Friedrich Ludwig Jahn in St. Louis

After NCAA Nationals while walking in Forest Park, close to the site of the 1904 Olympics, I happened upon this statue of one of the historical founders of Gymnastics.

On either side areΒ statues of a male and female athlete.

Friedrich Ludwig JahnΒ (11 August 1778 – 15 October 1852) was a GermanΒ gymnasticsΒ educator andΒ nationalist. His admirers know him asΒ TurnvaterΒ Jahn, roughly meaning “father of gymnastics” Jahn. …

The firstΒ Turnplatz, or open-air gymnasium, was opened by Jahn in Berlin in 1811, and theΒ TurnvereinΒ (gymnastics association) movement spread rapidly. …

A man of populistic nature, rugged, eccentric and outspoken, Jahn often came into conflict with the authorities. …

Jahn promoted the use ofΒ parallel bars,Β ringsΒ andΒ high barΒ in international competition.Β In honor and memory of him, some gymnastic clubs, calledΒ TurnvereineΒ (German:Β Turnvereine), took up his name …

Karolyis sue USAG, USOC

In the world’s most litigious nation, we expected this.

Bela and Martha Karolyi have filed suit against the U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Gymnastics, seeking more than a million dollars in damages and saying they should not be held responsible for any lawsuits stemming from crimes committed at their Sam Houston National Forest ranch by disgraced doctor Larry Nassar.

The suit, filed last month in Walker County, accuses USA Gymnastics of being in violation of a purchase agreement and a lease agreement at the couple’s ranch, which until last year housed the women’s national training center, and of failing to live up to a promise to “wrap their arms” around the couple and to defend them against allegations stemming from the Nassar sexual abuse scandal.

Houston Chronicle

related – Sabrina Vega sued Bela and Martha Karolyi as well as USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Changing Gymnastics Culture by Dave Tilley

After fifteen years competing up to the college level, and ten years coaching, I have spent the last five years as a medical provider treating almost all gymnasts (Sports Physical Therapy) while also still actively coaching competitive gymnastics at the same time. …

… in an effort to help, I have spent the last twelve months writing a new e-book covering all of these topics and more. I wrote it in an effort to spark conversations on how the sport of gymnastics can move into a new era that prioritizes athlete health, builds positive training cultures, and seeks the most optimal training methods based on scientific research as well as expert coaching opinion.

Shift Movement Science

Dave’s made his book free. Click through to download.

The book is 3 PDFs.

In addition are two resources: Myofascial Release Checklist and a Splits Complex.

I’ll be reviewing my own copy. I’m keen to hear what the sports medicine community has to say. So far as I can see they’ve been very quiet on Nassar. It was gymnasts who finally took him down, not parents or coaches nor his professional fraternity.

Bart – Gaylord 2 to mixed grip

Not a new skill, but an interesting variation. He wants to connect it to Yamawaki.

Click PLAY or watch it on Instagram.

 

(via twoflips-threetwists)

Minnesota’s celebrates NCAA Championships

… finishing second to Oklahoma at the national championships on April 21 in Chicago. In what Burns called one of his proudest moments ever, the Gophers hit all 32 routines and earned 11 All-America citations.

Freshman Shane Wiskus of Mound-Westonka, the Big Ten Gymnast of the Year, was second in the all-around competition …

Burns was named the College Gymnastics Association Central Region Coach of the Year, and Wiskus was named Rookie of the Year.

Gophers men’s gymnastics figured it out at NCAA meet

Congratulations to Mike Burns, his staff and the Gophers.

GOPHERS FINISH AS NATIONAL RUNNER-UP