The Natural Method - Georges Hebert

Training

26 Jun

Written By Matt Morley

Drawing from Diverse Disciplines

Our approach to fitness, rooted in a variety of disciplines including gymnastics, mixed martial arts, and parkour, is informed by the principles of physical education and purely physical sense. We believe in incorporating elements of mental training and practical exercises into our training system, guided by the principles outlined in Georges Hébert's practical guide to physical education.

This comprehensive approach ensures a well-rounded fitness regimen that promotes both physical and mental well-being.

The Importance of Generalism

In our view, the most evolution-friendly method is to roam far and wide as generalists, acquiring a working knowledge of a range of disciplines and purely wide range of physical sense rather than relying on one single skill.

Introducing Georges Hebert and The Natural Method

All of this is by way of introduction to the late, great Georges Hebert, a prominent figure in physical educationand his book The Natural Method. Hebert was a French Navy officer during WW1 and subsequently PT instructor to the French marines, focusing on physical training. His french military training and wartime experience gave him an acute awareness of the need to ground physical education in the real world rather than mere aesthetics, which soon come anyway.

The Essence of Physical Culture

To be strong to be useful (etre fort pour etre utile), fitness needed to develop not just physical attributes such as strength, conditioning, coordination and so on but also character attributes such as courage and altruism, embodying the essence of physical culture. This system became The Natural Method and by the time of WWII it was the French military’s de facto training protocol as part of the French Military physical education.

A Natural Method session is composed of exercises belonging to the ten fundamental groups: walking, running, jumping, quadrupedal movement, climbing, equilibrium (balancing), throwing, lifting, defending and swimming.

A training session consists, then, of exercises in an outdoor environment, perhaps a few hundred meters to several kilometers, during which, one walks, one runs, one jumps, one progresses quadrupedally, one climbs, one walks in unstable balance, one raises and one carries, one throws, one fights and one swims.

The Impact of WWII

The Second World War had a profound impact on the adoption of the Natural Method in military and civilian training programs, emphasizing the importance of physical education and physical exercises for complete training. Institutions such as naval schools and military schools recognized the value of self-improvement through physical education, aligning with the principles of moral education promoted by the French government.

The Ten Fundamental Groups

A Natural Method session is composed of exercises belonging to the ten fundamental class: walking, running, jumping, quadrupedal movement, climbing, equilibrium (balancing), throwing, lifting, defending and swimming.

A training session consists, then, of exercises in an outdoor environment, perhaps a few hundred meters to several kilometers, during which, one walks, one runs, one jumps, one progresses quadrupedally, one climbs, one walks in unstable balance in an unstable surface, one raises and one carries, one throws, one fights and one swims. All of these comprises their physical education training.

Modern Influences

The step from there to modern-day Parkour and Obstacle Course Races is but a small one; just browse the images above for examples of what Hebert got up to. Look familiar? This training method has clearly influenced many contemporary fitness practices.