2nd. Commencing from the same position, the ends of both clubs are swung upward until they are held, vertically and side by side, at arm’s length in front of the body, the hands being as high as the shoulders (Plate II. fig. 4); they are next carried in the same position, at arm’s length, and on the same level, as far backward as possible (Plate II. fig. 5); each is then dropped backward until it hangs vertically downward (Plate II. fig. 6); and this exercise ends as the first. Previous, however, to dropping the clubs backward, it greatly improves this exercise, by a turn of the wrist upward and backward, to carry the clubs into a horizontal position behind the shoulders, so that, if long enough, their ends would touch (Plate III. fig. 1); next, by a turn of the wrist outward and downward, to carry them horizontally outward (Plate III. fig. 2); then by a turn of the wrist upward and forward, to carry them into a horizontal position before the breast (Plate III. fig. 3); again to carry them horizontally outward; and finally to drop them backward as already explained; and thence to the first position. All this is also done slowly.
3rd. The clubs are to be swung by the sides, first separately, and then together, exactly as the hands were in the last extension motion.
1st. A club is held forward and upright in each hand, the fore-arm being placed horizontally, by the haunch on each side (Plate IV. fig. 1); both are thrown in a circle upward, forward, and, by a turn of the wrist, downward and backward, so as to strike under the arms (Plate IV. fig. 2); by an opposite movement, both are thrown back again in a similar circle, till they swing over the shoulders (Plate IV. fig. 3); and this movement is continued as long as agreeable.
2nd. The clubs are held obliquely upward in each hand, lying on the front of the arms (Plate IV. fig. 4); that in the right hand is allowed to fall backward (Plate IV. fig. 5), and swings downward, forward to the extent of the arm, and as high as the head (Plate IV. fig. 6); the moment this club begins to return from this point, in precisely the same direction, to the front of the arm, that in the left hand is allowed to drop backward, and to perform the advancing portion of this course in the time that the other performs the returning portion, so that each is at the same time swinging in an opposite direction.
3rd. From either of the first positions now given, the clubs are, by a turn of the body and extension of the arms, thrown upwards and laterally (Plate V. fig. 1);—make, at the extent of the arms, and in front of the figure, a circle in which they sweep downward by the feet and upward over the head (Plate V. fig. 2), and fall in a more limited curve towards the side on which they began (Plate V. fig. 3), in such a manner that the outer one forming a circle around the shoulder and the inner one round the head, (both passing swiftly through the position in the last figure of the first exercise,) they return to the first position;—this is repeated to the other side;—and so on alternately.
4th. Beginning from either first position, the body being turned laterally,—for example, to the left, the club in the right hand is thrown upward in that direction at the full extent of the arm (Plate VI. fig. 1), and makes the large circle in front and curve behind as in the last exercise (Plate VI. fig. 2), while the club in the left hand makes at the same time a smaller circle in front of the head and behind the shoulders (Plate VI. figs. 1, 2, and 3), until crossing each other before the head (rather on the right side), their movements are exactly reversed, the club in the right hand performing the small circle round the head, while that in the left performs the large one,—and these continue to be repeated to each side alternately.
5th. The clubs being in either first position, the body is turned to one side—the left for example, and the clubs being thrown out in the same direction, make each, by a turn of the wrist, a circle three times on the outer side of the outstretched arms (Plate VII. fig. 1):—when completing the third circle, the clubs are thrown higher to the same side, sweeping together in the large circle in front, as in the second exercise, the body similarly turning to the right; but, instead of forming the smaller curve behind, both are thrown over the back (Plate VII. fig. 2);—from this position the clubs are thrown in front, which is now toward the opposite side, and the same movements are reversed;—and so it proceeds alternately to each side.
6th. In this exercise, the clubs are reversed, both being pendent in front, but the ends of their handles being upward on the thumb sides of the hands. (Pl VII. fig. 3.) The exercise consists chiefly in describing with the ends of the clubs two circles placed obliquely to each other over the head. For this purpose, the club in the right hand is, in a sweep to that side, first elevated behind the head, and thence passing to the left (Plate VII. fig. 4), the front, the right (Plate VII. fig. 5) behind, (where its continuation is indicated in fig. 5, and completed in fig. 6), thus forms its circle;— meanwhile the club in the left hand, commencing when that in the right was behind the head, has passed on the back of its circle to the right, (Plate VII. fig. 5,) while that in the right hand has passed on the front of its circle to the same side (Plate VII. fig. 5, the parts performed in both being marked by complete lines, and the parts to be done merely indicated);—and they continue, that in the right hand by the back, and that in the left hand by the front, toward the left side (Plate VII. fig. 6), and so on at pleasure, circling over the head.
[Although but two-thirds of the body, viz., from the loins upward, are called into operation in this exercise, its importance must be estimated by the fact that they are precisely those requiring constant artificial practice, being naturally most exempted from exertion. As an adjunct to Training, there is nothing in the whole round of gymnastic performances that will be found of more essential service than this exercise with the Indian clubs. It demands but little muscular exertion, and such as it does require calls chiefly upon that portion of the system which it finds in a state of comparative repose.]