Graduate School

MAED – Teaching Physical Education

UM TAGUM COLLEGE
Mabini St., Tagum City
Philippines

DEGREE : Master of Arts in Education

MAJOR : Physical Education

SUBJECT : PE 200
Historical Foundation of PE and Human
Movement

OUTPUT : Reflection Paper

SUBMITTED BY : JAYMAR C. REPONTE

Student

SUBMITTED TO : SARAMIE S. BELLEZA,

MAED
Professor

SCHOOL YEAR : SECOND SEMESTER

 Graduate School
MAED – Teaching Physical Education

PE 200- HISTORICAL FOUNDATION OF PE AND HUMAN

MOVEMENT

REFLECTION PAPER
Reporter 2 History of PE and Sports in India, Greece, Egypt and
Rome

QUESTION 1: What have you learned from our class?

Physical education history was one of the hardest topics and most
boring topic in studying physical education but this is also the most
important topic to be discussed also because it serves as a foundation of
all the branches fields of physical education. I have learned a lot from the
reporting for History of Physical Education in India, Greece, Rome and
Egypt. During the entire discussion and reporting, Yoga was seeming to
have originated in India. I have also learned a lot which I will include in
my article bellow.
It also was told that Gambling was one of the famous or should we
say most popular sports in this period of prehistoric reckoning in India.
The children were mostly played with some birds and beasts made to clay
as part of recreational things. They that had pet animals also to took
cared for. And it has been reported that when the Aryans occupied spat
Sindhu, they were pushed down the Dravidians- which is the aboriginal
tribes of India.
There's has been a little written about the status of physical
education in ancient India maybe because many of the historian have
devoted a small space to the aspect of any Indian history through the
Indus valley civilization and was at this apex when most nation of the
Europe had not opened their eyes in to such this. The biggest drown back
in the civilization, without any doubt, that has been the people was never
 Graduate School
MAED – Teaching Physical Education

kept the written records of some of their culture and political adventures
from pasts.
Secondly, Ancient Greece was also famous for its emphasis on PE.
As Plato expressed that "the urge of need for physical education and
survival skills, especially for the mentors, teachers, trainers and leaders
of the nation, because these people are needed to be able to live for a
long time so they could be useful and wise guides in their country".
Sparta was then particularly fond of physical education, literally doing
physical things and movements. Unlike Athens, the Spartans' young boys
were sent off to military training from early childhood. In barracks, the
lives revolved on doing most on physical trainings which were partially
around exercising, fighting to one another, and was being sent to the
wilderness for survival trainings. Moreover, the Greeks was also
developed the Olympics as a display of most physical skills.
Through age, physical education or PE served as very practical
purpose and objectives as a form of preparation for military service in
most part of Greece. Many of activities now might be considered what we
called “sports" were basically the ways of building any such useful skills.
The Wrestling, that was popular in ancient Greece, were developed a skill
in unarmed combat, for example.
In Egypt, many of recreational activities were the same as those in
the present days and were mostly played in more or less in such the
same way. The physical fitness was considered as an important part of an
Egyptian's life and which where the sports helped one to maintain one's
health, stress, hobbies, endurance and vigor. Games were focused more
intellectual goals, such as the popular Senet. These sports and games
existed in Egypt were reflected the values of the culture in that they were
obviously having fun but also contributed to one's overall well-being as a
person.
 Graduate School
MAED – Teaching Physical Education

And lastly, one of many contributions made by the Greeks to

Physical Education was a mutual dependence between a "sound mind and
a healthy body", which is persisted in Rome throughout the both
republican with imperial periods. Romans were objectively directed on
making practical use of Physical Education as a physical training, above
its favorable impact on general health. The Roman state dream was the
incorporation of physical education into a national program for their
military preparedness and in focusing in boys and men, physical
education highlighted on activities that will built and maintained warriors
of their country.
 Graduate School
MAED – Teaching Physical Education

QUESTION 2: What did you realize from our class?

Throughout the reporting, discussion and even asking questions to

the reporters, I have realized some ideas as a physical education teacher.
The Yoga, specifically the Yogic asana (body posture) which were
frequently practiced for the strengthening of the body and purification of
their soul and some of the physical exercise which were also planned for
keeping the body healthy.
In some facts that has been presented, another certain fact that
was connected with such a transitional period were show that dancing
was very vigorous, mostly appreciated and very popular activity with the
inhabitants of Indian club-continent. This is why people of Indus valley
civilization were identified and observed as very strong physically.
As a matter of fact, on any that we have received from our ancient
people as our heritage was based on traditions and costumes that has
been practiced, the hearsays or any legends which is whether really
reliable, can't be told with certainty, but discovery at prehistoric sites
such as Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa, etc. These reminds us of a great
civilization existing about 2500 years ago, and revealed that there were
gigantic public baths as we find in later Roman period, which where some
of people were used to perform some exercise to keep themselves
physically fit. Example of these is the Oil massaging seems to be a widely
known to most of our ancient people.
Most of physical skills (which involved movement) were really
focused in teaching from a young age or in children, and the Greece was
developed and created its first "gymnasiums," which some large
structures such as sports and races were could be held if there were.
 Graduate School
MAED – Teaching Physical Education

They were really emphasizing the need for strength, endurance, and
speed, in which this is why they developed a marathon-style races,
chariot races, a javelin throwing, discus competitions, even wrestling,
boxing, and horseback riding competitions in their times. This highlight in
physical education which has spilled over into modern times and created
the foundation for modern physical education as its basis.
At the end of the discussion from the reporter and after answering
my subjective questions, I am so overwhelmed that I took up Physical
Education because as the history told that physical education were really
part of people’s lives even before and has been part of social culture from
the time. It makes me more challenged to deepen my learnings ang
understanding more the Physical Education.