Swimming Scientifically Taught Part 1

Swimming Scientifically Taught.

by Frank Eugen Dalton and Louis C. Dalton.

PART I

INTRODUCTION

THE IMPORTANCE OF SWIMMING

That all persons ought to know how to safeguard themselves when in deep water is becoming more and more recognized as time pa.s.ses. While swimming is probably the oldest pastime known to man, and has had, and still has, its votaries in every country, civilized or uncivilized, it is curious that this most useful science should have been so much neglected.

For an adult person to be unable to swim points to something like criminal negligence; every man, woman and child should learn. A person who can not swim may not only become a danger to himself, but to some one, and perhaps to several, of his fellow beings. Children as early as the age of four may acquire the art; none are too young, none too old.

Doctors recommend swimming as the best all-around exercise. It is especially beneficial to nervous people. Swimming reduces corpulency, improves the figure, expands the lungs, improves the circulation of the blood, builds up general health, increases vitality, gives self-confidence in case of danger, and exercises all the muscles in the body at one time. As an aid to development of the muscular system, it excels other sports. Every muscle is brought into play.

In other important ways it is a useful, and even a necessary accomplishment; no one knows when he may be called upon for a practical test of its merits. The _Sloc.u.m_ steamboat catastrophe in the East River, New York, several years ago, gave a melancholy example of what better knowledge of swimming might have done to save the lives of pa.s.sengers. That awful tragedy, which plunged an entire city into mourning, was too appalling to have its details revived here, but, regardless of the fact that the life-preservers on board were found unfit for use, the loss of life would have been made much smaller had the unfortunate pa.s.sengers known how to keep their heads above water until help arrived. Millions of people are transported yearly by river craft, and just for lack of knowledge of how to swim a repet.i.tion of the _Sloc.u.m_ disaster might occur any summer.

Only about 20 per cent. of the entire population of the United States know how to swim. A visit to any of the beaches along the Atlantic coast will convince any one of this fact. There is no excuse for this ignorance, especially in a city like New York, with miles of water front and fine beaches at its very door; nor is there excuse in other places where an ocean, lakes and rivers afford opportunities for swimming.

Swimming is a tonic alike for muscle and brain. The smallest child and the weakest woman can enjoy it equally with the strongest man. When slaves of the desk and counting-house are looking forward for an all too brief vacation and seek the mountains or seash.o.r.e to store up energy for another year's work, they should know how to swim. Poor, indeed, is the region which can not boast of a piece of water in which to take an invigorating plunge.

The importance of being able to swim was very generally recognized in ancient times, notably by the Romans. Roman youth, as early as the Republican era, when trained to bear arms, were made to include in their exercises bathing and swimming in the Tiber, where compet.i.tions were frequent. Ca.s.sius in his youth became renowned as a swimmer.

Shakespeare, in a familiar pa.s.sage, describes a race between him and Julius Caesar, Ca.s.sius being made the speaker:

"I was born free as Caesar; so were you: We both have fed as well, and we can both Endure the winter's cold as well as he.

For once, upon a raw and gusty day, The troubled Tiber chafing with her sh.o.r.es, Caesar said to me, 'Dar'st thou, Ca.s.sius, now, Leap in with me into this angry flood And swim to yonder point?' Upon the word, Accoutred as I was, I plunged in, And bade him follow; so, indeed he did.

The torrent roared; and we did buffet it With l.u.s.ty sinews; throwing it aside And stemming it with hearts of controversy; But ere we could arrive the point propos'd, Caesar cried, 'Help me, Ca.s.sius, or I sink.'

I, as aeneas, our great ancestor, Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder The old Anchises bear, so, from the waves of Tiber Did I the tired Caesar: And this man Is now become a G.o.d."

Macaulay, in one of his "Lays of Ancient Rome," describes the scene which followed after Horatius had been left alone to face the troops of Lars Porsena, his codefenders having escaped across the bridge:

"Never, I ween, did swimmer, In such an evil case, Struggle through such a raging flood Safe to the landing place, But his limbs were borne up bravely, By the brave heart within, And our good father Tiber Bore bravely up his chin."

It was not until the nineteenth century that swimming really became a science. In fact, it was only within the last half-century that a real awakening to its importance occurred. At the present day swimming has come to be regarded as an indispensable adjunct to the education of the young. In many parts of Europe it forms part of the school curriculum.

Of such paramount importance is it there held to be that, on entering the army, the first thing taught a young recruit is swimming. On this side of the Atlantic its importance is becoming more evident daily.

That the benefits to be derived from it have manifested themselves to munic.i.p.alities is evidenced by the fact that, in addition to free swimming baths on the water front of New York in summer, there have been established several indoor bathing pavilions which are open and accessible all the year round.

Swimming, aside from its importance as a possible means to self-preservation in case of s.h.i.+pwreck, the upsetting of pleasure-boats, or any of the numerous accidents that so frequently happen on the water, and also, on occasion, as a means of saving life, is not only one of the best physical exercises known, but when one swims for exercise he is also conscious of receiving great pleasure. Most other forms of exercise, after they have been partic.i.p.ated in for some time, are apt to become something like efforts, or even hards.h.i.+ps. Swimming, on the other hand, continues to be exhilarating.

