Thursday, January 14, 2010
Dr. Ed ThomasDr. Ed Thomas is the last of the Indian Club Swinging masters who is thankfully keeping this near-lost art alive. Years ago, Indian Clubs were a common site in gymnasiums, and schools but today are rarely found.
This is a shame, although the clubs do seem to be making a strong comeback, more because of necessity than anything else: a few minutes of club swinging per day is an efficient and effect way to build and maintain shoulder strength.
Labels: Club Swinging, Dr. Ed Thomas, Ed Thomas, Hardwood Indian Clubs, Indian Club Benefits, Indian Club Master
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Saturday, December 05, 2009
The Textbook of Club Swinging by Tom BurrowsWhereas Arthur Saxon wrote The Textbook of Weight-Lifting, Tom Burrows wrote the Textbook of Club Swinging. Both men were certainly qualified to do so.
Labels: Arthur Saxon, book, Club Swinging, Club Swinging Champion, Indian Club Book, Indian Club Swinging, Indian Clubs, The Textbook of Club Swinging, The Textbook of Weightlifting, Tom Burrows
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Gus Hill: King of ClubsI think this rare picture explains why Gus Hill was known as the "King of Clubs"... that 115-pound club is no joke. His performance must have been a thing to see. Also note his wiry, athletic physique which is a sign of serious club usage.
Labels: Club Swinging, Club Swinging Champion, Gus Hill, Heavy Clubs, Heavy Indian Club Swinging
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Saturday, September 05, 2009
Unusual Wooden Indian ClubsHere's another interesting example of some unusual custom wooden Indian Clubs which were created by an enhusiast. Clubs of different shapes and dimensions offer different training experiences. It is quite understandable for someone who enjoys clubs swinging to have several different pairs, and likely the case with these.
Labels: Club Swinging, Custom Indian Clubs, Hardwood Indian Clubs, Indian Clubs, Wooden Indian Clubs
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Indian Clubs in ChinaI knew that many other cultures regularly trained with Indian Clubs but was not aware that China was one of them, at least until now. Club swinging has always been popular with young students as it is a very good way to stay physically fit as well as build upper body strength before studies begin. A short morning training session will improve the educational process.
Labels: China, Club Swinging, Fitness, Indian Clubs, Physical Culture
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Professor Harrison"... We learn that Mr. Harrison first began to use the clubs three years ago, at which time his muscular development was not regarded as being very great, his measurements being: round the chest 37-1/2 inches, round the upper arm 13-7-8ths inches, and round the forearm 13-1/4 inches.Professor Harrison of London was a well-known gymnastics and physical culture teacher who was honored by Queen Victoria for his physical prowess. It was watching Professor Harrison expertly swing his heavy "war clubs" which inspired Sim Kehoe to bring club swinging back to America and promote it on a wide scale.
The clubs with which Mr. Harrison commenced weighed about seven pounds each; he has advanced progressively until he can now wield with perfect ease two clubs. each weighing 37 pounds, and his heaviest weighing 47 pounds.
The effects of this exercise on the wielder's measurements are as follows: round the chest 42-1/2 inches, the upper arm 15 inches, and the forearm 14 inches. At the same time, his shoulders have increased immensely, and the muscles of his mid-section which were weak when he first used the clubs, are now well-developed and powerful. In short, all the muscles of the trunk have been improved by this exercise."
Professor Harrison
Featured in The Illustrated London News
August 14th, 1852
Labels: Club Swinging, Heavy Indian Club Swinging, Heavy Indian Clubs, INdian Club Exercises, Indian Club Swinging, Indian Clubs, Professor Harrison, Sim D. Kehoe
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Cigarette CardsA hundred years ago, when you bought a pack of cigarettes, you also received a small trading card. These trading cards often featured athletes as well as -- ironically enough -- exercises and ways of staying healthy or getting in better shape. The above set dates to around 1920 and features a few Indian Club exercises.
