BSN1A

M 10:30am – 12:30pm

History of Gymnastics

The term gymnastics, derived from a Greek word meaning “to exercise naked,” applied
in ancient Greece to all exercises practiced in the gymnasium, the place where male athletes did
indeed exercise unclothed. Many of these exercises came to be included in the Olympic Games,
until the abandonment of the Games in AD 393. Some of the competitions grouped under this
ancient definition of gymnastics later became separate sports such as athletics (track and
field), wrestling, and boxing.
Of the modern events currently considered to be gymnastics, only tumbling and a
primitive form of vaulting were known in the ancient world. For instance, Egyptian hieroglyphs
show variations of backbends and other stunts being performed with a partner, while a well-
known fresco from Crete at the palace at Knossos shows a leaper performing what is either a
cartwheel or handspring over a charging bull. Tumbling was an art form in ancient China as well.
Stone engravings found in Shandong province that date to the Han period (206 BC–AD 220)
portray acrobatics being performed.
Tumbling continued in the Middle Ages in Europe, where it was practiced by traveling
troupes of thespians, dancers, acrobats, and jugglers. The activity was first described in the West
in a book published in the 15th century by Archange Tuccaro, Trois dialogues du Sr. Archange
Tuccaro (the book contains three essays on jumping and tumbling). Tumbling seems to be an
activity that evolved in various forms in many cultures with little cross-cultural influence. For
instance, the hoop-diving illustrated in Tuccaro’s book looks very similar to a type of tumbling
seen in ancient China. Tumbling and acrobatics of all kinds were eventually incorporated into the
circus, and it was circus acrobats who first used primitive trampolines.
In 1774, a Prussian, Johann Bernhard Basedow, included physical exercises with other
forms of instruction at his school in Dessau, Saxony. With this action began the modernization of
gymnastics, and also thrust the Germanic countries into the forefront in the sport. In the late
1700s, Friedrich Ludwig Jahn of Germany developed the side bar, the horizontal bar, the parallel
bars, the balance beam, and jumping events. He, more than anyone else, is considered the
"Father of Modern Gymnastics." Gymnastics flourished in Germany in the 1800s, while in
Sweden a more graceful form of the sport, stressing rhythmic movement, was developed by Guts
Muth. The opening (1811) of Jahn's school in Berlin, to promote his version of the sport, was
followed by the formation of many clubs in Europe and later in England. The sport was
introduced to the United States by Dr. Dudley Allen Sargent, who taught gymnastics in several
U.S. universities about the time of the Civil War, and who is credited with inventing more than
30 pieces of apparatus. Most of the growth of gymnastics in the United States centered on the
activities of European immigrants, who introduced the sport in their new cities in the 1880s.
Clubs were formed as Turnverein and Sokol groups, and gymnasts were often referred to as
"turners." Modern gymnastics excluded some traditional events, such as weight lifting and
wrestling, and emphasized form rather than personal rivalry.

History of Gymnastics in the Philippines

 Organized athletic programs in the Philippines had their beginnings in the establishment
of the University of the Philippines in 1908. All students were required to participate in at least
one sport. In the decades following the opening of the university, student athletes, including
gymnasts, were nurtured and trained.

Construction of facilities for indoor athletic training at the university started in 1916, and
several additions to improve the facility were built in following years. Rafael Palma, the fourth
president of the university, encouraged the development of the athletic department, and it was his
mission to advance both male and female athletics.

A university cheer squad preceded the gymnastics program at the university. The squad
was a fusion of gymnastic-type tumbling moves mixed with dance. Later, two university staff
members, Candido Bartolome and Francisca Reyes Aquino, became key in the development of a
gymnastics program..

As a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association of the Philippines and

director of the university, Candido Bartolome did much to advance the sport of gymnastics in the
nation. Bartolome secured support for gymnastic competitions at the university, and he helped
other organizations in the Philippines develop their own programs.

Francisca Reyes Aquino, a member of the Bureau of Public Schools and a folk and
rhythm dance educator, contributed to the early training of gymnasts at the university.
Specifically, she infused gymnastic routines with dance moves unique to the culture. She also
wrote guides for gymnasts and raised the profile of the sport throughout the nation.

Objectives, Phases, and Terminologies used in Gymnastics

The objective of gymnastics is continual improvement. The desire of every gymnast is to

push their physical limits, and to build a rock solid foundation of grace, agility, strength, awareness,
dexterity, determination, and confidence so that they may achieve what others find impossible.

