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The Secret of Success in Feats of Skill 
287 
The exercises given 
herewith may be prac- 
ticed as much as is de- 
sired. I'hey cannot be 
overdone; they cannot 
fail in every case to in- 
crease health and vital 
force, \and in time to 
greatly augment one’s 
proficiency at all games 
of skill. 
Exe rcise No. i. — 
Stand easily, arms at 
the sides. Take full 
breath, at the same time 
swaying the body for- 
ward. Then, holding the 
breath, stretch head upward and back- 
ward and the arms downward and back- 
ward. (See Fig. 1.) Relax and return to 
position. 
No. 2. — Place arms akimbo, finger tips 
forward. Now bend head forward upon 
the chest, and let body follow, at the same 
time slowly inhaling breath. (See Fig. 2.) 
If this be done correctly, you will feel the 
waist expand under your hands. After a 
moment exhale without holding and re- 
turn to position. 
No. 3. — Stand easily, one foot slightly 
in advance of the other. Now swing the 
arms easily up at the sides, swaying the 
body forward until the arms are extended 
up over the head, at the same time inhaling 
full breath. (See Fig. 3.) Then, without 
holding the breath, swing the arms down- 
ward, exhale the breath and bend the body, 
quite collapsed, head and arms hanging. 
(See Fig. 4.) 
No. 4. — Stand easily, feet somewhat 
apart, weight upon left foot. Now swing 
the left arm easily back and forth, allowing 
it to sweep up higher and higher until it is 
passing forward and upward as high as 
shown in Fig. 5, backward as far as you 
can. Move body slightly in harmony. 
Afterward take weight upon right foot 
and swing right arm in the same way. 
No. 5. — Stand with arms hanging at the 
sides, all the muscles relaxed. Begin to 
swing the arms slowly back and forth. 
Fet the swing become wider and wider, 
throwing more and more of the body and 
legs into the 
movement, un- 
til the extreme 
forward move- , 
ment is like 
that depicted in 
Fig. 6. 
No. 6. — Stand with feet 
somewhat apart, arms hang- 
ing, all muscles related. 
Now begin to turn thf body 
gently from side to side as 
on a pivot, allowing the 
arms to swing as they will. 
(See Fig. 7.) 
In all these exercises, save 
the first, the one great ob- 
ject is to move as easily, as lightly and with 
as much swing as possible. The less muscu- 
lar force used the better. This method of 
handling the body may be afterward applied 
to the performance of feats of skill with 
surprising results. 
No. 7. — Tack up against the wall a 
sheet of white paper upon which has been 
made with black ink a small circle. Stand 
near the wall, holding a lead pencil lightly 
in the right hand. Now with a free mo- 
tion swing the arm up over the head, and 
as it sweeps downward try, without in any 
way interrupting the movement, to so 
direct it as to make a pencil mark through 
the circle. (See Fig. 8.) Try the same 
in other directions, diagonally downward 
from left to right and from right toward 
the left, also by making a horizontal sweep 
both from right to left and from left to 
right. The same may be tried upward, 
both directly and diagonally. 
In making this movement, the body 
should also participate in the swing; and 
all the muscles should be kept as loose and 
relaxed as possible. 
After, by the practice of these move- 
ments, the athlete has gained the power 
of moving easily, he is ready to apply 
this method of moving to the actual feat 
in which he is interested. Fie should go 
through the motions incidental to this 
feat repeatedly, working only for ease and 
freedom; and eventually he will find that 
in these simple motions lies the secret of 
success in feats of skill. 
