Isometrics and 'Les Miserables'

[John Peterson]

Hey Friends,

I received an e-mail from a man claiming to be a history professor that was taking me to task because I made reference to Victor Hugo's Classic work "Les Miserable" in IPR. Specifically, quoting Hugo's reference to Jean Valjean and other Convicts that had achieved super human strength through practicing "A Mysterious System of Statics", which is the term Hugo uses in describing Isometrics.

This man was upset with me because as he put it, "Jean ValJean is a fictional character in a novel."

Okay, let me address that issue. First off, if you read about Victor Hugo's life you will see that it took 17 years for him to complete "Les Miserable" which was first published in 1862. He also stated that Jean Valjean was based on a very real man that he had known. My reference to Isometric contraction within the pages of "Les Miserable" was not deceiving in any way, shape, or form. Hugo actually stated that many of the prisoners practiced this form of strength building. Now some of you may wonder why convicts being worked to death at hard manual labor would practice Isometrics. The answer is very obvious to me. These men were using Isometric contraction to build Nerve Force and strength in order to withstand the rigors of their daily life. In other words Isometrics were used to compensate for what would other wise be over work and debilitating strain..

---John Peterson

[Greg Newton]

In other words Isometrics were used to compensate for what would other wise be over work and debilitating strain..

I want to say, "Duh, that is a no brainer," but in a blind sided academic fashion, that man has shown a danger of academia and that is to get so immersed into one's doctrines and disciplines that they can't see the forest for the trees.

I'll never forget reading in a sociology textbook that the reason that Galen knew the places the human body could be pierced without causing mortal wounds was "instinctive knowledge." It never occured to the PHD who wrote this text that Galen was a doctor in a gladiatorial school, so by experience he would have seen first hand the effects of various wounds on the body.

[gruntbrain]

Even if the Prof were correct, it would not in any way dissuade me from my extensive use of ISOs. I'm no history buff so all such discussions/debates about others trained have very minimal impact on my training approach

[ben alexander]

You can learn all you want, but common sense is something you either have or you don't.

It's amazing how many "professors" seem to miss the point and take things far too literally.

Ben

[MikeNY]

In my heart I know your right John, it is just logical.

A friend of mine questioned if the ancient Greeks in Pankration really used muscle tension exercises. A point was well taken, in Pankration they use in modern times Staa-mah-ta slow motion shadow boxing using muscualr tension martial art moves; does not mean that the ancients used it. His point was since the Greeks, Southern Italians and Sicilians use that method in modern times since 1400s/1800s does not mean they used it in ancient times. He felt that the practice might have been learned later and the ancient Greeks didn't mean nor use the same slow motion muscle tension boxing moves nor meant the same thing for that word. He is right I can not document the ancients used the exact same meaning for Staa-mah-ta. My friend pointed out that Italian Greek peasant bare knuckle boxing might well be the offshot of fencing schools of the 1400s rather than a continutation of ancient boxing or even the boxing of Saint Bernard. http://www.fightingarts.com/reading/article.php?id=164

I've always felt that Gypsies and Circus people must have been using some form of exercise, they were famous for fitness and were always on the move. I lost an oppertunity and didn't know to ask my greatuncle, a Gypsy; nor knew to ask my dad's friend that traveled with the Circus most of his life, he was a man that was very strong and owned in later life food consession stands in many venues and became quite rich.

[Andy62]

Many professors are very limited in the scope of their knowledege when you get out of their area of specialty. One thing that John Peterson brings to the physical culture field in addition to his obvious knowledge of the subject itself is that he is extremely literate and it is hard to mention a book on almost any subject that he has not read and is not familiar with. That certainly is not characteristic of other physical culture instructors or participants in the field generally. I am sure that many of John's critics, which have appeared from time to time, do not even know what Les Miserables is much less would they understand it if they would try to read it.

I think the use of Isometrics by political prisoners has a broader purpose than just physical development and it has to do with NERVE FORCE. Not only is surviving in prison a goal in itself,but for someone contemplating escape; it will help to develop the emotional and intuitive abilities that will be needed to survive after the prison break takes place.

