Chapter II: Indian Clubs, and How to Use Them

BY A MEMBER OF THE LONDON ATHLETIC CLUB.

It is our object in this chapter to present to our readers full instructions for the use of the Indian clubs--instructions that, for completeness and thoroughness of illustration, have not before been approached in any work with which we are acquainted.

The origin of their introduction into Europe is not known with certainty, but it is said that we are indebted for them to a military officer who had seen them in use by the Persians. The movements that can be performed with the clubs are almost unlimited in their variety, and are amongst the most useful and beneficial of any gymnastic exercises, having the effect of increasing the muscular power of the shoulders and arms, strengthening the hands and wrists, opening the chest, and also possessing the advantage of rendering the user ambidextrous, or two-handed--that is, of making the left arm, shoulder, etc., as vigorous and able as the right, and developing equally both sides of the body.

If practised properly, the exercises are exceedingly pretty and graceful, and cause the performer to acquire a good carriage and deportment. Although in almost every gymnasium Indian clubs are now to be found, it is surprising how seldom they are used, the pupils generally preferring to acquire proficiency in the more showy feats that other instruments--such as the horizontal and parallel bars--permit of their practising. But we would impress upon our readers that if they will only exercise a little patience and perseverance in acquiring the use of the clubs, they will find that no other gymnastic exercises can surpass them in grace and utility, and give such pleasure both to the performer and his audience.

The advantages of the clubs are many; amongst others--(1) they are inexpensive; (2) there is no danger attached to their use; (3) being portable, there is no fixing required--they can be used either in the open air or in a room; (4) their weight can be adapted to the age and strength of the user.

With regard to the price, they can be obtained of any wood-turner at about 4_d._ per pound (unpolished). We should certainly recommend the learner to purchase _un_polished clubs, for in the course of practice he is sure to bruise them by knocking them together, and the damage shows more plainly upon a polished than an unpolished surface. But when he has become accustomed to the manipulation of the clubs, then he may obtain the more showy article, the cost of which is about 6_d._ per lb.

Of course, every boy will know that the clubs are made of wood. American elm is the best kind and mostly in use. Sometimes they are turned out of a lighter wood--such as deal--and are weighed to the required extent by molten lead being poured into a hole at the bottom of the club; but we must caution the would-be ‘clubbist’ against buying such an article, for the weight should not be concentrated at the _bottom_, but should be contained in the wood itself, which allows of the club being properly _balanced_, without which true grace and elegance can never be acquired.

WEIGHT OF THE CLUBS.

We now come to a most important consideration--viz., the weight to be used, which should be in proportion to the strength and weight of the performer. It is almost impossible to lay down any law upon the subject, but the following scale may be taken as a guide:--

For a boy of 10 years old, 2-1/2 to 3 lb. each club.
„ 11 „ 3-1/2 to 4 lb. „
„ 12 „ 4-1/2 to 5 lb. „
„ 13 „ 5-1/2 to 6 lb. „
„ 14 „ 6-1/2 to 7 lb. „
„ 14 and over 7-1/2 to 8 lb. „

These figures refer only to the light clubs or dual exercises--that is, when a club is used in each hand. For the single or ‘heavy club’ exercises, of course, the weight can be increased, but of that we will treat later on.

Many of our readers may consider these weights ‘a mere nothing,’ and quite unworthy of their muscular powers. But it is a great mistake to suppose that the benefit to be obtained from Indian clubs is in proportion to their weight, and in the exertion required in manipulating them. On the contrary, the easier the exercise (within reasonable limits, of course), the better, for practice being then a pleasure, it can be sustained for a longer period, and by this means the muscles become gradually developed and subsequent fatigue is avoided.

We have said that the weight of the club should be in proportion to the _weight_ of the user. We will justify this advice by an explanation. We will suppose that a boy twelve years of age weighs six stone, and another boy of the same age weighs six stone and seven pounds; the latter (presuming both boys’ muscular development to be about equal) could use a heavier pair of clubs than the former, because he would have greater weight in his body to counterbalance the weight of the clubs.

In order to impress our readers with the correctness of this principle we would point out to them that, in performing exercises upon a fixed gymnastic apparatus (such as the horizontal bar), the gymnast has only to use muscular exertion proportionate to his bodily weight. If, however, he were to carry about him any weighty articles, or even wear a pair of heavy boots, he would experience a greater difficulty in performing the exercises, and perhaps fail altogether, and his exertions would soon produce fatigue. Therefore, do not be too ambitious in selecting your clubs, but be contented with the weights we have recommended, which, although they may appear small _on paper_, will be found quite heavy enough _in practice_. The writer, who has used the Indian clubs constantly for the last ten years, never has a pair of greater weight than eight pounds each.

