Per Henrik Ling

Per Henrik Ling was a Swedish poet and educator who spent many years in the East as a military man. When he returned to Sweden he developed a system of ‘ Swedish gymnastics’ based on a study of gymnastics and physiology, and on techniques borrowed from China, Egypt, Greece, and Rome that combined exercises with posture work and was an amalgamation of four elements:

Aesthetics – giving expression to feelings, emotions and thoughts
Educational – developing the innate potential of the body with good posture and control
Medical – correcting bodily defects with active, passive and duplicated movements
Military – strengthening and toughening the body

Physiotherapy, originally based on Ling's methods, was established with the foundation in 1894 of the Society of Trained Masseurs. Ling is also credited with being the father of Physical Education in the west and while it is often stated that he was the father of Swedish Massage that is not quite correct. However, bodywork grew due to Ling’s work and specific massage and bodywork techniques were created, promoted and published in Europe and America. But it was Dr Johan Georg Mezger (1838 – 1909) of Holland that promoted the strokes as known today. Although he was a Dutch man he kept to the French terms for strokes as they had already become popular at this time – effleurage, petrissage, tapotement.