Gymnastics, shaping body and soul

At the end of the nineteenth century Portuguese teachers commonly agree that intellectual and physical development of children was not being made in harmony. Bad nutrition, lack of hygienic practices and lack of suitable clothing for the climate led to sick children, often to tuberculosis. Incorrect sitting posture at school desks originated spine deviancies, such as lordosis and scoliosis. The idea of «Mens sana in corpore sano» shouldn’t remain on a theoretical level, otherwise, as Anibal Pinheiro stated we would only have «brains grafted in jellyfish bodies». In addition, there was no specific training for physical education teachers, for that reason they were often physicians and army officers. In 1900 the International Congress of Physical Education took place in Paris and the echoes of that meeting were known throughout Europe. At a time when there were several gymnastic systems such as the English, the French, the Belgian, the German and the Swedish, for instance, the debate of ideas originated controversy about the benefits people could get from each one of them and what system would best fit educational purposes. Portugal was no exception. The English gymnastics focused on outdoor exercises and team sports would basically just bring social benefits. German gymnastics which utilized parallel bars, hoops, vaulting horse, and other equipment was considered inadequate to the fragile child's body because it would mainly develop the upper limbs. Indeed Dr. Lagrange used to call it «truly monkeys gymnastics». On the other hand Swedish Gymnastics was considered to respect the physiology and the anatomy of the human body as well as being based on scientific evidences. Luis Furtado Coelho claimed to be the first man bringing the Swedish gymnastics to Portugal and gradually, more and more teachers were implementing it in school contexts. The enthusiasts Guilherme Jose Enes and Pedro Jose Ferreira gave conferences and wrote in educational magazines about the subject. In 1913, another International Congress of Physical Education took place in Paris and Portuguese delegates presented the scientific results of Swedish Gymnastics by showing pictures in combination with measurements made on children during a year of training. Francisco Morais Manchego, physician, podologist and lieutenant was not convinced about these evidences. In this paper, not only will I address the attention on the heated discussion between 1900 and 1913 about the need of implementing physical education in schools but also will I explain the reasons why the Portuguese state decided to adopt and adapt the Swedish Gymnastics in schools and in the Portuguese Youth National Organization, giving emphasis to the breathing Gymnastics which would contribute towards better concentration in the classroom and children would tend to have good behaviour. Childhood Gymnastics, as it was known, was believed to contribute to shape body and soul, to develop decision-making skills, to fortify the character, as well as serving catholic spirituality and it boosted the Portuguese race. Moreover it was excellent to reinforce nationalism and brotherhood in parades and in group performances. In fact, this kind of gymnastics served Portuguese state purposes and I intend to give some inputs on why. Alberto Marques Pereira, in the 1940’s was commissioned to publish a series of books about gymnastics in the classroom, gymnastics thought games and thought storytelling, jumping and equilibrium exercises to spread Ling’s principles adapted to the Portuguese reality. Finally, as Mario Goncalves Viana affirmed, «By practising physical exercises, today’s children will be tomorrow’s perfect physical man». Did the state really achieve that goal? I will reveal that. Bibliography: COELHO, Luiz Furtado - O metodo de Ling considerado como base da educacao fisica : palestra realizada na sede da Academia de Estudos Livres na noite de 29 de Dezembro de 1907. Lisboa : Typ. da Cooperativa Militar, 1908 COELHO, Luis Furtado - O metodo do sistema sueco de educacao fisica : rudimentos da sua tecnica pedagogica. Lisboa : Tipografia da Empresa Nacional de Publicidade, 1935 DEMENŸ, Georges - Les bases scientifiques de l'education physique. 4e. ed. revue et augmentee. Paris : Felix Alcan, 1909 DEMENŸ, Georges - Mecanisme et education des mouvements. Paris : Felix Alcan Editeur, 1904 Educacao : revista quinzenal de pedagogia. S.1, A.1, no 1 (15 Jan. 1913) - S.1, A.1, no 23 (15 Dez. 1913). Lisboa : Sociedade Promotora de Escolas, 1913 Gimnastica sueca : baseada nos sistemas Ling, Kumlien e Muller aperfeicoada para homens, senhoras e criancas : saude, energia e actividade em 15 minutos de exercicio diario. Lisboa : Empresa Literaria Universal, [1936] HARMAND, Camille - Douze lecons de gymnastique educative : pour les instructeurs des corps de troupe et des S.A.G.. Paris / Limoges : Henri Charles-Lavauzelle, Imprimeur editeur militaire, [1911] LEFEBURE, Clement - L'education physique en Suede. nouvelle ediction, ornee de 144 gravures. Bruxelles - Paris : Office de Publicite Editeur - Felix Alcan Editeur, 1908. XXII, 284 p. Miranda, Francisco Pinto - Ginastica sueca e a tecnica do Dr. Weiss de Oliveira. 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