The length of the clubs must be varied to the height of the performer. With the clubs standing on the ground and the hands hanging down, as in Fig. 1, there should be a space of about two inches between the handles and the tips of the fingers, so that it becomes necessary to stoop slightly in order to grasp the clubs. When swung round they should clear the tops of the toes by about two inches.

HINTS AS TO DRESS, ETC.

With regard to dress, the ordinary gymnastic suit is the most suitable. ‘The best material is undoubtedly white flannel. A pair of flannel trousers made to fit the legs tolerably closely, with plenty of room in the seat (not baggy, of course), a close-fitting ordinary under-jersey minus the sleeves (to give freedom to the arms), and a pair of canvas shoes without heels, are all that are necessary for wear during actual practice. Add to these a loose jacket of medium thickness to slip on during intervals of rest, and you have your costume complete.’

But for Indian club exercise a special costume is not indispensable--and here, again, their economy is manifested--and all that need be done is to divest oneself of coat, vest, and over-shirt, and practise in ordinary trousers, boots, and undershirt.

Before proceeding to describe the different exercises, we would impress upon the reader most emphatically that, in endeavouring to perfect himself in them, he should bear in mind that, performed _gracefully_, and with an easy, swinging motion, there is nothing prettier. On the other hand, a jerky and strained action spoils entirely not only the effect from a spectator’s point of view, but also neutralises the benefit that should accrue to the performer.

EXERCISES FOR LIGHT CLUBS.

_First Position_ (Fig. 1). Place the clubs upon the ground, one upon the right and one upon the left side, slightly in front--about level with the toes. Stand at attention, head erect, shoulders square. Then bend down, grasp the clubs, one in each hand, and raise them up until the hands are level with the shoulders, at the same time separating the legs and placing the feet apart, toes pointing outwards (as in Fig. 2).

You will then be in position to commence _Exercise_ 1 (Fig. 3). Throw out the clubs to the right, and describe a complete circle with them in front of the body from the right to the left, _keeping the arms perfectly straight and in a line with the clubs_. As they describe the circle the body should be turned slightly in the same direction, and the head and eyes also should follow the course of the clubs from right to left. Continue this exercise at least a dozen times. Should you find any difficulty in accomplishing this with both clubs at once, try one at a time, first with the right hand and then with the left, or _vice versâ_.

Here we will take the opportunity of informing the learner that he should endeavour to _identify_ himself, so to speak, with the clubs, and consider that they are parts of himself--continuations, in fact, of his own arms. The base of the club should always be kept in a straight line with the shoulder. By this means an equal distance is preserved between the two clubs; otherwise, should they be swung at an angle, they must surely come into collision in the next exercise (and in many others to follow), in which one club travels in an opposite direction to the other.

_Exercise_ 2 (Fig. 4).--Commence as before, and when both clubs are raised above the head, _reverse_ the direction of the left one, and, instead of describing the circle from right to left, swing it from left to right, the right club at the same time continuing its original course. A glance at Fig. 4 will show the exercise; the dotted lines and arrows indicate the direction in which each club travels. In this exercise (and in many others to follow) the clubs cross twice in each circle; care must therefore be taken not to allow them to come into collision (which catastrophe can be easily avoided by following the directions just given--viz., to keep the base of each club in a straight line with each shoulder).

_Exercise_ 3 (Fig. 5).--This is the same as No. 2 with an additional movement--viz., that when each club is raised in its turn above the head to its highest point, the circle is checked and the club dropped behind the head and made to describe a smaller circle in the rear of the shoulder, after completing which the larger circle is resumed. The dotted line in the illustration shows the course of the _left_ club only, but the right club does the same thing in the opposite direction.

_Exercise_ 4 (Fig. 6).--Commence with Exercise 1, and when the clubs are raised above the head allow them to drop and make them describe a small circle behind the shoulders, then resume the larger circle on front of the body.

_Exercise_ 5 (Fig. 7).--This is the first of the wrist ‘twists,’ and is a movement that will tax the power of the fore-arm rather severely. Start from the position shown in Fig. 2, and describe a circle with each club _from the wrist_ in the direction shown by the dotted lines and arrows. In practising this exercise, you will experience a tendency to drop the arms with the clubs, but you must endeavour to keep them in the position shown, _making each wrist the centre of each circle_.

_Exercise_ 6 (Fig. 8).--Now for a twist in which each club describes a circle in an opposite direction. Again be careful to avoid a collision, and keep the wrists level and opposite each other.

