History of Physical Education (Primitive Society to Modern Society)

Physical Education
            The instrument in the exercise, care and hygiene of the human body, especially in course of gymnastics.



“Primitive Society”

            Primitive man moves according to their satisfaction, needs and necessity. They just live by means of hunting such wild animals in the forest, or by fishing along the rivers, streams and sometimes they engage in welfare murder to insure their protection from adverse elements or a hostile environments.
            Physical activities were not organized by them. Because their motives about this are for searching foods and protects their selves from their enemies, their gregarious nature was innate and drives only by mating and propagation that gives them desire to dance and play which not being organized.
            In the Ancient Oriental Countries, china concerned only by their intellectual excellence they neglecting physical activities however some are believes about the importance of this to the body and has a spirit. And this was only a riches and favored class this was music, dancing and archery. Like in split feather dance, whole feather dance, battle dance and the humanity dance which popular by them.
            Medical Gymnastics has developed as early as 2698 BC, people had felt illness because of their sedentary life which them to realize the importance of physical activities. The “Kung Fu” as an earliest exercise in the history that they contributed like in Ancient China, “Yoga” has been contributed also by Indian people that composed of exercises the posture and regulates breaths. This exercise has been accepted by people as the important activity to discipline minds and body.

            There as some Greece Philosopher, teachers and medical men who and contributes worth of Physical Education.
According to:
            Herodotus – recognized the use of physical education as an aid to medicine as early as the fifth century.
            Galen – stated that physical education is a part of hygiene and subordinate to medicine.
            Socrates – gave emphasis on the important of physical education attaining health in order to achieve one’s purpose in life grave mistakes caused by poor decisions can be a result of poor health.
            Plato – considered gymnastics and music as the two most important subjects in the curriculum.
            Xenophon – thought of physical education as important in terms of the military and essential to success in life soundness of the mind and body.


“The Physical Education during the Dark Ages”

            This period is the Physical activities are only characterized by the strong healthy and physically morally deteriorated as their way of life. This was the asceticism and scholasticism. Worldly pleasures are not recognized by them because they prepare their lives in the next world. So their body has not physically fit because they focus of what they believe. The scholasticism believes the key to successful life as the development of the mental or intellectual powers. This beliefs has presented a challenge to physical activities are not allowed to be one of the subject in curriculum.

“The Physical Education during the Age of Feudalism”

            The period of Feudalism come into the being often the death of powerful ruler Charlemagne in 1814, it was a system of land tenure that based upon the allegiance and service of the nobleman or lord which owned everything. The kinds of Physical Education were like a social and military in nature. That strengthens and hardens the body to be rigorous of whatever tasks.
Physical activities are played as a major part in the training of knighthood and for self preservation only.

“Physical Education during the Renaissance”

            The Physical Education has an impact to their bodies and soul that inspirable and endorsable. A good physical health promoted learning and rest and recreation that needed by the body. This believes was necessary for health to develop the body as a preparation for welfare and recognition for the important contribution of physical education to the social and moral life.

            In history of Physical Education Modern European countries reflected in the contribution of growth and advancement to which associated the Physical Education.
The Contributors:
Johann Bernhard Basedow (1723-1790)
      - established a school called Phelanthropinum the first school in modern Europe that offered a program where physical education was a past of the curriculum.

Johann Christoph Friedrich Guts Muths (1759-1839)
      - wrote two books Gymnastics for the young and games which contained illustrations of various exercises and apparatus, arguments in favor of physical education institutions.

Gustaf Nybleus (1816-1902)
      - specialized in military gymnastics.
      - His innovation was the inclusion of women in the school.

Neil Bukh
      - introduced Primitive Gymnastics
      - attempted to build the perfect physique through a series of exercises that were performed with out cessation of movement.

Some contributors in the development as physical education as early as 20th century.

Thomas Dennison Wood – who were introduced natural gymnastics which gave more emphasis on game and game skills.
Clark Helturington – emphasized on children’s play activities.
Jessie Bancroft – influenced the development of physical education as a responsibility of homeroom teachers in the elementary schools.
Jacob Reis – Symbolic of the play ground movement in New York.

                  Their contribution was become broad and extensive programs that established in school recreational organizations and the agencies as a higher standards that had been produced.

“Physical Education in the Philippines”

            Just like in the primitive society, the activities in physical education were very important for survival because this was not affected of what every activities they have. Except for those enforce labor in a lower class which generally had a sedentary likes. While in American period it’s an interesting worthwhile for them.
There are some states that marked and significant event to the people:

1901 – Physical exercise was one of the subjects introduced in the public schools and regular program of athletics was developed.
1905 – Baseball and track and field were introduced and taught to the young boys in school.
1909 – The athletic program for the school was inaugurated and much emphasis was given to the playing of western sports and the coaching of tennis.
1910 – Basketball was first introduced as a game for girls in the Carnival Meet held in Manila, but was later discontinued in 1914 because it was found very strenuous for the girls.
1928 – A summer for coaching was held with the aim of helping the public school teachers in charge of athletics to improve their coaching methods.

Year Present
      Nov.15,1935, the Philippine Commonwealth that interrupted the Japanese occupation during the World War II. In 1937 Physical Education was made curricular subject in the secondary schools. The summer schools for Physical Education was been opened by the Bureau of Education under the direction of Serufin Aquino.
      The Physical Education was no able to have a chance to emphasis and it was sadly neglected by some Philippine School, after granting Americans independence. But because of the performance of the Filipino athletics this was being launched by the Secretary Education Honorable Carlos P. Romulo. He order No.15 series 1967 entitled “Physical Education and Sports Development Program” this was considerly shots to the arms which made gladness to the hearts of the Physical Educators of the country.
Today it revised to all of those schools in the country as one of the subject in academic and to development and evaluation of programs for promoting and improving organized sports in physical fitness for all numbers of the community.