L’Éducation Physique au XXe Siècle: La Mémoire des Muscles

1902 August 21 — Le Figaro

Débrouillard as the Product of Training:
“On the other hand, this knowledge of all the methods of rescue, defense, and locomotion used in the modern world — which, as we said, would produce a débrouillard, a self reliant man — this knowledge would quickly fade; nothing would remain of it. The difficulty lies less in acquiring it than in preserving it.”

Context:

• Coubertin addresses concerns that the physical and adaptive skills necessary for a débrouillard might be forgotten without continual practice.

• He affirms that forming a débrouillard is a legitimate and vital goal, while acknowledging the educational challenge of sustaining those capabilities over time.

Key Insight:
Coubertin saw the debrouillard not as a finished product but as a condition sustained through consistent effort, regular practice, and real world use.