It´s an open system of methodically arranged physical activities (esthetic – coordination character) oriented to physical and body progress and growth, as well as keeping and improving our health standard (Zítko, Skopová, 2005).
Gymnastics disiciplines (Olympic ones):
- Men´s artistic gymnastics
- Women´s artistic gymnastics
- Rhytmic gymnastics
- Trampoline
Men´s Artistic Gymnastics:
It´s a permanent part of the Olympic Games.
6 apparatus: floor exercise, pommel horse, still rings, vault, parallel bars and high bar.
Women´s Artistic Gymnastics:
At the Olympic Games since 1928.
4 apparatus: vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise
Rhytm Gymnastics:
Only women are competing, routines with 5 different equipment (hoop, clubs, ball, rope, ribbon) and musical accompaniment. Duration of the routine: 70 – 90 seconds.
Trampoline:
For the first time at the Olympic Games – 1997, individual and synchronical pairs, the competition include 10 different elements which can not be repeated without any straight jumps.
Gymnastics disciplines (not-Olympic ones):
Sports aerobics
The first competition was held in 1984, USA and was proceeded from a commercial version of aerobics, the duration of routine is 1:30 – 2 minutes (it depends on the organization: FIG / FISAF), categories: women, men, mixed pairs, group of three and teams, requirements: physical, artistic and technical.
Acrobatic gymnastics
Arised from Greek expression for „ lifting up“, 1939, Soviet Union,
categories: men´s pairs, women´s pairs, mixed pairs, women group of three, men group of three, the whole competition consists of three different routines: static, dynamic and mixed, the duration is 2:30.
Team Gym
The inception was held in a Nordic countries and was officially presented for the first time in 1994 (the first European Championship), in Team Gym competitors don´t have to be from the same country but the same club, minimum number is 6, maximum is 12, categories: groups (women / men), mixed, the disciplines are: acrobatic (2:30 – 3 minutes), small trampoline (2:45min) and choreography (2:45 min), the winner is a group with the highest point number from all three disciplines
Fitness
A new discipline developed from body building where balanced musculature is the main goal, individual routine with a musical accompaniment, duration: 1:30 – 2 minutes, women are competing in three categories: under 160 cm / 160 – 167 cm / above 167 cm, men: certain weight limits.
Esthetic gymnastics
Finland, it´s a mix of rhytmic gymnastics and dance, a choreography with a musical accompaniment, only women, the duration of routine: 2 – 2:45 min, the judges are assessing three different points of view: technical value, artistic value and execution
Acrobatic rock´n ´roll
The roots are in held in France (as well as the first World Championship in Acrobatic rock´n´roll in 1964), categories: children, junior, senior (all in pairs), girls ( junior / senior), pairs (junior, senior), the judges are assessing all the presented figures.
Gymnastic aerobics
FIG organization, the rules are similar to rules of artistic gymnastics.
Cheerleaders
Group routines with acrobatic elements and musical accompaniment.
Group fitness aerobic
Group routine according to rules of aerobics.
Kinds of gymnastics
Basic gymnastics
Exercise with and without equipments, on apparatus, acrobatic.
Rhytm gymnastics
- movemental-music exercices with and without apparatus and dance
General Gymnastics
Educational system FIG (Federation Internationale de Gymnastique), developing personal fitness programs for everyone, it includes public presentations of many different music-movement forms.
History of Gymnastics
The term gymnastics was used as early as in ancient Greece. The word was formed by joining the words gymnos=naked and gymnaszein=to exercise. It however cannot be understood literally as mere exercising using one’s naked body. Gymnastics meant much more in ancient Greece. It was an overall cultivation of the body. It developed harmony between physical athleticism and mental balance. There was the ideal of “kalokagathia – the harmony of body and mental beauty” (Grexa, 2007). At that time, gymnastics did not include features of gymnastics as we know them today; it was more focused on natural exercises which included e.g. pentathlon. The philosophy of mental beauty was a high level of decency and nobility of mind (Kubička, 1993).
In the Middle Ages, the interest in body cultivation declined. Christian church sets the direction of education and manifests aversion to entire antique system of education. Physical exercises are considered improper and all attention is paid to the soul (Grexa, 2007).
When the dark period of the Middle Ages had ended, numerous Greek ideals were revived. Among significant figures of the Renaissance there are J. Locke, J. J. Rousseau, J. A. Komenský and J. H. Pestalozzi. These philosophers played an important part in rediscovering physical education and laid foundations for modern kinds of gymnastics.
“Approach to the contents and division of gymnastics differs in relation to the approach of individual persons or authors of gymnastics systems. Therefore, both in theory and practice, there are different opinions, different names and characteristics of the contents of presented kinds of gymnastics. From general point of view, gymnastics is understood as an open system of organized, precisely determined gymnastic activities with the aim to positively affect and develop motor manifestation of an athlete and participate in motor, aesthetic and social cultivation of a human.” (Krištofič a kol., 2003)
At the turn of the 18th and 19th Centuries, Christian GutsMuths, a German philanthropist, laid the foundation of international gymnastics. His set of exercises included also apparatus gymnastics. Turner system has later developed from his understanding of physical exercise. J. H. Pestalozzi dealt with floor exercises. Miroslav Tyrš – the founder of Sokol Organization – also drew on Turner system. He focused on apparatus gymnastics, resistance exercises and other exercises with emphasis on aesthetic expression. The founder of Physical Exercise Organization of Prague Ladies, Mrs. Klemeňa Hanušová, elaborated a general system of physical education of girls and women (Krištofič a kol., 2003).
