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.

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    9. Standing on the outer edge of the balls, by exten- sion and inversion. 10. Standing on the inner edge of the balls, by exten- sion and eversion.’ What the needs of the normal organism may be for which all these peculiar postures are necessary or desir- able is a matter to which we plead ignorance. Nobody denies that a peculiarity of structure may in very rare cases make such postures useful, but that does not help Spiess at all. He dealt not with anomalies, but with normally healthy, normally developed individuals, just, as we do. Not satisfied with this, Spiess also wanted these pos- tures to be combined with the various forms of “Spreiz- stellungen” (p. 51) and numerous other postures, and gives marches (p. 92), jumping (p. 106), and running (p. 146) in them all. Spiess himself seems to have got some idea of the injuries which might be brought about by the practice of these forms, because of some of them he says that they are not quite suitable for practice (“weniger zur Uebung geeignet’”). But if so, why in- clude them at all in the system? Grant now that Spiess; as revealed in his oldest works, 1. e., before he came under the influence of the Swedish gymnasts, is no longer representative of Ger- man gymnastic thought. Grant that German gymnastics has grown since his day, has left him in the rear, has arrived at some of the principles which marked Ling from the beginning; for instance, this one of a proper selection according to the conditions and needs of the organism. Grant that here is one example to prove the statement that “the German system of gymnastics is at 1. ApouF Spiess: Das Turnen in den Freitibungen. Zweite Auflage. Bazel. 1867. P. 48.
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