Gymnastics – The Fascinating Journey Continues…

Our heritage consciously and subconsciously shapes our futures. Thus, understanding the common, and the unique, evolution of contemporary gymnastics disciplines affords us a panoramic viewpoint from which we can better shape their futures. The earliest pictorial depictions of gymnastics activities are found in the Egyptian tombs at Beni-Hassen dated around 2300 BC and we, the gymnastics families, have been changing and evolving ever since. This paper will trace how contemporary gymnastics has evolved from four main ancestries: the performing arts; military training; medical practices and the education professions. Our past is complex and has some very noble and cherished traditions. But, we are not without problems at this stage of our evolution. It is clear that some disciplines have strayed very far from our common roots. Some have been burdened with excesses that are difficult to justify. Some disciplines have been afflicted by seemingly intractable political corruption. Some disciplines have evolved rules and evaluative complexity that only insiders can comprehend. Are these types of problems also creeping into Gymnastics for All? These are questions that can and should be debated at a gathering such as this.

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