Human swimming typically consists of repeating a specific body motion or swimming stroke. There are many kinds of strokes, each defining a different swimming style or crawl.
Most strokes involve rhythmic and coordinated movements of all major body parts — torso, arms, legs, hands, feet, and head. Breathing typically must be synchronized with the strokes, too. It is possible however to swim by moving only legs without arms or only arms without legs; such strokes may be used for special purposes, for training or exercise, or by amputees (paralympians) and paralytics.
Read more about Swimming Stroke: Special Purpose Styles
Famous quotes containing the words swimming and/or stroke:
“Mead had studied for the ministry, but had lost his faith and took great delight in blasphemy. Capt. Charles H. Frady, pioneer missionary, held a meeting here and brought Mead back into the fold. He then became so devout that, one Sunday, when he happened upon a swimming party, he shot at the people in the river, and threatened to kill anyone he again caught desecrating the Sabbath.”
—For the State of Nebraska, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)
“You can stroke people with words.”
—F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940)