“The system of exercising with music was supposed to positively affect aesthetic motor performance of the athletes and encourage their creativity. In carrying out the physical contents, she preferred purposefulness, decency, successiveness, versatility and variability.” (Krištofič a kol., 2003)
Related to the development of female gymnastics was the appearance of new branches such as rhythmic gymnastics, jazz gymnastics, callanetics, art gymnastics and expressive dance. I. Duncan was a significant ballet reformer. In Czech lands, a specific system of exercising started to originate which was inspired by foreign professionals and enriched by new findings of Czech leading coaches. Among them there were A. Otčenášek, J. Jeřábková and M. Majerová. All of these foreign and Czech professionals laid the foundations for rhythmic gymnastics which is based on the harmony of aesthetic movement and music (Krištofič a kol., 2003).
“During long historical development, the contents of the term gymnastics has gone through a differentiating process. A number of independent exercises and sports activities appeared out of which many are based on original “gymnastics”. The contents of the term gymnastics has been narrowed during its development while human creativity broadened, through technical progress and scientific approaches, into an unlimited variety of physical activities the unifying basis of which is aesthetic-coordinative value of physical exercise.” (Kubička, 1993).
Fig. 1 Gymnastics http://www.gymnastics.sk/history/rovna.html
Characteristics of rhytmic gymnastics
Rhytmic gymnastics can be included among aesthetic-coordinative or technical-aesthetic sports. The aim of all gymnasts is flawless presentation of the exercise. These exercises are mainly of acyclic character. In order to increase the difficulty of exercises, basic motor skills must be highly automated.
“There are strict requirements for coordinative-facilitative abilities most importantly in complex inter-relations of body movements and the apparatus. Sports performance in modern gymnastics lies in the level of mastering technique standards of body movement and apparatus as set by the rules. The movements are then used by the gymnast while interpreting the composition.” (Krištofič a kol., 2003)
Gymnastic components are based on mastering body techniques which include different motor elements such as turns, jumps, waves etc.
Fig. 2 Modern gymnastice (http://www.lednimedved.webzdarma.cz/DSC_8087a.jpg)
Characteristics of Artistic Gymnastics
Artistic gymnastics is a sport in which individual athletes present strength or swing gymnastic elements on individual apparatus. Both men and women compete in artistic gymnastics but their disciplines are different. Artistic gymnastics is a part of the Olympic program. Both men and women gymnasts present short exercises (in the duration of approximately one minute) for which they are assessed by marks. The one who performs the best exercise in the match gets the highest mark. In men artistic gymnastics, six kinds of apparatus is used (floor, wide horse, rings, vault, parallel bars and bar). Women use only four kinds of apparatus (floor, balance beam, vault and parallel bars). The most common competitions are team competitions (marks of individual members of the team are put together whereas the worst mark given is not counted) and individual competitions; individuals can compete within the whole hexathlon (men) or quadrathlon (women), i.e. with the sum of marks for all apparatus or on individual apparatus (the best exercise on the respective apparatus). In major competitions, like national or international championships etc., different disciplines are divided into qualifications and finals which host only the best competitors or teams who then compete for the medals.
(http://www.gymnet.cz/sport.php).
Fig. 3 Sport gymnastic (http://www.sportuj.com/view.php?nazevclanku=fotky-sportovni-gymnastika&cisloclanku=2010060045)
Differentiation of Gymnastic Disciplines
In 1881, Nicolas J. Cuper founded the FEG federation Fédération Européenne de Gymnastique). He became the director of FIG (Fédération Internationále de Gymnastique) for 43 years. As an official federation responsible for gymnastics throughout the world, FEG took part the Olympic Games only in 1908 in London. On April 7, 1921 FEG became FIG and consists of 16 members. As of 2009 the federation comprised 129 member federations.
FIG and UEG (Union Europénne de Gymnastique) supervise both Olympic and non-Olympic branches of gymnastics.
Among the Olympic disciplines there are the following:
- Men´s artistic Gymnastics (Gymnastique artistique masculine)
Men compete in hexathlon which includes parallel bars, floor, rings, wide horse, vault and bar.
- Women´s artistic Gymnastics (Gymnastique artistique féminine)
Women compete in quadrathlon which includes floor, vault, balance beam and parallel bars.
- Rhytmic Gymnastics
According to international rules, gymnasts compete in stage compositions which include duathlon and another discipline is a competition of individual women in quadrathlon.
- Trampoline
The disciplines are synchronized pairs and individuals.
Among non-Olympic disciplines there are the following:
- Acrobatic Gymnastics
- Acrobatic Rock and Roll
Mixed pairs.
- Sports aerobics and fitness
These sports include many disciplines, the basic division includes competition of individuals, pairs or teams.
- Team Gym
This form of gymnastics covers competitions of teams of women or men and mixed teams.
- Aesthetic Gymnastics
Women teams comprising six to ten gymnasts.
The disciplines are mixed pairs, groups of three women and groups of four men.
A special part of gymnastics under FIG and UEG is General Gymnastics (Gymnastique générálé).
Keywords:
kalokagathia, Internation Gymnastic Federation FIG and UEG, J. Locke, J. J. Rousseau, J. A. Komenský a J. H. Pestalozzi, Christian GutsMuths, Miroslav Tyrš, modern gymnastics, sports gymnastics, parallel bars, floor, rings, wide horse, vault, bar.
References:
SMRKALOVÁ, Vendula. Srovnání motorických schopností u moderních gymnastek různých věkových kategorií. MU Brno, 2011. Bakalářská práce. FSpS. Vedoucí práce Tomáš Vespalec.