Manual of Military Training Part 58

3-4. Bend trunk forward and swing piece to extended low horizontal, Fig. 39;

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 39]

5-6. Resume first position;

7-8. Resume starting position.

Repeat left, right, left.

=859.= _Fourth Exercise_

1-2. Raise piece to high extended horizontal and hop to side straddle position, Fig. 40;

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 40]

3-4. Bend trunk forward and swing piece to extended low horizontal, left hand between legs, right hand forward, Fig. 41;

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 41]

5-6. Resume first position;

7-8. Resume starting position.

Repeat left, right, left.

GYMNASTIC CONTESTS

=860.= These exercises are those in which the benefits are lost sight of in the pleasure their attainment provides, which in the case of these contests is the vanquis.h.i.+ng of an opponent. The men are pitted against each other in pairs; age, height, weight, and general physical apt.i.tude being the determining factors in the selection.

In the contests in which superiority is dependent upon skill and agility no restrictions need be placed upon the efforts of the contestants; but in those that are a test of strength and endurance it is well to call a contest a "draw," when the men are equally matched and the contest is likely to be drawn out to the point of exhaustion of one or both contestants.

It is recommended that these contests be indulged in once or twice a month and then at the conclusion of the regular drill.

Contests that require skill and agility should alternate with those that depend upon force and endurance. In order to facilitate the instruction a number of pairs should be engaged at the same time.

1. Cane wrestling: The cane to be about an inch in diameter and a yard long, ends rounded. It is grasped with the right hand at the end, knuckles down, and with the left hand, knuckles up, inside of and close to the opponent's right hand. Endeavor is then made to wrest the cane from the opponent. Loss of grip with either hand loses the bout.

2. Cane twisting. Same cane as in 1. Contestants grasp it as in 1, only the knuckles of both hands are up, and the arms are extended overhead. Object: The contestants endeavor to make the cane revolve in their opponent's hand without allowing it to do so in their own. The cane must be forced down.

3. Cane pulling: Contestants sit on the ground, facing each other, legs straight and the soles of the feet in contact. The cane is grasped as in 2 but close to the feet. Object: To pull the opponent to his feet. The legs throughout the contest must be kept rigid.

4. "Bucked" contest: Contestants sit on the ground "bucked"; i. e., the cane is pa.s.sed under the knees, which are drawn up, and the arms pa.s.sed under the cane with the fingers laced in front of the ankles.

Object: To get the toes under those of the opponent and roll him over.

5. Single pole pus.h.i.+ng: Contestants grasp end of pole, 6 feet long and 2 inches thick, and brace themselves. Object: To push the opponent out of position.

6. Double pole pus.h.i.+ng: The poles are placed under the arms close to the arm pits, ends projecting. Object: Same as in 5.

7. Double pole pulling: Position as in 6 but standing back to back.

Object: To pull the opponent out of position.

8. "c.o.c.k fight": Contestants hop on one leg with the arms folded closely over the chest. Object: by b.u.t.ting with the fleshy part of the shoulder without raising the arms, or by dodging to make the opponent change his feet or touch the floor with his hand or other part of his body.

9. One-legged tug of war: Contestants hop on one leg and grasp hands firmly. Object: To pull the opponent forward or make him place the raised foot on the floor.

10. The "siege": One contestant stands with one foot in a circle 14 inches in diameter, the other foot outside, and the arms folded as in 8. Two other contestants, each hopping on one leg, endeavor to dislodge the one in the circle by b.u.t.ting him with the shoulder. The besieged one is defeated in case he raises the foot in the circle, or removes it entirely from the circle. The besiegers are defeated in case they change feet or touch the floor as in 8. As soon as either of the latter is defeated his place is immediately filled, so that there are always two of them. The besieged should resort to volting, ducking, etc., rather than to depend upon his strength.

11. One-armed tug: Contestants stand facing each other; right hands grasped, feet apart. Object: Without moving feet, to pull the opponent forward. s.h.i.+fting the feet loses the bout.

12. "Tug royal": Three contestants stand facing inward and grasp each other's wrists securely with their feet outside a circle about three feet in diameter. Object: by pulling or pus.h.i.+ng to make one of the contestants step inside of the circle.

13. Indian wrestling: Contestants lie upon the ground face up, right shoulders in close contact, right elbows locked; at one the right leg is raised overhead and lowered, this is repeated at two, and at three the leg is raised quickly and locked with the opponent's right leg.

Object: to roll him over by forcing his leg down.

14. Medicine ball race. Teams of five or six men are organized and a track for each team is marked out. This track consists of marks on the floor or ground at distances of 4 yards. On each of these marks stands a man with legs apart, the team forming a column of files. At "ready,"

"get set," the contestants prepare for the race, and at "go," the first man in the column rolls a medicine ball, which he has on the floor in front of him, through his legs to No. 2, he in turn rolls it to 3, etc., when it reaches the last man he picks it up and runs to the starting place with it and, the others all having s.h.i.+fted back one mark, the rolling is repeated. This continues until the first man brings the ball back to the starting place and every man is in his original position. The ball should be kept rolling: each man, as it comes to him, pus.h.i.+ng it on quickly. Any ball about 9 inches in diameter will answer; it may be made of strong cloth and stuffed with cotton waste.

CHAPTER IV

SIGNALING

Signals and Codes

_General Service Code. (International Morse Code.)_

=861.= Used for all visual and sound signaling, radiotelegraphy, and on cables using siphon recorders, used in communicating with Navy.

A - B - C - - D - E F - G - - H I J - - - K - - L - M - - N - O - - - P - - Q - - - R - S T - U - V - W - - X - - Y - - - Z - -

NUMERALS

1 - - - - 2 - - - 3 - - 4 - 5 6 - 7 - - 8 - - - 9 - - - - 0 - - - - -

PUNCTUATION

Period Comma - - - Interrogation - -

THE MORE IMPORTANT CONVENTIONAL FLAG SIGNALS

For communication between the firing line and the reserve or commander in rear. In transmission, their concealment from the enemy's view should be insured. In the absence of signal flags the headdress or other subst.i.tute may be used.

(See par. 96 for the signals.)