144 



THE POPULAR EDUCATOR. 



The leaping may be practised either from the standing posi- 

 tion, or with a previous run of a few paces. In performing' 

 the standing leap, let the preliminary movements be as 

 described in the first jumping exercise ; at the moment of 

 passing over, throw the head and the arms well forward, and be 

 careful to alight according to the instructions which have been 

 already given. 



A short run before the leap gives some impetus to the leaper 

 to attain a greater height. Practise a run of two or three paces 

 at first, and afterwards of six to eight paces, which is quite as 

 much as should be taken. Let the rise into the air take place, as 

 nearly as possible, at a distance from the poles equal to about 

 half the height of the rope from the ground. Practise the 

 upward spring, according to the directions given in our intro- 

 ductory remarks on "Jumping and Leaping," 

 from either the right or the left foot, or from 

 both, until you can leap equally well either 

 way. About four feet high is an average 

 leap ; fivo feet is very good ; and for a man 

 to leap his own height is considered the per- 

 fection of proficiency in athletic pastime. 



THE LONG LEAP. 



In practising this leap, go gradually, as 



LEAPING WITH THE POLE. 



The pole used for this purpose should be of stout but light 

 wood, from seven to ten feet long, and about an inch and a half 

 in thickness. It should be pointed at one end, and the point 

 j shod with iron, to secure a firmer hold of the ground. With an 

 implement thus fashioned, both long and high leaps may be 

 accomplished in a light and graceful manner, and without the 

 amount of physical exertion necessary without such an appli- 

 ance. But proficiency in the exercise requires a knack, which 

 can only be attained by practice. 



In the moderate leaps which are best suited to the practice of 

 the learner, the pole should be held in the manner represented in 

 the illustration (Fig. 11), the left hand being placed below, and 

 the right hand above. The position of the body in this cut 

 is that assumed at the moment before taking 

 the spring ; the pole having previously been 

 planted at a convenient distance in front 

 of the leaper. Now rock the right leg once 

 or twice, and, by a spring from the baD of 

 the left foot, impel the body forward beyond 

 the pole to the spot it is desired to reach. 

 In the performance of the leap the body 

 takes the position shown in Fig. 12. It is 

 necessary to the proper execution of the 



Fig. 11. 



'before, from distances which can bo accom- 

 plished with ease, to lengths which test all 

 your powers. The distances should be ir.di- 

 cated on the ground by chalk marks, or 

 otherwise. Spring, as before, from the balls 

 of the toes, and incline the body forward ; 

 but do hot jump too high, for this will 

 diminish the distance. At the same time a t'ii 



moderate height will be necessary in the 

 spring, or you will not be able to clear so much ground. In a 

 long leap without a run, eight or ten feet is very good. With a 

 run of about twelve paces, five or six feet more may be accom- 

 plished without much difficulty. 



The downward leap may be practised with advantage, but a 

 leap from a height of more than six feet should not be attempted 

 by the beginner. The proficient may accomplish ten or twelve 

 feet with safety. In this, as in all other leaps, remember the 

 elementary rule to alight on the balls of the feet, and to bend 

 the knees on alighting, to break the force of concussion with the 

 ground. 



Vaulting is another kind of leap, in which the hands are 

 momentarily rested on some firm object, over which the body 

 passes. Vaulting-horses, or blocks of wood roughly shaped like 

 the body of a horse, are sometimes employed for this purpose ; 

 or the same end may be served by a piece of stout timber 

 transversely placed on two supports fixed firmly in the 

 ground. This exercise is of use in enabling the gymnast to 

 clear any obstacle, such as a gate or stile, that he may meet 

 when walking in the country, with ease and quickness. 



Fig. 12. 



leap that the original starting-point, the 

 spot on which the pole is rested before leap- 

 ing, and the position which is attained by 

 the leap, should all be in a straight line with 

 each other. 



In performing longer leaps, when some 

 degree of familiarity with the use of the 

 M. pole is acquired, it is desirable to place the 



hands nearer to each other than is shown 

 in these engravings ; the precise height at which the pole 

 should be grasped depending on the leap to be performed, 

 and the amount of assistance required from the pole by the 

 leaper. 



High leaps with the pole should be practised with great care, 

 and only in successive gradations from a point that may bo 

 leaped by the beginner with ease. They should not be tried, 

 indeed, until the learner is familiar with the use of the pole in 

 the long leap, and has acquired confidence in his own power to 

 employ the implement with advantage. 



In the high leaps it is necessary that the pole should be held 

 with both hands higher than the rope or bar it is intended to 

 leap over ; and at the moment when the body is passing over 

 the rope, the hold upon the pole must be relinquished, and the 

 pole pushed backward by a slight movement of the uppermost 

 hand, so that it may not fall upon the leaper. A failure of 

 nerve or confidence in passing over the rope will do more than 

 anything else to prevent success in the movement. It is espe- 

 cially needful in these leaps to bend the knees on reaching the 

 ground, as before explained. 