[DT man]

A history professor????? Wouldn't an English Professor in specializing in Classical Literature be the one qualified to debate the fictional work? Hmmm, I think I smell a phony! But to be fair, did this "authority" give a name and verifiable CV?

[MikeNY]

Here is a Biblical referrence to Greek shadow boxing; First Letter to the Corinthians 9 : 26-27, Paul insists that in his religious struggles he is a genuine fighter and does not act like a shadow boxer. This might prove the antiquity of Staa-mah-ta or might not.

PS here is a link to the ancient battlefield version of Pankration http://www.pammachon.gr/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=1&lang=en

[Andy62]

It certainly proves that they knew about "virtual" practice.

[jaymo]

I'll bet that just about EVERYONE in the ancient world knew about Transformetrics principles: such as-

Isometrics
slow-moton "DVR" type training
calisthenics

They would have been almost common knowledge, to anyone who watched the athletes training....

I give great currencey to the idea that Alexander's troops, using Pankration unarmed fighting arts,
STARTED the "Oriental Fighting Arts".

Most ancient, original ideas started with...

The Greeks!

[John Peterson]

Hey friends,

I have been enjoying the insights presented in this thread. I must say that when I received the e-mail from Professor Andrews I was surprised because in my response I made it clear that Victor Hugo stated,"Some convicts, who perpetually dream of escaping, eventually make a real science of combined skill and strength; it is the science of the muscles. A full course of mysterious statics is daily practiced by the prisoners, those eternal enviers of flies and birds." and that my purpose in making direct reference to that paragraph in Les Miserable was to point out that Isometric Contraction was clearly understood as the master Mind/Body method that it truly is. After all, notice that Hugo said, "a real science of combined skill and strength" What skill? In my opinion Hugo was referring to Muscle Control and the ability or skill to maximally contract and/or relax any given muscle at will. That is what I believe he meant.

---John Peterson

[CharlesMartel]

He thinks Hugo invented isometrics out of thin air maybe? OF COURSE its fiction. But the 48 revolution, 19th century French social structure, and Catholic priests, which appear in the book are all real.

Why would he invent the "statics"? Why not just say ValJean was a strong man and leave it at that?

[MikeNY]

Gordon I agree that is proof of virtual training! I told my friend that if we apply the same standard to Asian Martial Arts as he has applied to the European ones, there is no link to show Asian training is now the same as it was even 100 years ago, he didn't like the Biblical referrence. His argument was there is tradition in Asia, and I mentioned the Mederterrian European world has the same traditions. Funny how that tradition is only proof for the Asians.

Jaymo you must be a Greek! TY for all Greeks, I'm lucky enough to get both ancient Greece and Rome, my family has always been both Greek and Italian, Romiosini in Greek and Romeosini in Latin. Once there were a lot of people like me, still a load of Italian Greeks and also Greek Italians. Chalres Atlas was a Calabrian and they are also Italian Greeks.

[John Peterson]

Hey Friends,

The more we delve into this topic the more obvious it becomes that Isometrics, DVR/VRT, Power Calisthenics and self resistance exercise are as old as the human race itself.

And MikeNY, I find what you have stated about Greek/Italians very fascinating. It was never lost on me that the Romans were inspired by the Greeks in just about every way.

---John Peterson

[MikeNY]

John the Romans were Greeks from Troy, lost the Trojan War and settled Rome. If you look at common words like father and mother in Greek and Latin you find it is pater and mater in both. I'm sure the Anatolian Greeks intermixed with the Anatolian people and the Romans did the same in Italy.

John we are really all brothers. We have two parents, four grandparents and eight great grandparents; a generation is twenty years, so the number is a geometric progression. In Economic Statistics the Professor observed that there were 12 Apostles and they think all were married; times 2000 years = everyone in Europe, N. Africa, Middle East and the America's is related to 2 or 3 Apostles! The Blood of Christ changes the World.

My friend doesn't think the ancients used DVR/VRT, his reasoning is just because my Grandpa, taught my dad and his brothers slow motion tension Shadow Boxing as a part of boxing, doesn't mean it existed before that. I think Peasants are practical folks and keep what works, Southern Italian Sicilian & Greek Martial Arts existed and got passed on. If I heard Charles Atlas used "muscle tension" shadow boxing I wouldn't be surprised he came from that area.