Labels: Cigarette Card, Club Swinging, INdian Club Exercises, Wooden Indian Clubs
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Thursday, April 02, 2009
5 lb. Indian ClubsSometimes my training is as crazy as my hairstyle - yow! Anyhow, here's a look at some custom 5-pound Wooden indian clubs that I had commissioned. A lot of folks have been asking about heavier clubs. If we're going to do that, we're going to do it right. These clubs are nearly identical to those once manufactured by Sim Kehoe. As you can see, the manufacturer did a fine job with them.
Needless to say I was very pleased with how these clubs turned out. I am considering having several sets of these made up and featuring them on the website for ongoing sale although we will likely change the design a bit, maybe use a darker stain... It's hard to say exactly where we will go with this concept but look for it down the road a ways.
Swinging heavy clubs like these is a great way to build thicker wrists and stronger forearms but I strongly STRONGLY advise anyone who may be interested in taking up club swinging to master the light clubs first before you even think of touching these. -- Yes, this makes a big difference in your results.
Labels: 5 lb. Indian Clubs, Club Swinging, Custom Indian Clubs, Indian Club Swinging, Indian Clubs, John Wood, Physical Culture Equipment, Sim D. Kehoe, Wooden Indian Clubs
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Indian Club Swinging"Club swinging can be described as circular weight training but can exercise the shoulder, wrist and elbow in ways not possible with traditional linear weight training. Club swinging will not only strengthen muscles and ligaments, maintain joint flexibility and improve range of motion but will greatly reduce risk of injury.
You will also notice improved grace, rhythm and eye-hand coordination due to the concentration and neural demands necessary to perform the movements. The benefits of Indian Club Exercises are enormous and can greatly enhance the performance of any athlete." - Dr. Ed Thomas
Labels: Circular weight training, Club Swinging, Indian Club Benefits, Indian Club Swinging, Indian Club Workout, Indian Clubs, Shoulder Strength, Wooden Indian Clubs
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Sim D. KehoeSimon "Sim" D. Kehoe was a manufacturer of gymnastic equipment who was introduced to club swinging during his travels abroad. He observed clubs of various sized being swung by British soldiers who, in turn, had learned club swinging from their counterparts in India. ... police, soldiers, wrestlers and "anyone else whose caste renders them liable to emergencies where great strength of muscle is desirable."
Once Kehoe tried the clubs for himself he instantly understood their value. Upon his return to the U.S. in 1862, he set up shop to manufacture Indian clubs and introduce club swinging to the American public on a wider scale. His efforts certainly worked, swinging Indian clubs of various sizes became wildly popular in many circles. More on Sim Kehoe and his clubs at a later date...
Labels: Club Swinging, Indian Club Swinging, Indian Clubs, Sim D. Kehoe, Sim Kehoe, Wooden Indian Clubs
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Tom BurrowsOn March 20th, 1895, Australian club swinging champion Tom Burrows set out to break his own record of 24 hours on continuous club swinging. In order to do so, he set forth the following conditions:
1. The clubs were to be 2 pounds each and to be 24 inches long.
2. To Swing 50 complete circles each minute.
3. No rest or stop allowed during the 25 hours.
4. No aid of any sort allowed.
5. To swing no fewer than 70,000 complete circles for the record.
6. There would be two judges present at all times to watch the swinging.
Burrows commenced swinging his clubs at 9:18 pm on Wednesday evening. At 10:18 pm the next day he officially met his mark of 25 continuous hours of club swinging but he didn't stop there. At 11:33 pm he finally put down his clubs having established the mark of 26 hours and 15 minutes of continuous swinging. The above photograph is from that evening (I'm quite curious about the axes.)
Labels: Australian Strongman, Club Swinging, Endurance Feat, Indian Club Swinging, Indian Clubs, Tom Burrows
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Welcome to the Strongest Blog on the Net!
This is THE PLACE where you will find interesting bits of Iron Game history, lore and training tips from the strongest men of all time.
Previous Posts
Featured Products
Monthly Archives
Not yet a member? Subscribe now to receive daily doses of Strongman history, training tips, and site updates!
Copyright © 2010 Thunderdome Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved