Ancient 3000 year old Iranian strength training tools

[Mansoor]

It is a particular ancient Iranian strengthening exercise that mostly used for physical readiness for defense against attacker folks, and bandits in the ancient times .

Each one of the tools were represented of a weapon. For example, the twin wooden tool in the video was used to strengthen arms, forearms, wrists and fingers for holding and using sword, heavy mace and axe for a long period of time in the wars, or the tool with a curved rod and chins was used for archery (of course there are some other tools that are not in the video). Today a small number of people do still this exercise in some particular places with some special and traditional ceremonies that start with the name of God and reminding the good morals and actions of the innocent messenger and his holly family (12 Imams during 1300 years).
However, in this video you see an Iranian young coach how is training some western bodybuilders to test these special tools that working with them is not easy (for bodybuilders) and need much power and resistance. I don't know who is this young coach and where is the sports club (probably in England or America), but he is training the guys seriously and sincerely. Although, he is strength. nevertheless, I don't think he is a master in this field.
This ancient Iranian exercise makes the body more strength and resistance than bodybuilding practices.
.


.

For instance, this is a low- rank master in this type of exercise.

.


.


And he is Cyrous, a well-known champion in Iran (he was from Shiraz); the owner of a zoo and a lion tamer. He died 7 years ago at the age of 78.
.


.

.

.


.
And he is Cyrpus's son. He is now the manger of the Shiraz zoo, has a circus, and is a lion breeder as well.
.
.

.

Here is his page:
.

https://www.instagram.com/mohammadalighahremani/

 

[thomas]

It looks more like a bludgeon than an "exercise tool." How much do they weigh? And I hope they didn't hurt the lion.

 

[Mansoor]

Hello, senior thomas

As you know, the ancient people paid attention to their physical power to encounter the hardship of life at that time, that one was confronting their attacker adversaries in the wars. In those eras, there was no welfare, facilities and industries like today to reduce their physical activities, so they had to strengthen their body for many hard works.

Of course the ordinary people didn't need to be powerful anymore, but the defenders and soldiers had to upgrade their physical power to be able to fight effectively against the headstrong foes.

As well as, the ancient Iranians innovated those tools according to their requirements in peacetime ( for doing hard works) and wartime. As I pointed out, the twin wooden tool was to strengthen their arms, forearms, waists and fingers to handle the heavy sword, bludgeon, and axe in a long time engagement. There is another twin heavy wooden tool that is flat and the ancient Iranian used it to be able to handle the heavy iron shields for a long times in the wars (that tool is not in the video).

The twin wooden tool in the video is called "Mill" in Farsi. The small one is 12 Kg, average 30 Kg (probably the Mill in the video), and heavy 50 Kg.

I used to go to a bodybuilding club (not the traditional one) for about 4 years, between the ages of 16 to 20, and exercises with Mill (15~ 20 Kg), but when I went to do my military service (for 2 years, in the Shah season), I gave up all my exercises (football, basketball, swimming, bodybuilding)
.
50 Kg Mill

.
.
The exercise is a job different with the lion taming and breeding. Each one is done separately in its special place.

Also, only few of the exercisers (like Cyrous and his son) work with the wild animals, and the other have nothing to do with this job.
.
.
Another champion in this field (who was a lion tamer too) was Khalil Oghab (contemporary with Cyrous). He was also from Shiraz. He lived in different European countries for about 40 years and had a circus over there. I think, he returned to Iran 18 years ago.
.

.
This show was held in one of the European countries. Each weight is 25 kilograms.


.


.
.
Khalil died last year at the age of 95. Sorry; see what time does to a champion!


.

.
He lifted an elephant weighing 1 ton off the ground (probably in Italy) which became a famous athlete in the world.
.



.

 

[thomas]

Thanks for sharing this, @Mansoor! Most interesting.

I used to go to a bodybuilding club (not the traditional one) for about 4 years, between the ages of 16 to 20, and exercises with Mill (15~ 20 Kg), but when I went to do my military service (for 2 years, in the Shah season), I gave up all my exercises (football, basketball, swimming, bodybuilding)..

When did you do your military service? My family had to leave Iran in 1978, but I still have the fondest childhood memories.

 

[Mansoor]

Senior, I think you want to estimate my actual age

However, after graduating from high school in 1974, I went to the Iran Air Force to be accepted as a fighter pilot. I participated in different entrance exams and some interviews for about one month. Everything was okay, and I progressed, but something prevented me from that job, and it was my high school GPA. I was a playful student (not studious). The minimum GPA requirement for admission to the Air Force was 12, and mine was 11.75!

The employment managers noticed my low GPA and rejected me for that reason. The next year, I went into military service as a Soldier-Elementary School Teacher. I was under military training for six months in an army camp in ... city and departed to a village in a mountainous and snowy area as an elementary school teacher. After a year and a half, I was discharged from military service in 1977, when the Islamic Revolution of Iran started months ago.

 

[mdchachi]

Senior, I think you want to estimate my actual age

However, after graduating from high school in 1974, I went to the Iran Air Force to be accepted as a fighter pilot. I participated in different entrance exams and some interviews for about one month. Everything was okay, and I progressed, but something prevented me from that job, and it was my high school GPA. I was a playful student (not studious). The minimum GPA requirement for admission to the Air Force was 12, and mine was 11.75!

