Hunting and the Royal Image of Henry VIII

The hunting activities of early modern monarchs have attracted surprisingly little attention from historians. Those of Henry VIII, possibly the most famous of English hunting monarchs, have attracted little more than passing comment. An examination of the existing evidence, however, shows that Henry VIII was indeed an enthusiastic huntsman, but that this interest needs to be placed within a context of the life of the early Tudor elite but also of early sixteenth century monarchy. Henry's interest in hunting emerged not only because of personal choice, but because it was expected of him as gentleman and as king but also because it was essential in the projection of his image as a renaissance prince.     

British running performances in the eighteenth century

Our aims were to improve our understanding of human performance before 1850 and to put nineteenth- and twentieth-century performances into a broader historical context. Consequently, 536 foot-races performed in Britain in the 'long' eighteenth century were identified, 53 of which were analysed in detail. The best performances at the end of the eighteenth century were compared with those at the end of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The data for the nineteenth century were marginally better than those for the eighteenth century up to 20 km, but beyond that Thomas Carlisle's time, set in about 1740, of 2 hours for 21 miles was outstanding. Current records are shown to be better than earlier records at all distances from 5 km up to the marathon, the superiority being most pronounced from 15 km upwards.     

British running performances in the eighteenth century

Our aims were to improve our understanding of human performance before 1850 and to put nineteenth- and twentieth-century performances into a broader historical context. Consequently, 536 foot-races performed in Britain in the 'long' eighteenth century were identified, 53 of which were analysed in detail. The best performances at the end of the eighteenth century were compared with those at the end of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The data for the nineteenth century were marginally better than those for the eighteenth century up to 20 nm, but beyond that Thomas Carlisle's time, set in about 1740, of 2 hours for 21 miles was outstanding. Current records are shown to be better than earlier records at all distances from 5 km up to the marathon, the superiority being most pronounced from 15 km upwards.     

In the Shadow of Myron: The Impact of the Discobolus on Representations of Olympic Sport from Victorian Britain to Contemporary China

Without doubt, the most famous and instantly recognisable work of art associated with the Olympic Games is Myron's Discobolus. Originally produced in bronze in the fifth century BC, the work is now known primarily through later Roman copies in marble, discovered in Italy during the eighteenth century. Whilst much has been written about the Discobolus as an exemplar of antique art, less attention has been paid to the reception of the work in the modern era. Accordingly, this article shifts attention to the impact made by Myron's work in visual culture produced during the period of the modern Olympic Games; that is from the late nineteenth century to the present day. From Victorian public sculptures, to official Olympic films and posters, and even contemporary art produced for the Beijing Games of 2008, Myron's work has continued to cast an influential shadow over art practices related to the Games themselves, as it has been adopted, adapted and transformed to signify a host of new and frequently diverse meanings. The prominent display of the work at the British Museum in London during the Games of 2012 offers testimony to the work's enduring legacy and its relevance for spectators of the present day.     

Something of a curate's egg: comments on Adrian Harvey's An epoch in the annals of national sport

This short review is an attempt to establish the balance of strengths and weaknesses in Harvey's essay. Its strengths seem to be principally two: (i) although he exaggerates its significance, Harvey is right to draw attention to the vibrant football culture that grew up in the Sheffield area in the 1850s and 60s; (ii) he is also right (and so is Goulstone) to point to the evidence for matches between pub sides of equal though variable numbers in the early nineteenth century. To my knowledge, this evidence is new and alters our understanding of the development of football in that period. However, the weaknesses in Harvey's case arguably outweigh its strengths. For example, he misconstrues the meaning of 'football' in medieval and early modern sources, wrongly assuming that the term referred to an entirely kicking game. Furthermore, Harvey's grounds for rejecting the influence of the public schools, especially Eton, on Sheffield football are flimsier than the admittedly scarce counter-evidence. Most importantly of all, Harvey shows a limited awareness of the variety of types of football that there were in these islands in the early nineteenth century and fails to situate his claims adequately in relation to the wider literature. In this connection, in his desire to downplay the role of the public schools, he neglects altogether the sociologically plausible suggestion that the initial bifurcation of rugby and soccer can be traced to Rugby-Eton rivalry in the 1840s.     

