THE TRUDGEN STROKE Many forms of this stroke are adopted by sprint swimmers and water-polo players. It is a very fatiguing method of pro gression, and rarely used for distances over 200 yards ; but for short races it is constantly preferred to the ordinary over-arm stroke. It was first brought into prominence in England by J. Trudgen, who acquired his knowledge in the rivers of South America, but there are many references to it in early works on the subject. For instance, Clias describes it under the title of The Thrust' in the following terms : At first, the swimmer lays horizontally upon his waist, and makes the common motions in swimming. He then simply stretches one arm forwards, as in swimming on the side, but remains lying upon the waist, and in a widely-described circle he carries the other hand, which is working under the breast, towards the hips. (This circle is in its direction the very opposite of that observed in swimming on the side.) As soon as the arm has completed this movement, it is lifted from the water in a stretched position, and thrown forwards in the greatest horizontal level, and is thus sunk with hand flat into the water ; while the swimmer thus stretches forth the arm, he with the other hand stretched as wide as possible, describes a small circle in order to sustain the body ; after this, he brings his hand in a largely-described circle rapidly to the hip, lifts the arm out of the water and thrusts it forward, &c. During the describing of the larger circle, the feet make their movements. To make the thrust beautifully, a considerable degree of practice is required. • This mode of swimming is applicable in cases where a great degree of rapidity is required for a short distance.
Trudgen's first appearance was a sensational one. In the Swimming Record' of 1873 the editor, Mr. R. Watson, in describing a race which took place on August r r of that year, says : A surprising swimmer carried off the handicap—we allude to Trudgen ; this individual swam with both arms entirely out of the water, an action peculiar to Indians. His time was very fast, particularly for one who appears to know but little of swimming, and should he become more finished in style, we shall expect to see him take a position almost second to none as a swimmer.
I question, indeed, if the swimming world ever saw a more peculiar stroke sustained throughout a 16o yards race. I have seen many fast exponents retain the action for some distance, but the great exertion compels them to desist, very much fatigued. In Trudgen, however, a totally opposite state of things existed ; for here we had a man swimming apparently easy, turning very badly, and when finished, appearing as though he could have gone at least another 8o yards at the same pace. His action reminds an observer of a style peculiar to the Indians ; both arms are thrown partly sideways, but very slovenly, and the head kept completely above water.
This opinion was well borne out, for Trudgen afterwards became one of the speediest sprint swimmers of his time, and his peculiar action became commonly known as the Trudgen' stroke. The body is lifted at each stroke, and at each swing
of the arms seems to be hurled forward, a considerable swirl of the water occurring as each movement is finished.
Many of the swimmers who copied Trudgen afterwards found that it was less laborious and equally as fast to use a double over-arm stroke, as instead of the chest and head being raised clear of the water, they were able to keep the body more horizontal and thus use the power which would otherwise be required to raise the chest from the water for propulsion. The leg-kick is the same as that in the ordinary over-arm. When the kick is taken the body is on its side, and as the recovery of the legs is being made then one arm is making a positive stroke while the other is being brought into •position out of the water, and the body turns on to the breast. Practically it is this : Instead of the under-arm being moved in the ordinary manner, it is thrown out of the water beyond the head and swept round to the side, this action causing the body to turn over on to the breast. Meanwhile the upper hand has gone forward ; as it is being pulled through the water and the leg kick taken, it turns on to the side again. When swimming with the polo ball, the body is kept on the breast all the time as in the original style.
Modifications of this stroke are in vogue among the Indian tribes of North and South America. The style is well known in other parts of the world, and very probably originated from those who are compelled to use their swimming abilities in rough water, such as surf boatmen. The first secretary of the West End Amateur Swimming Association, Mr. F. J. Lawton, who went to West Africa in 1891, in writing to us from Grand Bassam, says : No white man ever swims here in the sea for pleasure, the surf being very dangerous ; it is about 15 or 20 feet high sometimes, and has a strong under-current. The lagoon is scarcely tempting enough for Europeans, besides being infested with alligators. The natives, men, women and children, swim like fish, and fairly revel in the surf, but what struck me particularly was the fact that they all, even to the youngsters of about five years of age, seem to have adopted the Trudgen stroke to the exclusion of every other style. Now I have always understood that the introduction of that stroke into England was of a comparatively recent date, and it seems queer that it should have been used here, which you might say is outside the limits of civilisation, for generations. It is amusing to see the canoe men in the water. They all wear coloured handkerchiefs in the fashion of polo-caps. When a cargo of spirits is being landed, they generally manage to capsize a boat load or two, the surf breaks the cases, and then an animated bottle diving competition takes place.
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