_Exercise_ 7 (Fig. 9).--This is rather difficult, but with a little perseverance you will be able to accomplish the movement, and as it is very pretty it is well worth the trouble. Carefully study the illustration and follow the course of the dotted lines (which show the direction of the right club only; the left club takes a corresponding course in the opposite direction). Keep the hand close up to the chest, almost touching it, in fact. You will observe that the club describes a _small_ circle from the centre of the chest, and is then swung completely round at arm’s length to make the _great_ circle.

_Exercise_ 8 (Fig. 10).--This is a simple swing backwards and forwards, each club being swung alternately in front of the body and behind the head. When the right club is extended at arm’s length almost straight from the shoulder, the left club is passing behind the head and _vice versâ_.

_Exercise_ 9 (Fig. 11).--This is exactly the reverse of Fig. 5. The illustration will show the movement.

_Exercise_ 10 (Fig. 12).--This is very effective, and if performed rapidly and neatly is sure to elicit applause from an audience. It consists of circles behind the head with each club, in the direction shown by the arrows, one club passing in a downward direction while the other is swinging up.

_Exercise_ 11 (Fig. 13).--This is not very difficult to perform. Keep the arms straight, and beware of a collision. The clubs are swung in a circle across and in front of the body, passing one another twice in their course--once when above the head (as in the figure) and again in front of the legs.

_Exercise_ 12 (Fig. 14).--Now this _is_ difficult, and will take a long time to learn. It is a complication of Exercise 3. Commence with that, and, having got the clubs into a good swing, check the course of the right arm, slightly decrease the pace of the left arm, and throw the right club sharply behind the body, until the base rises a little above the left shoulder (see Fig.), then swing it back to A and B, and continue the original circle, all this time keeping the other club (the left) travelling in a circle, until it becomes its turn to effect the movement that the right one has just completed, and so on, first with the right club behind the body, and then with the left in front, and _vice versâ_. This is one of the best and prettiest exercises yet described, and will entail long and patient practice; but when thoroughly acquired it will well repay the perseverance expended upon it.

_Exercise_ 13 (Fig. 15).--Another difficult one. The clubs are swung downwards, parallel to each other, and then raised up behind the back (as shown by the dotted arms), then swung to the front again, and in a circle completely round at arms’ length. The left club executes exactly the same movement as the right in the last exercise (12), but with the right club in this the movement is different. The wrist should be twisted sharply downwards, and the club _tucked under_ the right arm; its own weight will then carry it down behind the back, and up to a level and in a line with the right shoulder, reaching that position exactly at the same time as the other club, and both will thus again be parallel, but on the opposite side of the body to that from which they started.

_Exercise_ 14 (Fig. 16).--This is purely wrist-work. The arms are extended straight out on each side, and the clubs passed alternately from the wrists in the front and rear of each arm, describing circles on either side. At the same time that one club is swinging round behind the right arm, the other is swinging in front of the left, and _vice versâ_. This exercise causes the wrists to become very pliable.

We have now completed our instructions for the ‘light clubs.’ The learner must, of course, acquire the different exercises separately, one by one, but when mastered they can be continued from one to another, making, when so combined, a very effective performance. The movements capable of performance with Indian clubs are almost without limit, but we need not here give further descriptions or illustrations. The performer will find, as he becomes accustomed to the use of the clubs, and attains proficiency in their manipulation, that other movements will suggest themselves, and he will be able perhaps to invent some new and intricate exercise.

SINGLE OR ‘HEAVY’ CLUB EXERCISE.

Roughly speaking, the weight of a club to be used singly should be about the same as that of the _pair_ the performer is accustomed to--_i.e._, a boy using two clubs weighing 6 lb. each should use _one_ weighing just double. This will be found quite sufficient for sustained movements; if a heavier weight is adopted there is danger of over-exertion, and the exercise cannot be performed in a graceful and easy manner. We think the best shape for a heavy club is that shown in Fig. 17, which, our readers will observe, differs from the light clubs in having a ‘shoulder’ instead of a gradual slope from handle to base.

All the exercises described above, with a few exceptions, can be performed with a heavy club, but, of course, with only one hand at a time--the other hanging loosely down by the side (as in Fig. 1). When one arm becomes tired the club should be changed to the other (see Fig. 17), but without the movement of the club being stopped. The exceptions referred to are the wrist twists, which should not be attempted with a heavy club, the strain upon that part of the arm being too severe.

It was with considerable diffidence that the writer undertook the task of penning this chapter, feeling strongly the difficulty of explaining the numerous and intricate movements in _words_; but, with the aid of the artist’s graphic illustrations, he trusts that the directions will prove sufficiently clear to enable all readers who desire to become experts in the use of the Indian clubs to succeed fully in their endeavours.