Origins Of Gymnastics

Gymnastics first originated in Ancient Greece, and the name originally came from 'Gymnos', A Greek word meaning naked. It was so called because gymnasts would usually compete naked.
The Ancient Greeks developed the sport because they believed that gymnastics was the perfect balance between mind and body.
Gymnasts not only trained in physical Gymnastics, they also recieved training in Music, Literature and Philosophy. Gymnastics was used for many different things by the Greeks, including skills for mounting and dismounting a horse, and circus performance skills.
Roman Soldiers training for battle also followed a gymnastic-like training regime.

The phrase 'Artistic Gymnastics' was not used until the 1800's. It was coined to differentiate between the type of gymnastics we know today, and the gymnastic techniques that were used in the military to train soldiers.

The governing body of Gymnastics around the world, The Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique, also known as FIG, was formed in 1881 to write up a set of internationally recognized rules. Each country has its own national governing body affiliated to FIG.
For example, in Ireland, it is known as 'Gymnastics Ireland.'
 Link to the website is here -->   http://www.gymnasticsireland.com

The Gymnastics we know today was slowly formed and developed over the 18th, 19th and 20th Centuries, and by 1954 the international rules regarding apparatus and skills grading, 
had been standardized and modernized. 
The sport continues to evolve, with new moves and skillsets being changed and added.