‘Science’, ‘Wind’ and ‘Bottom’: Eighteenth-Century Boxing Manuals

The eighteenth century witnessed the emergence of a plethora of sporting professionals, many of whom were involved in developing training and coaching practices. Teaching the skills, the ‘science’, of boxing became an important source of income for professional fighters while some practitioners also developed careers as trainers, normally operating on behalf of the wealthy ‘amateurs’ who retained professionals in order to make profitable wagers. These practices were described in some of the early instructional manuals of the period, notably a detailed analysis of wrestling by Parkyns in 1713, who considered technique, fitness, and diet, and by Godfrey in 1747 who included a seminal section on boxing in his A Treatise upon the Useful Science of Defence. The proliferation of boxing manuals in the last quarter of the century reflected both a revival of interest in the sport and a desire to record the essential elements of this martial ‘science’ since it was only now that contemporaries believed a full understanding had been achieved of the importance of ‘wind’ (endurance), ‘bottom’ (courage), and ‘science’ (technique). This paper explores a number of texts where authors discussed these essential components of boxing performance and highlights the longevity of their methods of athletic preparation.     

Designing Diana: Female Sports Entrepreneurs and Equestrian Innovation

Abstract

Throughout the late nineteenth century, many women turned their talents to improving horse sports as authors, equipment inventors, clothing designers, and trainers. Although these were male-dominated domains, many women quickly realized that there was a demand for their expertise and innovation as men did not ride side-saddle nor understand it. Thus, women became writers of sporting manuals (non-fiction) and sporting novels (fiction), which aided other women in improving and understanding riding and hunting. They also made significant innovations in equipment construction, such as saddles and stirrups, and clothing design, in fashioning specialized sporting garments. Finally, they also became riding instructors, training other women to ride and hunt well. Though some women forged ahead for their own benefit, seeking profit out of writing or teaching, there were also many other women who pursued new ideas to improve horse sports as a whole and encourage greater, safer, and better participation for other women. In these ways, female equestrians consciously acted as sporting entrepreneurs and are significant but underappreciated agents of change not only for equestrianism but for larger social, sartorial, and sporting transformations.     

Globalization of the traditional Okinawan art of Shotokan karate

Abstract

Since the eighteenth century, the traditional Okinawan art of Shotokan karate has transformed into a global sport. The violent history of Okinawa in the late 1700s led to the art’s initial creation. In its early years, karate was banned by the government and all practice of it had to take place in secret. Karate was practiced just in Okinawa for over a century. The spread of karate into Japan in 1922 initiated its move towards a Western migration. Through a combination of mass media and the experience of spectators and practitioners, karate spread around the globe. In 1970, international karate competitions began to take place. This initiated the popularization of the sport of karate, introducing more changes to the sport based on the preferences of the spectators. The World Karate Federation (WKF) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) together took this art and created an Olympic sport.     

‘The Master is the Mistress’: women and fox hunting as sports coaching in Britain

This paper explores the relationship between equestrianism and sport coaching at the turn of the twentieth century. Women were avid and admired participants in fox hunting and other mounted field sports by the mid-nineteenth century, and they expanded on this success by attaining positions of leadership in many hunts throughout Britain, specifically as Masters of Hounds. Women thus attained positions of supreme authority over, and therefore equality with, peers of both sexes well before they obtained wartime jobs after 1914 or achieved the vote in 1918. As Masters, women were teachers, trainers, mentors, managers and bosses; they were some of the first female sport coaches, advancing and revolutionising sport in a variety of ways, though such participation has yet to be fully studied or recognised. By examining the position of Master of Hounds and women’s involvement in these leadership roles, we can see how advances in sport shaped changes in social, cultural, and gender perceptions before and after the First World War.     

Between sport and tragedy: Hemingway's passion for bullfighting

ABSTRACT

‘It is a sport’ writes Hemingway on the subject of bullfights in public places, ‘a very wild and primitive sport and, mainly, a true sport of amateurs. I fear however that because of danger of death which it implies, it never has great success among the sporting-men of America and England’ (Death in the afternoon, Gallimard, 1938, p. 27). Hemingway was interested in sport since his young age: athletic, a follower of sports at Oak Park's High School, fascinated by horse racing and later an enthusiast for deep sea fishing, hunting, boxing etc, in other words what we would call today the ‘extreme sports’, he had a passion for bullfighting in Spain, which he tested, although unsuccessfully. In his papers for the Toronto Weekly Star, his novel The Sun also rises published in 1926, and especially in his essay Death in the afternoon, a true treaty of bullfighting, he undertakes a close study of the specific techniques of this very particular sport; yet what interests him most of all is its artistic value. Art or sport? Such is the key question that he poses throughout the pages of this work, which are actually a deep reflection on the origins of the sport and the finality of art; the relations between sport and art are quite complex and, according to him, have to be reconsidered, since writing for him is also linked to moral and physical effort, and is even a kind of ‘intimate bullfighting’.     

