Why Gymnastic a naked art?

Answer 1

Gymnastics is no longer a nude art. Gymnastics comes from the Greek work "gymnos" literally meaning naked. Back in it's ancient era, men trained and competed completely nude. Women were not allowed to do gymnastics and were also excluded as spectators.

Answer 2

The original 'gymnasium' was founded in ancient Greece, the word meaning 'place of nakedness' from the greek gymnos meaning 'naked'. The first gymnasia dated from well before Biblical times and were training grounds for competitors in public games. The ancient Greeks banned women from the gymnasia and competed in the nude. This was done for practical reasons (Greece has a hot, dry climate), to ensure free movement of the body unhindered by stiff linen-typpe clothing, and also to encourage the aesthetic appreciatiion of the male physique as a tribute to the Greek Gods. Public nudity in those days was no big deal - it was common to bathe naked in the river or sea. Only relatively recently have we been more prudish regarding nudity and too often there is a connection between nudity and sex. However, this was not always the case, and so gymnasiums continued to thrive. And this blase approach to nudity continues to thhis day in the steam baths of Budapest, the Finnish sauna, the Naturist resorts of Europe and elsewhere and so on. Nowadays gymnastics are performed wearing stretch clothing that will still allow free movement - something that the ancient Greeks did not have. And, of course, women are allowed to compete too. To suggest that we should go back to the original idea of naked competition would be inappropriate - for one thing, too many men (being typpically male!) would find the female nudity as either distracting or tittilating, both aspects of which would be alien to the original Greek idea of nakedness in gymnastics, and secondly, the use of nudity nowadays would be unnecessary - stretch fabrics and modern materials make free unhindered movement possible - somethiing that the ancient Greeks could not have without nudity.