Unfortunately, those who have been best able to teach the science of swimming, because of having technical knowledge and proficiency, have not made systematic attempts to disseminate knowledge through scientific methods. In this respect the author claims to differ with most other instructors. He has endeavored, in this work, to treat the subject scientifically and to use simple and concise language. His success as a teacher is attested by thousands of pupils who have acquired the principles of a system long known as the Dalton system.

LEARNING BY THE BOOK

The question is often asked whether it is possible for a person to learn to swim by studying a book or a series of articles. Much depends on the person. In the case of a very nervous person, it is improbable that this may be satisfactorily accomplished, for it is then absolutely necessary that a pupil must have an instructor, in order, at the start, to obviate dread of the water.

Where this dread of water or nervousness does not exist in any marked degree, study of a work such as this may be of unlimited advantage. By carefully following its instructions it will be possible to become a very fair swimmer without the aid of an instructor or any second person.

Naturally, it is not claimed that a majority of such self-taught swimmers will ever become experts at the art, altho even this is possible in a great many cases; but there is a moral certainty that, with the exception of the aforementioned nervous beginners, a fair knowledge of the science of swimming may be attained in this manner.

Numbers of very good swimmers have had no other tuition than which came from study of a book. Especially is this true when following the directions outlined in this book in the matter, first, of practising keeping the eyes and mouth open under water, which will eliminate all nervousness; and, second, in practising the movements used in the breast and back strokes, which are of inestimable aid when actually taking to the water.

Of course, where the swimmer desires to attain true scientific knowledge of the art, the beginner needs the aid of an instructor who may watch for and correct any faults noticeable, for the simple reason that bad habits once contracted are more difficult to eliminate later on.

If the lessons herein set forth are carefully followed, there is no reason why, with the exceptions before mentioned, one should not become a good swimmer.

PART II

VARIOUS KINDS OF STROKES

THE BACK STROKE

It may seem odd to the beginner (and to a great many proficient swimmers, for that matter) that in teaching swimming by the Dalton system, I always begin by having pupils swim first on the back. Most instructors do just the reverse; but during nineteen years of a successful career in teaching, the proficiency of the graduated pupil has justified the method. There are a number of very good reasons why learners should begin by first swimming on the back. More especially is this true of nervous or timid pupils.

In the first place, the body floats more naturally and much easier on the back. In the breast stroke, which is the first one taught by most instructors, the head has to be kept out of the water and must be supported as dead weight by the rest of the body, as explained later on.

On the contrary, in the back stroke, or swimming on the back, the head rests on the water and needs no support from any other member of the body.

For the same reason the face, being up and away from the water, the beginner encounters no difficulty in breathing, and there is no danger of the water entering the mouth, which is often the cause of much annoyance to new pupils.

Then, again, while on the back, as the face is turned upward, the beginner, especially in the case of a nervous person, gains confidence from the very fact that he is not constantly looking into the water. And also, in contradistinction to all other strokes in swimming, the arms and legs move together--both arms and legs performing practically the same movements at the same time.

Thus the pupil, realizing the comparative easiness and the absence of any difficulty in, having mastered this stroke, is imbued with such confidence that it becomes simply a matter of time and practise to acquire all other forms of swimming that he may wish to learn.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 1]

The first thing I do with a beginner, after he or she has donned a bathing suit (a suit in one piece is preferable, as it will not interfere with breathing) is to get the pupil to lie on the back, at full length on the marble, with the heels together, the toes out, the hands at the side of the body. Placing myself back of the pupil's head, the hands are drawn, with the fingers bent, up along the body till they touch the shoulders (Fig. 1), the elbows being well turned out. Then the arms are straightened out horizontally from the shoulder, the palms of the hand down (Fig. 2). Then the arms, being rigid, are brought down sharply to the side of the body (Fig. 3). These movements should be repeated several times until the pupil gets accustomed to them.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 2]

Next the leg movements are shown. The heels are drawn up toward the body as far as possible with the knees well turned out (Fig. 4); the pupil then kicks the legs apart as far as possible, the toes being pointed out straight (Fig. 5). Next the pupil brings the legs sharply together until the heels touch, the toes being turned out (Fig. 6). After these movements have been repeated several times the pupil can try the arm and leg movements together. The arms and legs are drawn up together as in Figs. 1 and 4, then the pupil straightens out the arms and legs, as in Figs. 2 and 5, finis.h.i.+ng the stroke by bringing the arms and legs sharply together, as in Figs. 3 and 6.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 3]

When these movements have been mastered by the pupil, I take him or her into the water, waist deep, putting one hand under the back, the other under the chin, forcing the pupil backward until the ears are under the water, then bringing the pupil's hands to the sides, and slowly starting the movements. After the arm movements are mastered, I take up the leg movements, care being taken that the knees do not come out of the water.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 4]

To teach pupils how to regain their feet, I show them how to bend forward from the waist until the face is under water, then the pupil will find his or her feet slowly sinking; when the toes touch the bottom the head can be raised out of the water.

To accustom pupils to the water I teach them to open the eyes and mouth under water. This is much simpler than non-swimmers imagine. Care is taken not to open the eyes too wide. At the first few attempts the pupil will feel amazed, on opening the eyes the first time, at the distance of the vision under water. This is a very good thing to know, and helps beginners to overcome fear of water.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 5]