Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-13
THE QUEST OF BEAUTY
Symmetrical Development by
Classic Method.
BY HURf,ING A DISCUS
RADIANT COMPILATIONS AND
FLEXIBLE MUSCLES.
Shoulders Are Broadened and Arms
Nodded Into Foun and
Grace.
BY HURLING A DISCUS

| Copyright, 1908, by Z. Z. McCiure.)
Written for The Evening Star by Katherine Morton
Discus throwing is new and spirited
| diversion which society maidens are prac-
| ticing. 1t is the ancient Greek game re-
| vived for the sake of twentieth century
| muscle. grace and beauty of form.
The muscles of arm. shoulder. wrist and
bust are rendered symmetrical and attract
I've by this practice. The throwing of the
fiat disc entails far more than mere
swinging of the arm or twisting OF the
wrist. 1t means the use of the entire body.
and the putting of the whole weight and
strength of the body into the throw at the
precise moment that the discus leaves the
| hand.
1t needs in fact the same coordination
| of chest, arm, waist and back muscles that
| throwing the hammer does, but without re-
| quiring such great strength.
| Discus throwing may be an outdoor game,
played in golf or tennis dress, or 1t may
| be an indoor game, in Greek and Roman
draperleS-draperieS, however, which clear
| the floor, as the feet must be left free.
| There should be the least possible restraint
upon arms and bust
| 1t is an easy game to learn, and makes
no great demand upon the players
| strength Another merit is that the outfit
IS most Inexpensive, disc or fiat missile
| being the only thing needed.
1 AS a guide to any aspiring novice at the
game, the manner of throwing the discus
| may be explained. The devotee takes the
| disc in her right hand. with the right foot
| about six inches back of normal position,
| and the left foot advanced with the toe
| pointing outward.
| If the player regards all the rules of the
| game, she stands within a marked-out in
| closure, about six feet square. In classic
| times, this space was called 'balbis,
| and was nine feet square.
| After fmberng up the muscles of the
I~tt, hi &nt,t
| tent, the disc is lifted over the head. and
| grip taken on it. The grip is an i'm
| portant part of the performance, and
| should be studied with great care. The
| fingers must be kept well apart, only the
| first joints coming on the edge Of the
DISC and the thumb being placed fiat side
| ways against the side of the disc, about
| two inches from the edge.
| The Next Move.
| When good grip has been taken. Alta
| lanta makes a quick step forward and
brings her arm down partly behind her.
| palm downward holding the disc. She
| then takes a little hop and step forward
at the same time. The right half of the
| body is brought sharply to the front, the
| arm is rapidly swung forward in unison
| with the concentrated effort of the entire
| muscular system, and the disc is thrown
| vital part of the game is not to wab-
BILE the disc in the air. This can be
| avoided by always remembering to keep
| the palm of the hand downward. A
smooth, scaling motion given to the throw
| will send the missile a great distance, but
| this will only be mastered by practice.
The athlete who took part in the Olym-
| plan games, when-ready to launch the mis-
| sle. bent his body forward, the left hand
taking a point of support on the right
| thigh, while his right hand extended, hold
| ing the discus. was raised behind him
| to the level of the shoulder. Remaining
| a moment in this position, a semi-circle
was described in the air with the right
| hand, and collecting all his strength. he
| made his throw, at the same time leaping
forward to increase it's force.
The discus should be light and slender,
and made either of aluminium or of hollow
| steel and teakwood, that the muscular
| strain will be reduced to minimum.
The missile used at athletic contests by
| men is made of lgnum vitae; 1T Is per-
| feet circle, measuring eight inches In diam
| eter, convex in the center and shod with
| iron. 1t weighs four and one-half pounds.
| The one extreme-for there are variety
| of styles-is fiat, thin ring, similar to a
| lightweight QUOT, and the other is fiat
| plate of metal and teakwood twelve or fif-
teen pieces in diameter. There are many
| intermediate kinds of discus and all have
| their advantages and advocates.
Where Strength is Needed
| The heavy metal ones are easiest to hurl
| but they involve more strength than the
| others The fiat, light plates need very lit
| is not easy to hurl them any distance,
| owing to the air resistance which the plate
encounters as soon as it rises or falls out
| of the plane of projection.
With the heavy metal discus the wrist
| and fingers do not come much into use. for
the slightest pressure of the forefinger held
against a nick or a fiat edge will give it a
| sufficiently rotary motion to keep 1t on the
same plane from delivery to descent. In
| throwing, the player turns round to in
motion.
For women with weak wrists and for
| piano players light disc is preferable and,
| from a hygienic point of view a hollow
| steel or aluminium discus is the best
AS a developer of slender arms and mar
| row shoulders the exercise of hurting a
| missile is unmatched. The forearm in
| creases in a long, tapering curve upward
| eliminating in beautiful swell at the ell
| bow. Both the biceps and triceps are de-
| veloped so as to make a symmetrical con-
| tinuation of the forearm. and an angular
| shoulder is covered with a well-rounded
| and healthfuI muscular tissue. scrawny
| neck is improved. and the hollow between
| the neck and the colfar-bone Is filed I'D
Left-handed throwing is quite easy to
learn. and all players should practice it. so
| that both arms may be equally developed.
Will Be Popular.
| Taken as an exercise. discus throwing Is
bound to become popular, because it is fas-
cinating. Its revival is due probably to the
fact that an American won the discus
throwing competition at Athens when the
| Olympian games were revived. The Ameri-
| can defeated the Greek record holder, the
distance accomplished being something like
ninety-four feet.
An enthusiast In the throwing of the dis
Gus describes her experience as follows:
IT noticed at the beginning that the exer-
| else was a benefit not only to the muscles,
| but also to the lungs and waist The long
sweep of the arm caused the chest to ex-
pand to its utmost. and communicated
| sympathetic action to the intercostals
which are almost always neglected in the
physical training Of women.
Muscles Were Hardened.
"a month or two after this noticed that
while the diversion never tired me 1t was
gradually hardening the various muscles
employed without producing any unsightly
curves or knots. think can safely say
that half an hour day devoted to the use
of the disc will increase the strength of The
| arms so per cent in month and of the
body 10 per cent
1t is a charming sight to witness a num-
V f