Warm Up
Every gymnastics training program should begin with a warm-up to avoid injuries during
practice. Warm up moves prepare the athletes' bodies to work on more difficult skills.
Flexibility
After adequately warming up, gymnasts must work on their flexibility. You should never stretch
cold muscles, since you could risk an injury. You must also stretch your hamstrings, groin,
quads, shoulders, calves and wrists. All of this will enable you to move your body with more
ease as you perform your gymnastics routines.
Strength Training
Gymnastics requires an incredible amount of strength. You can build muscle and become more
powerful through conditioning and other strength-training exercises. You can also use dumbbells
and barbells, although you should focus more on repetitions than weight. Younger gymnasts
should only lift weights under supervision to prevent accidents.
Skills
After working on strength and flexibility, gymnasts finally start practicing their competitive
skills. Women train on the vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise, while men
perform on the vault, floor exercise, parallel bars, horizontal bar, pommel horse and still rings.
Additionally, both can also tumble on the trampoline, tumbling track or flip into the foam pit,
especially when learning new, difficult skills.
Dance
Many female gymnasts also devote part of their training program to dance. This is because
routines on the balance beam and floor exercise must incorporate dance movements. Dance will
improve your body alignment and teach you to have more control over every part of your body,
which will then better your form and reduce the risk of injuries.

TERMINOLOGIES

Aerial - A stunt in which the gymnast turns completely over in the air without touching the
apparatus with his or her hands. 

Salto - Flip or somersault, with the feet coming up over the head and the body rotating around
the axis of the waist. 

Amplitude - The height or degree of execution of a movement. In general, the higher the salto or
the more breathtaking the movement, the better the amplitude and the score. 

Back-in, Full-out - A double salto with a full twist. The complete twist is performed during the
second salto. 

Dismount - To leave an apparatus at the end of a routine; usually done with a difficult twist or
salto. 

Flic-Flac - Also known as a flip-flop or back handspring. Take off on one or two feet, jump
backwards onto hands and land on the feet. This element is used in a majority of tumbling passes
on the floor exercise. It’s also used a great deal on the balance beam. 

Full-in, Back-out - A double salto with a full twist. The complete twist is performed during the
first salto. 

Giant - A swing in which the body is fully extended and moving through a 360 degree rotation
around the bar. 

Half-in, Half-out - A double salto with a half twist on the first salto and a half twist on the
second salto. 

Handspring - Springing off the hands by putting the weight on the arms and using a strong push
from the shoulders. This can be done either forward or backward and usually with a linking
movement. 
Basic Position of Exercise
The basic positions of gymnastics are the basis for advanced gymnastics skills.
1. Pike Sit
This is the easiest of all of the sitting positions to execute. To perform a pike sit, sit on
the floor with your legs extended straight in front of you and your torso vertical, lifting your rib
cage and abdominal muscles. Rest you arms at your sides. The pike is the basis for many skills,
including the pike jump, and is used in a number of holds on the beam, bars, rings and vault.
2. Straddle Sit
The straddle sit is the easiest of all of the straddle positions. To execute the straddle sit,
sit on the floor with your legs straight and extended to the sides in a V position in front of the
body as wide as you can. Keep your hips squared and your torso vertical. Straighten your back,
tense your abdominal muscles and lift your chest. This position is used in a variety of skills,
including straddle handstands and sole circles on the bars.
3. Tuck Sit
The tuck sit is one of the most frequently used positions in gymnastics. To perform the
tuck sit, sit on the floor with your back straight and your abdominal muscles lifted. Draw your
feet toward your body until your knees are fully bent and pointing up. Wrap your arms around
your shins and pull your legs closer to your body. The tuck is a foundation skill for many skills,
such as the forward roll and back somersault in a tuck position.
4. Crossed-Leg Sit
The crossed-leg sit is a common position in gymnastics that is also used as a general
position for sitting in a variety of activities and situations, including yoga. To execute a crossed-
leg sit, sit on the floor with your legs drawn up toward your body and your knees relaxed to the
outside. Cross your legs at the ankles. This is a useful position when combined with standing.
Moving from standing to a crossed-leg sit and back to standing without using hands will help a
gymnast develop core and leg strength and balance.

Fundamental Dance Position

Arm Position
First position- raise arms to a circle in front of the chest.
Second position – open up arms sideward, raised below shoulder level with a graceful curve
Third position – raise one arm overhead while other arm remains in 2nd position
Fourth position – raise one arm in front of chest in a half circle, while one arm remains overhead
Fifth position – raise both arms overhead in a graceful curve

Feet Position
First position – bring heels close to touch; toes apart
Second position – bring feet apart sideward
Third position – bring the heel of one foot to touch the instep of the other foot.
Fourth position – bring one foot in front of the other foot to walk strike
Fifth position – bring the heel of one foot to touch the toe of the other