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Ancient Gymnastics in the Rest of the World
The Other Egyptian Pyramids
Circus style acrobatics were performed in ancient Egypt.
As early as 2100 BC. stone cuttings depict people building human pyramids
and balancing stunts in Egypt.
The Dark Ages for Gymnastics
With the fall of Rome and the spread of Christianity through Europe,
the knowledge that exercise leads to physical fitness seems to have been
temporarily lost, along with the widespread ideal of a healthy mind in
a healthy body. Gymnastics and acrobatics survived during medieval times
through traveling minstrel and gypsy shows which included songs, stories,
stunts and tumbling.
Gymnastics in Persia
By 500 BC the Persians had developed the side horse (pommel horse)
as a training device for their cavalry to learn mounts, dismounts, and
swinging movements for combat on speeding horses during battle. Even up
to just 60 – 70 years ago, the side horse as a piece of gymnastics equipment
had a raised neck and a croup (end) like a real horse and as the Persians
had originally designed it. Some models even had sympolic tails.
Gymnastics in Ancient Asia and China
Tumbling was an ancient art and martial arts form in China and
Asia as well as in the Greece and the Roman empires. Stone engravings found
in Shandong province that date to the Han dynasty period (202 BC – AD 220)
depict gymnastics and acrobatic activities being performed.
Olympic Games Abolished
The Olympic games were finally abolished by the Roman Emperor Theodosius
in 392 AD. As a competitive sport, gymnastics disappeared after the demise
of the ancient Olympics. After financial corruption led to the banning
of gymnastics in 393 A.D., the sport did not reappear in the public arena
until the 16th century.
Gymnastics As We Know It
Gymnastics, exactly as we know it and compete it today, was never
part of the ancient Olympic Games. It was regarded more as training
for other sports, particularly athletics and wrestling, two of the main
events of the ancient Games. Of the modern events currently considered
to be gymnastics, only tumbling and a primitive form of vaulting were known
and practiced in the ancient world.
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