RHYTHM IS BASIS OF ALL ATHLETICS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18311, 12 November 1927, Page 6

RHYTHM IS BASIS OF ALL ATHLETICS.

WITH IT YOU SECURE STYLE, POWER, EFFICIENCY THAT MAKE THE CHAMPION.

Rhythm. or timing. is the basis of all 3.l:th Yet. the word is rarely kinusodd‘in connect-inn with sport 0! any

Without a sense of rhythm the boxer could not punch hard. the swimmer could not propel himself through the water. the golfer could not drive a. ball over 200 yards, the runner could not break records. Rhythm means style, power and efficiency (says a well-known Melbourne athletic writer). It cannot be acquired without a sense of relaxa‘tion, balance and co—ordination. Each one of these is a complement to the lather.

When a man goes into the sea for the first time his muscles tense and move spasmodically. The more effort he puts into the business of remaining on top of the water, the more likelihood there is that he will finish under neath the surface. As practice continues he finds that he gets better results by going through smooth, easy muscular motions. The rhythmic beat of arms and legs propels him through the water at a pace that astounds himl and the more rhythmic his stroke becomes the ‘more he can endure and the more pace he acquires. 1 Take a runner. No man who attempt: to do so by teasing his muscles, can propel himself over the ground and last. True, the muscles tense for a split second at a time, but the smooth swing of arms and easy leg action, plus good balance, are responsible for the records that are broken. Rhythm again.

What chance would a runner have if he put more effort into one stride than the next, or even if he used more swing with one arm than the other. He would lose rhythm—and would be thrown out of balance. The boxer who gets the best results is he who moves smoothly and rhythmically. He relaxes until the moment comes to hit. Then comes ashort rhythmic swing and the whole power of the body flows behind it. What result would he get if he were content. to hit with a tense arm? His blow would be ineffective. B o b Fitzsimmons started his best punches with a relaxed hand. The knuckles

dici’ EOE ”tigi'le'r; EHtil the moment, of impact. The secret

of Dempsey's hitting power lies in the fact that his body flows in behind the blow. If them were any tenseness in his body he. would lose rhythm, in other words, power.

‘ The micketer or baseballer can throw a ball with spefl and accuracy only by rhythmic movement. The footballer kicks a ball 60 yards or more because he uses the same principle. An eight oar racer gets its speed from the rhythmic swing ofi the oarsmen. Every athlete should strive for rhythm. and eliminate as far as possible tenseness in his movements. There was a time when people were put through stiff, formal exercises. They lifted heavy weights and worked with dumbells. Their motive was to build muscle and they succeeded. But there was no flexibility of movement, and many of them became muscle-bound. It was a ‘rare thing to see a strong man who could .be called a good athlete. The Germans, in particular, worked on a. system such as I have described, but today they are more advanced than ,any other people in the world, because they use a system of physical training that is founded on rhythmical, free movements. They play their games in the fresh air, and bare their bodies to the sun while exercising. I believe in exerciSes such as one gets in ball games, boxing, wrestling, running, swimming, indeed, any game that provides free movements. 1!; is by training at these games and sports that the athlete learns to think and. act quickly, and to coordinate mind and muscle. He learns to time his move—ments in a swimming stroke, or in throwing and kicking a ball. That timing comes from relaxation, balance and coordination. In other words, rhythm. Music has taught. us something about rhythm if we will heed the lesson. It makes us dance in time. As yet, there is no hard and fast rule of developing rhythm, but the athlete who relaxes and patiently practises to develop rhythm will have a reward for his trou‘ble.