- Indian clubs
Indian clubs belong to a category of
exercise (andjuggling ) equipment that was popular in the late 19th and early 20th century in Europe, the British Commonwealth and theUnited States . They comprise bowling-pin shaped wooden "clubs" of varying sizes and weights, which are swung in certain patterns as part of an exercise program. They can range from a few pounds each, up to special clubs that can weigh as much as 50 pounds. They were used in carefully choreographed routines where the clubs were swung in unison by a group of exercisers, led by an instructor in the front, similar to modernaerobics classes. The routines varied according to the group's ability and the weight of the clubs used.Indian clubs derive their name from the much larger and heavier objects of similar shape traditionally used by martial artists and Kushti wrestlers in
India to train for strength. The practice of swinging such clubs to develop physical fitness was first introduced to England by British soldiers who had studied the discipline while stationed in India during the 1800s.They were exceptionally popular during the health craze of the late
Victorian era , used by military cadets and well-heeled ladies alike, and even appeared as a gymnastic event in the 1904 and 1932 Olympics. Gymnasiums were built just to cater to club exercise groups. The popularity of the Indian Club waned in the 1920s and 1930s as organized sports became more popular. Regimented exercise routines, like those requiring Indian clubs, were relegated to professional athletes and the military, who had access to more effective and modernstrength training equipment.While torches and other sticklike objects have been used in
juggling for centuries, the modernjuggling club was inspired by the Indian club, which was first repurposed for juggling by DeWitt Cook in the 1800s.There are current physical fitness enthusiasts who have revived the popularity of Indian clubs in the modern day, citing the
aerobic exercise and safety advantages over traditional free weight regimens. There are nostalgic replicas of the original clubs being manufactured, as well as modern engineering updates to the concept, such as the Clubbell. [ [http://www.stumptuous.com/cms/displayarticle.php?aid=22 clubbell training] ]References
ee also
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Varzesh-e Pahlavani
*toss juggling External links
* [http://www.semlyen.net/cosmosjugglers/lib/contents.htm "Modern Club Swinging and Pole Spinning: Free Downloadable Book"]
* [http://www.semlyen.net/cosmosjugglers/lib/bibcs.htm"Club Swinging Bibliography"]
* [http://youtube.com/watch?v=pFsQeDFbptc "Documentary Video of Iranian Club Swinging"]
* [http://ejmas.com/pt/ptart_lewis_1101.htm "Exercises with Clubs", by Dio Lewis, M.D., 1862]
* [http://www.sandowplus.co.uk/Competition/Kehoe/kehoe-intro.htm "Indian Club Exercise", by Sim D. Kehoe, 1866]
* [http://ejmas.com/pt/dandfclub.html Indian Club Exercises from "Athletic Sports for Boys", by Dick and Fitzgerald, 1866]
* [http://ejmas.com/pt/ptart_dick_0101.htm "Dick's Indian-Club Exercises", 1887]
* [http://ejmas.com/pt/ptart_ymca_0401.htm "Gymnastic Nomenclature for Apparatus and Indian Club Movements", 1949]
* [http://www.kblouisville.com/clubbell_training_for_circular.htm "The Clubbell: The Indian Club Reappears", 2003]
* [http://tutorials.simplycircus.com/manipulation/clubswinging.htm Club Swinging Resource Page]
* [http://www.revolutionclubs.net Revolution Clubs - USA made Indian Clubs and Meels]
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