Pre-War Cards

‘It’s In The Details’

1913 / 1925 Player and Sons Wrestling & Ju-Jitsu Overview

The Player and Sons’ Wrestling & Ju-Jitsu set was one of the few to exclusively feature the sport of wrestling in the pre-war era. Wrestling cards were included in many sets but there aren’t many that feature the sport as much as this set. Technically, all 25 cards in the set are wrestling cards. But the last five are called Wrestling – Ju-Jitsu Style.

The release includes both wrestling and Ju-Jitsu cards with each card featuring a specific hold.

One key distinction of this set is that it was released two different times. The first set was initially released in 1913 while the second was in 1925. The cards can easily be distinguished as the 1913 cards have blue ink backs while the 1925 cards have gray ink backs. Some sources call the 1913 cards a 1911 issue.

Despite the two different release points, all cards have the same fronts and the same titles.

The cards all feature two men – always with red or blue shorts and trunks. The men have white shirts on some cards with no shirts on others.

1913 / 1925 Player and Sons Wrestling & Ju-Jitsu Checklist

1. Usual First Grip
2. Parrying the Waist Hold
3. The Creel Hold
4. Half-Nelson with Buttock
5. Neck Twist Half-Nelson and Heave Combined
6. The Arm Lock
7. The Halch or Head Throw
8. The Cradle Hold
9. Leg Hold and Half-Nelson
10. The Ankle Hold
11. Knee Grip
12. Half-Nelson and Foot Hold
13. The Hold
14. The Hank
15. The Cross Buttock
16. The Buttock
17. The Outside Stroke
18. The Hold
19. Double Lock
20. The Heave
21. Japanese Leg Lock (Ju-Jitsu)
22. Japanese Side or Ankle Throw (Ju-Jitsu)
23. Japanese Arm Lock (Ju-Jitsu)
24. Japanese Head and Leg Hold (Ju-Jitsu)
25. Japanese Cross Buttock (Ju-Jitsu)