Thursday, December 15, 2011

The Begining of Gymnastics...A Brief History.




"Exercises of the ancient Greeks began with athletic feats performed by each individual according to his own notion. The youth were encouraged to combine amusement with exercise. In time, this kind of exercise was incorporated into a system that figured prominently in the state regulations for education. In fact, the period for exercise or gymnastics was equal to the time spent on art and music combined.  All Greek cities had a gymnasium, a courtyard for jumping, running, and wrestling."


In the early years gymnastics was used as military training as well as a fun activity. In 393 AD the Emperor Theodosius abolished the Olympic Games. The Federation of International Gymnstics was founded in Liege in 1881. By the end of the nineteenth century, men's gymnastics competition was popular enough to be included in the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. By 1954, Olympic Games apparatus and events for both men and women had been standardized in modern format, and uniform grading structures, including a point system from 1 to 15 had been agreed upon.












1 comment:

  1. Kali this information about gymnastics is very interesting. I think that gymnastics like other sports started from a simple and friendly game or excersize. I didnt know the military used gymnastics to train soldiers, what years did they do that? Also do they still use gymnyst tactics today?

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