gayle Nemeth’s stockwhips: www.aussiewhipmaker.com
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