确认体内违禁物质来源对兴奋剂违规非故意认定的意义——从阿德米诉欧洲足联案谈起

世界反兴奋剂条例在“无过错和无重大过错”的定义中明确要求运动员要证明违禁物质如何进入体内,而关于“非故意”则无明文规定。在阿德米兴奋剂违规案中,国际体育仲裁院在运动员未能证实样本中违禁物质来源的前提下,运用优势证据认可其违规行为为非故意,将4年的禁赛期缩减为2年。通过对该案例的分析和对类似案件的对比,得出结论：运动员的举证责任和他获得的利益原则上成正比,运动员必须确立违禁物质如何进入体内以证明自己无过错或无重大过错,从而达到免除或缩减禁赛期的目的,参照上述规则,对于非故意可以减少一半的禁赛期这样巨大的利益也应当明确运动员的这一举证责任是必需的。     

Arthur Friedenreich (1892–1969): a Brazilian biography

Arthur Friedenreich (1892–1969) was a Brazilian soccer player, who played in São Paulo from 1909–1935. His father was German and his mother, Afro-Brazilian. Although he is considered as possibly one of the greatest scorers in soccer history, he was forgotten, despite living in a soccer-crazy country like Brazil. This essay will reflect on why he was forgotten by analysing the Brazilian society in the early twentieth century, using Norbert Elias’ concept of figuration. It will also focus on class and racial discrimination as well as amateur soccer, which prevailed in Brazil in Friedenreich’s time.     

„Dear Dr. Rogge“: Die Skispringerinnen und die „human rights issue“

Based on the origin of women’s ski jumping, this contribution describes the efforts of women ski jumpers to have their sport accepted as an Olympic event at the 2010 Winter Olympics. It becomes clear that the arguments put forth to exclude women from a sports discipline have barely changed since the end of the eighteenth century.     

对三级跳远运动中三跳比例的再认识

三级跳远起源于爱尔兰,现代三级跳远的发展是随着现代奥林匹克运动的兴起、发展而兴盛起来的,是运动员经过助跑,沿直线连续进行三次水平跳跃的田径项目。运动员在高速助跑的情况下,要完成三次身体运动方向的改变和一系列相适应的技术动作,任何一个环节出现错误都可能导致全跳失     

运动性疲劳的发生机制及其恢复手段

对运动性疲劳的产生、消除过程的研究已有百余年的历史。国外各种综述和文献很多,国内研究也很活跃,该研究是我国当前科学训练的研究重点。在调研了近10年关于运动性疲劳的相关文献的基础上,较为系统地阐述了运动性疲劳产生的原因,疲劳发生的部位和疲劳的诊断,并从加强营养、合理运用整理活动、心理诱导放松训练、温水浴和局部热敷、用中药、西药等7个方面提出了进行综合恢复的方法。     

体育教学语言修养探究

教学的语言修养，就过去和现在都社稷甚少。21世纪的今天，教育的高速发展，要求我们不仅要不断掌握现代的专业知识和技能，根本问题是提高体育教师的综合素质，尤其是语言文学的职业修养。这是体育发展赋予我们的时代特征。更是体育教学发展的迫切需要。本文就体育教学的语言修养问题联系自己多年的体会，以求探索出适合体育教师特有的教育学语言规律；并通过本文启迪，填补体育教学语言的匮乏，以求达到抛砖引玉的效果。     

面向21世纪教育,重构体育教师素质

运用文献资料法阐述重构体育教师素质的意义。２１ 世纪教育对体育教师素质提出了更高的要求,每一位体育教师都应全方位构建提高自身的素质,才能适应社会发展的需要,完成时代赋予的使命。     

体育运动是人的自由的表征

本文提出：自由存在于人类的一切活动之中，人类活动的每一环节与层面都是自由的不同体现形式；一切源于人的生命本身的对需要的追求与满足都是人的自由活动的应有内容。体育运动正是在这种意义上，成为人的自由的表征。     

Salvador López Gómez: Apostle of Gymnastics in Spain

Abstract

Salvador López Gómez was a great exponent of gymnastics in Spain in the nineteenth and the twentieth century. His role as a teacher, a writer and even as a law developer who promoted gymnastics deserves a detailed study. For that reason, through primary sources of this era and, specially, papers from López Gómez himself, this paper depicts his long professional career, his conception of gymnastics and the constant efforts, not always properly rewarded, that he made for its social respect and acknowledgement during that time.     

管窥赫哲族传统体育文化的流失

社会的发展变迁对传统文化产生了极为重要的影响,赫哲族传统体育文化正面临严重的衰退和失传境况.本文以赫哲族的概况为基础,详细阐述了赫哲族在传统的渔猎生产方式过程中创造的体育活动的具体内容,分析了在社会变迁的过程中赫哲族传统体育文化流失的原因,并在此基础上得出结论,即在全球一体化的今天,为了保证文化的多样性,对民族传统文化的保护与传承问题应引起重视,这对世界性的非物质文化保护具有重要意义.