CALISTHENICS.

ALISTHENICS, from the two Greek words KALOS, sig

CAL

nifying beautiful, and STHENOS, strength, is the name applied in this work to an extended course of exercises, performed without the aid of technical apparatus, which is designed to further the proportionate development of the body; render the joints more flexible in all directions; give the pleasing and graceful appearance of firmness, steadiness, and dexterity in the positions and in the use of the limbs; and secure physical beauty, muscular strength, and robust health.

IN

INSTRUCTION OF ASSISTANTS.

N Calisthenics, as in all other things taught, every principal is responsible for the instruction of his school. He should assemble his assistants or monitors together for theoretical and practical instruction as often as he may judge necessary. When he is unable to attend to this duty in person, it may be discharged by the vice-principal, or an instructor specially appointed for the purpose.

When instruction is given to assistants, or a number of teachers, they should be required to explain the positions and movements of the different classes of exercise, and to put them into practical operation. Each command in a lesson, at the theoretical instruction, should be given by the principal, and then repeated in succession by his assistants,

so that while they become habituated to the commands, uniformity may be established in the manner of giving them.

THERE

COMMANDS.

HERE are three kinds: the command of caution, or attention; the preparatory command, which indicates the position that is to be taken, or the class of movements that is to be executed; and the command of execution, or the part of the command which causes an execution.

The tone of command should be animated, distinct, and of a loudness proportioned to the size of the room and the number of students under instruction.

The commands of caution and the preparatory commands are herein distinguished by italics; those of execution, by CAPITALS. The preparatory commands are given distinctly, with an ascending progression in the tone of command, but always in such a manner that the tone of execution may be more energetic and elevated. The divisions are indicated by a dash. The parts of commands which are placed in a parenthesis are not pronounced. Commands in music, on page 147,

TH

POSITION OF THE STUDENT.

HE position of the student, when not otherwise directed, will always be the military or fundamental position, as shown in the accompanying figures. At the command, ATTENTION, or POSITION,

1. HEELS TOGETHER. The heels are placed on the same line, as near each other as the conformation of the student will permit.

2. FEET OUTWARD. The feet are turned out equally, forming with each other something less than a right angle.

3. KNEES JOINED. The knees are joined and kept straight, without stiffness.

4. BODY ERECT. The body is erect on the hips, inclining

a little forward.

5. SHOULDERS BACK.

Both shoulders form a straight line,

at right angles with the neck and head, and fall equally. 6. ARMS DOWN. The arms hang naturally.

7. ELBOWS IN. The elbows are held near the body, but not hugged to the sides.

8. HANDS OUTWARD. The palms of the hands are turned a little to the front, and the little fingers touch the outsides of the thigh.

9. HEAD UP. The head is held erect and square to the front, without constraint.

10. EYES FRONT. The eyes are fixed on some object in front of the body, about twenty feet forward on the ground, when not directed to the instructor.

11. MOUTH SHUT. The breathing should in all cases be carried on through the nose.

COMMENCING POSITION. The position in which the body is when about to execute a certain movement, or class of movements, is called the commencing position of that

movement. This position may therefore vary almost infinitely.

POSITIONS TAKEN. The positions commanded to be taken refer always to that part of the body last mentioned as under command; and when taken, they must be kept until others are commanded. When two, three, or more parts of the body are included in the command, their position should be taken together.

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TIME AND RHYTHMUS.

In order that Calisthenics may produce the most desirable effects on the mental and spiritual nature of man, as well as on his physical, it is not only necessary that the movements have a determined form and order of execution, but that they have a determined time, the rhythmus or division of which is well established in the mind.

The measure of time must also be viewed in a special way, as far as it regards Calisthenics. If we see a whole series of movements, either one exercise repeatedly executed according to a certain law, or different exercises following each other according to a similar law, then we have the rhythmus; the movements become rhythmical, and the various motions appear as parts of a certain measure of time. Military marching may serve as an instance: it consists of one principal movement, the repeatedly executed pace, which, being alternately done by both feet, appears as a double movement, which in its repetitions produces the movement of walking; and this, if the same time is observed for both feet and for the repetitions, becomes a rhythmical walking or marching. Each pace is a part of a measure which finishes with the setting down of the advanced foot.

The special rhythmical relations of walking and marching, as well as in general of all the advancing foot movements, are made sensible either by directing our attention principally to one foot while the other is comparatively

disregarded, and thereby to our imagination the steps of the first foot appear the heavier and stronger; or the rhythmus may be observed by marking more prominently the steps of one of the feet, or in general certain steps, which are, so to speak, somewhat more accentuated, either by a really more vigorous tread, or by resting longer with one foot on the ground, or by executing at certain steps corresponding movements of other limbs (clapping together of the hands, for instance, inclination of the upper part of the body, etc.): in this way originate rhythmical forms of time, which show themselves as determined metrical articulations.

As each simple movement involves a certain measure of time, so the compound movements, and those which follow each other, must be executed in a certain measure of time or in so many single consecutive measures. It is an indispensable quality of the rational instructor to divide each class of movements into its constituent motions or elements, and to mark them during their performance by counting. In this way the student becomes conscious of the form and signification of each class of movements, and the exercises become conscious actions. This is also a reason why Calisthenics are not only a means for the development of the body, but also for that of the mental and spiritual man. The mind is taught to govern the body, and every articulation and limb is habituated to a prompt and ready obedience to the will.

Calisthenic exercises have their greatest value when done. by many together, and under the direction of an experienced instructor. Then an orderly and exact execution of the movements is only rendered possible by a perfect rhythmus, which is made evident to the eye or ear of each member of the class. As a majority of English songs, and nearly all marches, dances, and other pieces of music that are employed to secure simultaneous movements, are in eights, the rhythmus should be octosyllabic. The most useful mode of securing concert is by employing the voice; the most pleasing, instrumental music.