Gymnastics all started in 1896, in Athens Greece. The Greeks thought of gymnastics as an intellectual tools that used not only the body but the mind as well. The components in gymnastics were known as rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline, and acrobatic gymnastics. Rhythmic gymnastics is involving some sort of hoop, rope, ball, or ribbon. Today, those aspects are still active in gymnastics, rings are still used but now they are made out of laminated wood. Trampoline gymnastics is the performance of acrobatics on a trampoline. Trampoline is still apart of gymnastics today. Acrobatics is the motion of elegant dance like moves and tumbling in gymnastics. Acrobatic is also something that still is included in modern day gymnastics. During the start of gymnastics, men and women used different bars. Men used horizontal and parallel bars, while women used uneven bars. Now men and women are using the same bars for gymnastics.
Also, the pommel horse, that is used in vault, used to be just a wooden box and is now more advanced. Todays pommel horse is held up by a metal base covered with a soft service, safe for landing. Along with the balance beam, which was not invented till years later, was simply just a long block of wood. The evolution of all the equipment in gymnastics is huge, with advanced equipment, safety is not as much of an issue. The first man to come up with the idea of of gymnastics was Friedrich Ludwig Jahn. Friedrich came up with the idea of gymnastics to help improve the strength and balance of men for war. The first year gymnastics was officially entered into the Olympics was 1896. In 1896 it was only a man's sport and not till 1936 did they enter women in the Olympics.
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