Third exercise: 1-2. Stride backward, right, and raise arms overhead laterally, palms in. 3-4. Turn about on both heels, bend left knee and trunk backward and lower arms to side horizontal, palms 1-2. Bend to the squatting position, hands on the ground. 3-4. Extend to the leaning-rest with legs straddled. 5-6. Resume first position. 7-8. Resume position of attention. Repeat four times. NOTE.-Length of stride in these exercises should be 28 inches between heels. HOPPING EXERCISES 208. Hopping is executed by raising the body on the balls of the feet and forcing the body from the ground by a series of quick extensions of the toe and ankle joints; knees remain easily extended, heels together and free from the floor. Having assumed a position for the arms, the instructor commands: 1. On toes, 2. RISE, 3. HOP. At the command, Hop, execute one spring, alighting on the balls of the feet. Continue by repeating, one, two. Hop and turn to the right or left at every second, fourth or sixth hop. Hop and turn about at every second, fourth, or sixth hop. Hop to side straddle in four and return to attention in four hops. Hop to side straddle and continue to hop in that position. Hop to side straddle in one hop and return to attention in next hop. Hop to cross straddle and return to attention in next hop. Hop on right leg and extend left leg forward, sideward, or backward. Hop on left leg and extend right leg forward, sideward, or backward. Hop four times on right leg, and then change and hop four times on left leg, extending the unemployed leg forward, sideward, or backward. Same as preceding, hopping twice on each leg. LEAPING 209. Leaping or jumping as a setting-up exercise has for its object the raising of the body from 8 to 12 inches from the ground; there is, however, no gaining of ground as in gymnastic or athletic jumping. At the first command, the arms are raised to the front horizontal and the body is elevated on the toes. At the command, Leap, the arms are swung downward and backward and the knees are slightly bent; without pausing, the arms are swung forward again and as they pass through the vertical plane the knees are extended and the body is forced from the floor. The moment the feet leave the floor the knees are extended; feet are closed and toes depressed; the arms are in the front horizontal; the back is arched and the head is erect. In alighting, the balls of the feet touch the floor first, knees slightly bent; the latter are quickly extended, however, and the arms brought down by the sides and the position of attention is assumed. Continue by repeating leap. LEAPING EXERCISES Leap and execute a quarter turn to the right or left. Leap and straddle legs sideward (legs are closed) before alighting. Leap and cross straddle, right or left leg forward. Leap and raise knees. Leap and strike feet together. Leap and strike feet together twice. Leap and strike feet together three times. Leap and cross and recross legs. Leap and raise heels and touch them with hands. Leap and swing arms sideward. Leap and swing arms upward. Leap and circle arms outward. Leap and swing arms upward and execute a whole turn.. WALKING AND MARCHING 210. The length of the full step in quick time is 30 inches, measured from heel to heel, and the cadence is at the rate of 128 steps per minute. Proper posture and carriage have ever been considered very important in the training of soldiers. In marching, the head and trunk should remain immobile, but without stiffness; as the left foot is carried forward the right forearm is swung forward and inward obliquely across the body until the thumb, knuckles being turned out, reached a point about the height of the belt plate. The upper arm does not move beyond the perpendicular plane while the forearm is swung forward, though the arm hangs loosely from the shoulder joint. The forearm swing ends precisely at the moment the left heel strikes the ground; the arm is then relaxed and allowed to swing down and backward by its own weight until it reaches a point where the thumb is about the breadth of a hand to the rear of the buttocks. As the right arm swings back, the left arm is swung forward with the right leg. The forward motion of the arm assists the body in marching by throwing the weight forward and inward upon the opposite foot as it is planted. The head is held erect; body well stretched from the waist; chest arched, and there should be no rotary motion of the body about the spine. As the leg is thrown forward the knee is smartly extended, the heel striking the ground first. The instructor having explained the principles and illustrated the step and arm swing, commands: 1. Forward, 2. MARCH; and to halt the squad he commands: 1. Squad, 2. HALT. In executing the setting-up exercises on the march the cadence should at first be given slowly and gradually increased as the men become more expert; as some exercises require a slow and others a faster pace, it is best in these cases to allow the cadence of the exercise to determine the cadence of the step. The men should march in a single file at proved intervals. The command that causes and discontinues the execution should be given as the left foot strikes the ground. On the march, to discontinue the exercise, command: 1. Quick time, 2. MARCH, instead of HALT, as when standing. All of the arm, wrist, finger, and shoulder exercises, and some of the trunk and neck, may be executed on the march by the same commands and in the same manner as when standing. The following leg and foot exercises are executed at the command, MARCH; the execution always beginning with the left leg or foot. 1. On toes, 2. MARCH. 