Indian clubs belong to a category of exercise (and
jugglingJuggling is a skill involving moving objects for entertainment or sport . The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling, in which the juggler throws objects up to catch and toss up again. Jugglers often refer to the objects they juggle as props. The most common props are balls or...
) equipment that was popular in the late 19th and early 20th century in Europe, the
British CommonwealthThe Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the Commonwealth and previously as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-three independent member states. Most of them were formerly part of the British Empire. They co-operate within a framework of common values...
and the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. They comprise bowling-pin shaped wooden "clubs" of varying sizes and weights, which are swung in certain patterns as part of an exercise program. They can range from a few pounds each, up to special clubs that can weigh as much as 50 pounds.
Indian clubs belong to a category of exercise (and
jugglingJuggling is a skill involving moving objects for entertainment or sport . The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling, in which the juggler throws objects up to catch and toss up again. Jugglers often refer to the objects they juggle as props. The most common props are balls or...
) equipment that was popular in the late 19th and early 20th century in Europe, the
British CommonwealthThe Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the Commonwealth and previously as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-three independent member states. Most of them were formerly part of the British Empire. They co-operate within a framework of common values...
and the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. They comprise bowling-pin shaped wooden "clubs" of varying sizes and weights, which are swung in certain patterns as part of an exercise program. They can range from a few pounds each, up to special clubs that can weigh as much as 50 pounds. They were used in carefully choreographed routines where the clubs were swung in unison by a group of exercisers, led by an instructor in the front, similar to modern
aerobicsAerobics is a form of physical exercise that combines rhythmic aerobic exercise with stretching and strength training routines with the goal of improving all elements of fitness...
classes. The routines varied according to the group's ability and the weight of the clubs used.
Indian clubs derive their name from the much larger and heavier objects of similar shape traditionally used by martial artists and
KushtiPehlwani is a Martial art and a style of Wrestling that is popular in India and Pakistan...
wrestlers in
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
to train for strength. The practice of swinging such clubs to develop physical fitness was first introduced to England by British soldiers who had studied the discipline while stationed in India during the 1800s.
They were exceptionally popular during the health craze of the late
Victorian eraThe Victorian era of the United Kingdom was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from June 1837 until her death on the 22nd of January 1901. The reign was a long period of prosperity for the British people, as profits gained from the overseas British Empire, as well as from industrial improvements...
, used by military cadets and well-heeled ladies alike, and even appeared as a gymnastic event in the
1904At the 1904 Summer Olympics, eleven gymnastics events were contested, all for men only.The 1904 Games had a confusing program of events spread out over several months, and the gymnastics competition was no different...
and
1932 OlympicsAt the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, eleven events in gymnastics were contested, all for men only. The competitions were held from Monday, August 8, 1932 to Friday, August 12, 1932.-Medal summary:-Participating nations:...
. Gymnasiums were built just to cater to club exercise groups. The popularity of the Indian Club waned in the 1920s and 1930s as organized sports became more popular. Regimented exercise routines, like those requiring Indian clubs, were relegated to professional athletes and the military, who had access to more effective and modern
strength trainingStrength training is the use of resistance to muscular contraction to build the strength, anaerobic endurance and size of skeletal muscles. There are many different methods of strength training, the most common being the use of gravity or elastic/hydraulic forces to oppose muscle contraction...
equipment.
While torches and other sticklike objects have been used in
jugglingJuggling is a skill involving moving objects for entertainment or sport . The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling, in which the juggler throws objects up to catch and toss up again. Jugglers often refer to the objects they juggle as props. The most common props are balls or...
for centuries, the modern
juggling clubJuggling clubs, or simply clubs are a prop used by jugglers, as are other props such as balls or rings. A typical club is in the range of 50 cm long, weighs between 200 and 300 grams, is slim at the "handle" end, and has its center of balance nearer the wider "body" end...
was inspired by the Indian club, which was first repurposed for juggling by DeWitt Cook
in the 1800sThis page lists many dates in which juggling has been recorded throughout history from 1994 B.C. to 1947 A.D.thumbnail|250px|This [[Egypt|Egyptian]] wall painting appears to depict [[Toss Juggling|toss jugglers]]1994-1781 B.C...
.
There are current physical fitness enthusiasts who have revived the popularity of Indian clubs in the modern day, citing the
aerobic exerciseAerobic exercise is exercise that involves or improves oxygen consumption by the body. Aerobic means "with oxygen", and refers to the use of oxygen in the body's metabolic or energy-generating process...
and safety advantages over traditional free weight regimens. There are nostalgic replicas of the original clubs being manufactured, as well as modern engineering updates to the concept, such as the Clubbell.
External links
- Modern Club Swinging and Pole Spinning: Free Downloadable Book
- Club Swinging Bibliography
- Documentary video of Iranian Club Swinging
- Exercises with Clubs, by Dio Lewis, M.D., 1862
- Indian Club Exercise, by Sim D. Kehoe, 1866
- Indian Club Exercises from Athletic Sports for Boys, by Dick and Fitzgerald, 1866
- Dick's Indian-Club Exercises, 1887
- Gymnastic Nomenclature for Apparatus and Indian Club Movements, 1949
- The Clubbell: The Indian Club Reappears, 2003
- Club Swinging Resource Page