The employment managers noticed my low GPA and rejected me for that reason. The next year, I went into military service as a Soldier-Elementary School Teacher. I was under military training for six months in an army camp in ... city and departed to a village in a mountainous and snowy area as an elementary school teacher. After a year and a half, I was discharged from military service in 1977, when the Islamic Revolution of Iran started months ago.

You're not as old as I thought. You look older in your picture.

 

[Mansoor]

Although my avatar is the picture of a Russian writer, but it is not older than me, we both are at the same age, with the difference that my hair is still black! I chose it because of our face similarity.

 

[Mansoor]

Another famous strong man in this traditional Iranian sport was Shaban Jafari, who had a different character and manner in comparing with Khalil and Cyrous. Here is a part of his biography that I found on Wikipedia:
.

.


.
Shaban Jafari, often known as Brainless Shaban, was a political activist who often resorted to thuggish tactics to scare his opponents into submission.[3] He was also a practitioner of Iranian traditional sport (varzesh-e bastani) and was a frequent at Zoorkhaneh (the places for the Iranian traditional sport).

During the 1953 Iranian coup d'état, he was often regarded as a leader of street fights for the Shah and against the popular (prime minister) Mossadegh (and the religious movement). Jafari's critics claimed that he received money from the British and American intelligence agencies. However, he rebuffed these accusations and maintained that he was in prison during the coup and could not have participated in it (some pictures below show he lied).

Earlier, Shaban had a religious background and dealt with some religious leaders opposite to Shah, but he gradually changed his tendency and position and became one of the full-fledged lovers and devotees of Shah and stood up against the opposite people. He was a bully devotee of Shah who attacked the protesting people in the streets along with his followers (learners) and the hoodlums who followed him.

As you see, in two the pictures, he is shouting slogans in favor of the Shah on the street (during the coup), and in another picture, he is beating two men.

.


.


.

.
A group of his hoodlum followers


.
Unlike Khalil and Cyrous who were two peaceful and gentle strong men, Shaban was a bigot (about Shah), harsh, and violent person. The only thing I choose of him is that he had no tendency to sex and liquors (due to his previous religious tendency) and he trained some children in this traditional sport sincerely. Of course, his training was along with inspiring of having love for Shah that reduced the value of his constructive effort.
.


.
After the victory of the Islamic revolution in Iran, when the Shah escaped from Iran, Shaban Jafari fled to Japan (in 1976) and afterward went to Germany, Israel, France, and Turkish respectively. In Turkish, he joined General Ariana's group and took action against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Sometime later, he migrated to America and resided in Santa Monica city in California until the end of his life. He died at 85 and was buried in the West Wood cemetery.
.


.

 

[nice gaijin]

fascinating history, I first saw these shared by a guy who does a lot of club exercise called the spinning Dutchman


Then today this showed up in my feed:

543K views · 8K reactions | Zurkhaneh, meaning “house of strength,” is the ancient (Bastani) sport of ancient Persia / Iran blending martial arts, calisthenics and 4 tools of strength accompanied by live music by a Morshed. Originally developed to tr

Zurkhaneh, meaning “house of strength,” is the ancient (Bastani) sport of ancient Persia / Iran blending martial arts, calisthenics and 4 tools of strength accompanied by live music by a Morshed....

www.facebook.com

Zurkhaneh, meaning "house of strength," is the ancient (Bastani) sport of ancient Persia / Iran blending martial arts, calisthenics and 4 tools of strength accompanied by live music by a Morshed. Originally developed to train warriors during the Persian Empire and performed by modern day Iranian (Pahlavani) wrestlers, it evolved into a disciplined form of physical and moral training. Practiced in a domed structure resembling a temple, Zurkhaneh rituals are led by a "morshed" (master) who recites poetry and beats a goblet drum (zarb). Athletes perform choreographed exercises using traditional tools: meel/mil (a style of wooden club), kabbadeh (steel bow), sang/stone (wooden shields), and perform various push-ups on a Shena board and spinning (charkh). Traditionally a men's sport however there are some women around the world like Kelly who practice..Kelly also practices ancient sports from India - Indian Mudgar (similar club to Persian Mil) , Gada , Jori and Samtola.Shout out to @kellsbells88 for allowing me to share her story & these ancients sports with everyone!

I've come across hojo undo equipment called chiishi that is used in different karate styles:



It's interesting to see the variety of movements that are used, but there's something to this idea of "stick with weight" that makes it universally appealing.

 

[Mansoor]

I see a mistake in making the "mills" in the video. Somebodies have changed them to a cylindrical shape, whereas their lower parts should be narrower and the upper part should be thicker. This traditional shape leads to a better balancing and the center of gravity correction during the exercise.

Let me point to a significant particularity of this Iranian sport that is not seen anywhere in the world.

When somebody does this exercise for a long time (several years) his body becomes strong and resistance, and unlike the modern bodybuilding, if the exerciser leaves the sport, his body will retain its potency, huge shape, and resistance for many years.

If you look at the picture of Shaban in 80 years old (or more), you will notice he had still a strong and huge figure similar to his youth (as well as, Cyrous and Khalil).

Or look at Cyrous near 65 years old: he is as he was in his youth with a strong physique:

.

 

[Mansoor]

I was looking for a video to show you this traditional exercise is along with playing a particular drum and singing some epical poems. I found this video by chance that made me amazed. I don't know where this woman is from, but wondered how she could learn that exercise and perform so skillfully, while she has a pair of heavier Mill.

 

[musicisgood]

Thank you for this wonderful post I enjoyed reading every bit of it.