The name “gymnastics” derives from the ancient Greek word for disciplinary exercises. Gymnastics was introduced as a combination of weight lifting, track and field events, swimming and wrestling. Romans conquered the Greeks and continued using the sport as training for warfare. As Rome declined, tumbling stayed as a form of entertainment. Modern gymnastics was mostly created in Germany by Johann Bernhard Basedow who is considered the father of modern gymnastics. Today, gymnastics isn’t such a show of strength and masculinity but combines the dancelike movements with strength and acrobatic skills.
*Includes excerpts from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/history-gynastics-ancient-greece-modern-times
