Galen (130 - 200 A.D.) hailed from Pergamon, an ancient center of civilization, containing, among other cultural institutions, a library second in importance only to Alexandria itself. Galen's training was eclectic and although his chief work was in biology and medicine, he was also known as a philosopher and philologist. Galen's first professional appointment was as surgeon to the gladiators in Pergamon. In his tenure as surgeon he undoubtedly gained much experience and practical knowledge in anatomy from the combat wounds he was compelled to treat. After four years he immigrated to Rome where he attained a brilliant reputation as a practitioner and a public demonstrator of anatomy. Among his patients were the emperors Marcus Aurelius, Lucius Verus, Commodus and Septimius Severus. Galen divides his exercises into three categories, which we may term "strong", "rapid and "violent", which is a combination of the preceding two. Galen's listing of the exercises gives us a fascinating glimpse into the everyday activities of the Paleastrae, Gymnasia and other more leisurely-areas of the ancient world. STRONG 1) Digging 2) Picking up something heavy 3) Picking up something heavy and walking with it 4) Walking uphill 5) Climbing a rope using the hands and feet: commonly done to train boys in the wrestling schools 6) Hanging onto a rope or beam for as long as possible 7) Holding the arms straight out in front with fists closed 8) Holding the arms straight out in front with fists closed 9) Holding out the arms while a partner pulls them down 10) The preceding three exercises but while holding something heavy such as jumping-weights 11) Breaking loose from a wrestling waist-lock 12) Holding onto a person trying to escape from a waist-lock 13) Picking up a man who is bending over at the hips and lifting him up and swinging him around 14)Doing the same but bending oneself at the hips also when picking him up 15) Pushing chest to chest trying to force the opponent backwards 16) Hanging from another's neck, attempting to drag him down Exercises requiring a wrestling pit: a) Entwine your partner with both your legs around one of his and try to apply a choke or force his head backwards b) The same but using only one leg to entwine the opponents leg closest to yours c) The same but using both legs to entwine both of the opponents legs. RAPID 1) Running 2) Shadow-boxing 3) Boxing 4) Hitting punching bags 5) Throwing and catching a small ball while running 6) Running back and forth, reducing the length each time until finished 7) Stand on the balls of the feet, put the arms up in the air and rapidly and alternatly bringing them forweard and back; stand near a wall if afraid of losing ones's balance 8) Rolling on the wrestling-ground rapidly by oneself or with others 9) Rapidly changing places with people next to one in a tightly packed group 10) Jumping up and kicking both legs together backwards 11) Kicking the legs forward alternatly 12) Move the arms up and down rapidly with open or closed fist, increasing in speed VIOLENT 1) Digging rapidly 2) Casting the discus 3) Jumping repeatedly with no rest 4) Throwing heavy spears and moving fast while wearing heavy armour 4) Any of the 'string' exercises executed rapidly: presumably running uphill, swinging jumping weights forward and back, and lifting them up and down, chin-ups and so on. other exercises 1) Walking 2) bending up and down repeatedly at the hips 3) Lifting a weight up from the ground 4) Holding up and object for a long time 4) Full and loud breathing 5) Placing two weights on the ground approximately six feet from each other, picking up the one on the left with the right hand and then the one on the right with the left hand, then in turn placing them back where they came from on the ground and doing this many times with the feet stationary. Translation of Galen: De Sanitate Tuenda taken from: www.judoinformation.com/ Louie
It's a punchbag! It's a pig! [ame="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=S8FXuvuCCxw"]It's a PigBag![/ame] Fascintaing post, thank you for that. Mitch
Yes, as long as there is a glove to seperate their hands from the pig As one of my Muslim uni mates said when I tried to pass him the tv remote while eating a sausage, "Get away from me with your dirty pig hands!"
Certainly give you an incentive to punch strips off it. mmmmmm ..... bacon ...... I just don't get the whole muslim/jew thing pork is the miracle meat. The Bear.
Straying near a cliff edge here guys..... :topic: Pleeez keep remotely on the subject of WMA. Ta! Louie
A gentleman I know used to work with some Jewish folks who really liked pork... so when he asked them why they were eating pork they said "It's not pork, it's pink chicken!!!" And for Heathens like me, pork (esp. boar) is the meat most used in religious ceremonies. Mmmmmm...... liturgical pork..... Besides, if we weren't supposed to eat pigs, they wouldn't be made out of meat. So there. Back to the subject at hand, I like the exercises mentioned since many don't require a lot of equipment, and can be done in most fechtchules/salles without any big preparation. At the AES we also use "touch drill" and sometimes "hunker down" which are also good for developing fuhlen, reflexes and general fitness. There's a lot you can do, even without a pig carcass to pummel. Best regards, -Mark
Is that a goose the second guy is holding? You sure this is a martial arts pick Louie not a roman version of the F-Word. The Bear.
Apologies Louie. By way of recompense, is there any evidence of the use of weight training or similar equipment from such antiquity? Milkmaids have carried pales of milk on yokes across their shoulders for centuries; no reason someone couldn't have made the leap to filling the buckets with rocks and doing squats or whatever with them. I wonder if there is evidence of them using such equipment to supplement the essentially bodyweight training listed here? Mitch Edit to add: I know your list includes "picking up something heavy", I'm interested if there is any evidence for specific equipment.
TDK .... where do you think the word gymnasium comes from? The greeks worked out as did the upper echelons of roman society
I'm a martial artist dude, not a tape! I'm aware of the word, am sure you're absolutely right, and was asking if there is pictorial or written evidence for specific pieces of exercise equipment, and if so what? Barbells? Dumbells? Smith Machines? I was just interested in seeing some more fascintaing pics like the one Louie put in the first post. Cheers, Mitch
Hi Mitch.... Sorry for the delay! It would seem that the most popular forms of training equipment were large stones and wooden sticks & staffs Here's a link to the subject.... http://www.thearma.org/essays/fit/RennFit.htm Louie
