Telegram-herald., 1891-03-03
TRICKS or AcRoBATs
As Oad-Tiass fanbleF Tells How 90 Turn
a Senssrss0lt.

~eAaEfaaAAts
'sWhat usau or boy ever Went 70 cir
Gus or variety show. - here troOpe If
sesobsts were oa the bills. without hay-
ing a vague sort Of hauAeriug 10 be able
- throH q pretty solnereaut or q series
81 nst aips'2 II bis blood ever does
now rough ais veins II times faster
than IA others. Il Is when he sees d neet
'hrotser aet wound up with the roll
over accompanied by the familiar lii
va. Hi-yar ii the performers, and the
band playing IS If crazy"
These remarks were delivered by
abort. stout little man, a. he sal al a
table IN the bar II one Of the quieter Of
the urtowu hotels, Not ten years ago his
uame appeared Oh three-sheet posters
in letters foot high. says the New
York Sun
Hard l. learn? Why, bless yon. 10
Al the talk about having - be double
joiuted and without a backbone is bosh
II the worst kind. \ man certainly
wants the stiffest kind of a back, and
goou strong pairof legs. or he viii never
be q tumbler or leaper.
mind you, | don't allude 10 this con
tortion business; that's different When
! say the stiffcst kind of a back | don't
mean one that can't be bent 10 a reason
able extent, but one set up with good
strong muscles muscles which. when
called upon for little extra effort, will
respond with some vim. We have often
heard that it requires constant practice
for years, dating almost from the cradle.
10 become a finished acrobat. Why,
never did flip in my life until | was
eighteen years old and II there was
nybody in the ring who could throw a
higher somersault, or get over more ele-
plants than could when | was twenty.
| never ran acrcss him.
'How did learn it all? Easy enough.
All YOU need is set Of 'lunges' and a
mattress.
May be you don't know what lunges'
are. Simplest arrangement You ever
saw. just broad leather belt, with a
ring at each side, from which two light
MANILA cords run up through n coupleof
pulley-blocks screwed into the ceiling.
The ends of the cords are held by some
body who knows what he is about
and that's all. With this rigging you
can learn all there is To know about
tumbling, from a pain handspring to
the three-high somersault down to the
bottom mans shoulders, and not risk
your neck nearly as much as you do 60
ing down a tobOggan-slide. Give me n
man who is ordinarily active, who has n
little pluck and perseverance. and viii
teach him to jump up and turn over be-
fore he is two days older.
''You see, a man is heavier from his
waist down than he is up above. When
he gets into the 'lunges, no matter how
awkward his attempt is, he is bound to
flop around right side up, providing the
man who holds the ropes don't ease up
on them too much. Why, it's as simple
and safe as eating your dinner!
"The ability To throw n somersault.
forward or backward is the foundation
on which all tumbling acts are built.
and this is how to do il: Stand squarely
on your feet. Don't keep them too close
together. and be sure you have a good
balance Then rock forward a little
until your weight rests on the balls of
Your feet, then give sharp spring up
I ward, at the same time lifting with the
arms and shoulders. Practice this lift
few times until you get the idea You
/ will find it will add a foot to the height
/ of your jump. Now you are ready TO
turn over The next time you Jump up
/ throw your hands high over your head
! and give your head quick jerk back
( ward at the same time. II the instant
/ you feel your feet leave the ground, by
| drawing them up under you you will
/ find that they will swing around so as
/ 10 meet your hands. if you want 10
/ reach for them. Just catch hold of your
knees and give little pull and You are
over.
That's the back The forward IS
on the same principle. only the head
and arms arc thrown forward after the
lift The only hard part of it is 10
make a neat landing and not. after ac-
eomplishing the somersault, strike on
your feet, and. pitching forward, fall all
over yourself A little practice will en-
able you TO know just when to expec.
10 land. and then you can begin TO put
some style into your work. You are
now in fair way to become a gymnast.
All the rest is easy when you once ge,
I command of yourself"