1. On heels, 2. MARCH. 1. On right heel and left toe, 2. MARCH. 1. On left heel and right toe, 2. MARCH. 1. On toes with knees extended, 2. MARCH. 1. Swing extended leg forward, ankle high, 2. MARCH. 1. Swing extended leg forward, knee high, 2. MARCH. 1. Swing extended leg forward, waist high, 2. MARCH. 1. Swing extended leg forward, shoulder high, 2. MARCH. 1. Raise heels, 2. MARCH. 1. Raise knees, chest high, 2. MARCH. 1. Circle extended leg forward, ankle high. 2. MARCH. 1. Circle extended leg forward, knee high, 2. MARCH. 1. Circle extended leg forward, waist high, 2. MARCH. 1. Swing extended leg backward, 2. MARCH, 1. Swing extended leg sideward, 2. MARCH. 1. Raise knee and extend leg forward, 2. MARCH. 1. Raise heels and extend leg forward, 2. MARCH. STEPS 211. In the steps, the rules given above apply, viz, the command march given as the left foot strikes the ground, determines the execution, which always begins with the left foot, and is continued until the command: 1. Quick time, 2. MARCH, is given, when the direct step is resumed. The different steps are executed at the following commands: 1. Cross step, 2. MARCH. As the legs move forward they are crossed. The body does not turn. 1. Halting step, 2. MARCH. The left foot is advanced and planted; the right foot is brought directly in rear of the left, resting on the ball only; the right is then advanced and planted and the left brought up, and so on. 1. Foot-balancing step, 2. MARCH. The left foot is advanced and planted; the right foot is brought up beside it, heels touching; the body is then raised on the toes and lowered. The right foot is then advanced and planted and the left brought up, and so on. 1. Continuous change step, 2. MARCH. The left foot is advanced and planted; the toes of the right are then advanced near the heel of the left in the halting step; the left foot is then advanced about half a step (15 inches) and the right foot is advanced with the full step and planted; the toes of the left foot are then brought up to the heel of the right foot, which advances a half step, when the left foot is advanced a full step, and so on. 1. Knee-rocking step, 2. MARCH. As each foot is planted it is accompanied by a slight bending and extension in the corresponding knee; the other leg remaining fully extended, heel raised. 1. Lunging step, 2. MARCH. The length of the step is 45 inches, the knee in advance being well bent; the other leg remaining fully extended, heel raised; trunk erect. 1. Leg-balance step, 2. MARCH. The left foot is advanced, ankle high; it is then swung backward and forward and planted, the body during the swing balancing on the right leg. The right foot is then advanced, swung backward and forward, and planted, and so on. 1. Body-balance step, 2. MARCH. The left foot is advanced, ankle high, body being bent slightly to the rear; the left foot is then swung backward, body being slightly to the front; the same foot is then swung forward again and planted, the body in the meantime becoming erect. This is repeated with the right foot, and so on. 1. Heel and toe step, 2. MARCH. The left foot is advanced and allowed to rest on the heel; it is then swung backward and allowed to rest on the toes; it is once more advanced and planted. This is repeated with the right foot, and so on. 1. Cross step, raising knees, 2. MARCH. Execute the cross step and raise the knees. The cross step may also be executed in combination with the swings of the extended leg. The change step may be combined with the following: Cross step, halting step, raising knees, foot-rocking step, on toes, raising heels, swinging and circling legs, heel and toe step. These may also be combined with the change step hop. 1. Continuous change step hop, 2. MARCH. Execute the ordinary change step, hopping with the change. 1. Forward gallop hop, 2. MARCH. The left foot is advanced and planted; the right is brought up in rear as in the halting step; this is done four times in succession. The same is done four times with the right foot in advance, and so on. 1. Sideward gallop hop, 2. MARCH. The left foot is advanced, body turning on the right; four hops are then executed sideward on the left foot, followed by the right; at the fourth hop the body is turned to the left-about, and four hops executed on the right foot, followed by the left, and so on. |