What is gymnastics? / By Jakob Bolin.

  • Bolin, Jakob, 1863-1914.
Date:
1902
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: What is gymnastics? / By Jakob Bolin. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    16/32 page 14
    If, however, Swedes and Germans in theory stand together so far as to declare that movements, in order to be accepted as gymnastic exercises, must correspond both to the conditions and needs of the organism, there can be no doubt of their opposition to each other when they get down to practical work. To prove it we need only look over the works describing exercises used by the two schools, and we will find numerous forms which are ac- cepted by the Germans, but vigorously rejected by the Swedes. If we take Spiess as a representative of the German system we find him, for instance, enumerating not less than ten different modes of standing, each of which he says is to be practised with both legs at the same time, with one leg, and alternately with the right and the left. It may be well to give these postures in order to convey an idea of what Spiess’ completeness of system meant. He has 1. Standing on the heels, by a moderate dorsal flexion of the feet. 2. Standing on the balls, by a moderate extension of the tect. 3. Standing on the heels, by increased dorsal flexion ef the feet. 4. Standing on the toes, by increased extension of the feet. | 5. Standing on the outer edge of the feet, by their inversion. 6. Standing on the inner edge of the feet, by their eversion. 7. Standing on the outer edge of the heels, by dorsal flexion and inversion. 8. Standing on the inner edge of the heels, by dorsal flexion and eversion.
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3