newsletter83

A decade ago, students of physical training spent much time and energy
finding rare books on the subject. Today many great resources are a few clicks away.
Here are a few examples.

Pvt. Adam Larson
1980 - 2000

Adam Larson fell to his death at Fort Benning, Georgia
during of-the-ground training
at Army BCT on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2000.
He was 19 years old.

Warriors must be able to move efficiently off the ground.	OGT also builds strength, endurance and mobility.	Whether close to the ground -
or on a high confidence structure,	OGT can be deadly.	Adam Larson fell from the Slide for Life.
He could not get his legs around the rope. Most likely a core strength/confidence issue.	The slide for Life was developed during WWII	This structure was called the Coney Island.
Women also climbed.	The structures were often basic.	This is a Navy V-5 structure.
Training was rugged.	Climbing methods were taught to sailors	WWII warriors were more prepared to climb.
Sophisticated playgrounds were common in the decades before WWII.	The concepts were heavily influenced by early European models of physical culture.	Gymnasia like this were found in the USA before 1920
Here's another	One more.	High speed.
Very functional.	The German system most influenced the USA.	It was called the Turnverein.
This is George Brosius.	This is his nephew Herman J. Koehler	First USA International Gymnastics Team. Koehler on left. Coach Brosius on right.
Koehler is known as the "Father of US Army Physical Training."	This is Harvard College	Women's training was quite advanced.
The equipment was simple but functional.	In around 1920, the old systems were replaced with sports and games. The gymnasia were gutted for basketball.	WWII revised some of the old functional training.
Hand balancing picked up steam.	There were still plenty of old teachers around.	Military gymnasia rediscovered the past.
WWII work was demanding for all.	Many of the older baby boomers profited from this shift to functional fitness.	Off-the-ground training has regained popularity today.
Military units are slowly learning how to teach it.	Alpine towers are the standard.	An amazing system
The Ranger community led the way with developing inversion boot protocols.	Army initial entry training continued using the WWII climbing model. Nets were eventually added	Young civilian men and women spend little time off-the-ground.
Some of the training is relatively safe.	Even basic tumbling is new to many recruits	Risk increases with height.
With no consistent civilian instruction -	And minimal military guidance -	Off-the-ground training will continue to be unnecessarily risky business.