their first physical exercise—to walk—reminds us that we have all taken a few lessons, at least, in this most useful art.
9. Tumbling is of more importance than all other exercises, as, nolens volens, we all take a tumble occasionally; and if we know how to tumble—so as to land on our feet or keep from falling—it will give us a confidence that we would not otherwise have. There seems to be a very prevalent idea that if a man has never learned how to tumble before he is twenty-one he had just as well not start. On the contrary, if a person has never taken gymnastic exercises, he can make greater advancement in tumbling than in almost any other form of exercise, if his physique permits of tumbling at all. After acquiring a few of the exercises, tumbling can be practiced with pleasure and satisfaction on any lawn, sand-bar, or sawdust pile, and in this way will prove of more practical utility than almost any form of gymnastics.
A word of caution might not be out of place: In teaching adults (where a large mat, such as already described, is not used) the small mats cannot be piled too high to prevent jars and shocking surprises. If pupils suffer from dizziness, excuse them from these exercises. In combination tumbling the belt, or lunger, must always be put on for a first trial, however simple the exercise may appear.
In the following pages I have depended almost entirely upon the illustrations, and have intentionally made the text as short and concise as possible—following the plan of Messrs. Hitchcock and Nelligan's most excellent work, "Wrestling." I am also indebted to Dr. William Anderson, of Yale University, for many valuable suggestions.
