There are several types of sports activities in ancient China: one is a game evolved from activities with production, life and military functions, such as archery, "track and field events", water and ice events; One is martial arts and activities with health care characteristics, including martial arts, wrestling, equestrian, gymnastics, etc. One is recreational ball games, such as cuju, polo, hockey, pounding pills, fifteen-pin ball, cricket, etc. The fourth category is intelligence games, such as Go and Liubo. The last category is acrobatics and group sports for social entertainment, such as swinging, kicking shuttlecock, dragon boat, acrobatics, kites and tug of war.
Cuju? If the Han and Tang World Cup
In ancient China literature, football was called Cuju. According to Yan Shigu's note "Hanshu", the bow shell is made of leather, stuffed with wool in the middle, made into a ball and kicked with the feet. According to the Warring States Policy, cuju was very popular among the people of Qi at least during the period of (3 19 ~ 30 1). There are many theories about the origin of Cuju, and Liu Xiang of the Western Han Dynasty thinks that it was invented by the Yellow Emperor. No matter who owns the invention patent, there is no doubt that football originated in China. FIFA President Blatter also admitted when he gave a report on the history of international football development at the coaching training class organized by the Asian Football Association: "Football originated in the electric country."
By the Han Dynasty, football was more popular, and there were two different forms. One is cuju, which is accompanied by music and played by skill. The other is a cuju game with goals. At that time, Cuju had six goals. Folk competitive cuju also affects the army. It is said that Huo Qubing used cuju to train soldiers during the Western Expedition. Huan Kuan wrote "On Salt and Iron", in which he said that the Western Han Dynasty had a long history, and that "the noble family enjoyed cockfighting", and the common people also enjoyed the game of "dancing on the high mountains and poor alleys". According to Hanshu, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty often held a "chicken bow meeting" in his palace for cockfighting and cuju competitions. Dong Xian, the favorite of Emperor Ai of Han Dynasty, also keeps a "Zhu Ke" who can play football at home.
During the Tang and Song Dynasties, Cuju not only became a single goal in the form of competition, but also the sphere itself became more elastic because of technological innovation. In Shi Naian's Water Margin, he wrote that Gao Qiu was "an excellent actor". Gao Qiu's success in playing football shows that the emperors and bureaucrats in the Song Dynasty loved playing football. Song Taizu Cuju Map, selected by Qian Yuan, is now in Shanghai Museum, depicting the scene at that time. At that time, there were even professional football books such as Cuju Atlas, Cuju Spectrum and Shilin Guangji. Wu Ji. It can be said that in the Tang and Song Dynasties, football was one of the most popular recreational activities. If there is a World Cup, I am afraid that Datang or Dasong are both strong contenders for the championship. At that time, it was also common for women to play football. It can be said that women in the Tang Dynasty were the earliest women who played football in the world.
Archery? Look northwest and shoot Sirius.
For a man living in China in the pre-Qin period, if he can't shoot arrows, he will be despised by the upper class, and at the same time he will lose the opportunity to enter the upper class through fighting, which even an ordinary farmer or hunter can't afford.
The main contents of education in the Zhou Dynasty are six arts ―― etiquette, music, archery, imperial art, calligraphy and mathematics, among which archery is the most important. Archery was a social etiquette at that time, and drinking, playing music and writing poems while archery was a very elegant activity. Confucius, Xunzi and Mozi, who lived in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, were all archery enthusiasts and also taught students archery. At that time, people had great respect for archers. In myths and legends, Hou Yi's archery in the sun or learning archery in Mongolia shows people's respect for archery.
By the Han Dynasty, archery had a further summary in theory, and only Hanshu? There are 69 shooting methods recorded in Yiwenzhi, including General Li's shooting method and Wei's shooting method.
During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, professional archery competitions appeared. According to the biography of the King of Changshan, Emperor Xiaowu of the Northern Wei Dynasty held an archery competition in Hualin Garden, Luoyang, and hung a wine glass a hundred paces away, so that 19 warriors could compete in archery. Whoever shoots the glass last will get the glass. It was called "trophy competition" at that time, and it was the earliest trophy competition in the sports history of China.
From Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties to Sui and Tang Dynasties, archery was even a skill for civilians to be promoted to nobility. Wu Zetian established the martial arts system in the Tang Dynasty, which stipulated nine criteria for selecting and assessing talents, among which archery included long-distance shooting, horse shooting, step shooting, flat shooting and barrel shooting. From Tang Dynasty to Song Dynasty, archery became more popular among the people. According to relevant documents, there were more than 600 "archery clubs" organized by non-governmental organizations in Hebei at that time, with more than 30,000 participants. Scholars at that time were also proud of being good at shooting. Li Bai boasted that he "shot two tigers with one shot, but turned his back and dropped two kites", and Su Dongpo even said that he "once held a bow like a full moon, looked northwest and shot Sirius".
Manchu people in Qing Dynasty also brought archery activities of ethnic minorities to the Central Plains, which made archery develop more widely. 6 1 year (A.D. 1722), Emperor Kangxi once made "Mulan Qiucong" a permanent system, which promoted the development of archery. At that time, due to the popularity of archery and the further popularization of western firearms in China in the middle and late Qing Dynasty, archery gradually withdrew from the military field and evolved into a pure sports competition.
Angle iron arm copper twisted beat each other.
In ancient China, due to the different languages and characters of different nationalities, the methods and rules of wrestling were also very different, so wrestling had many different names, such as wrestling, wrestling and so on. , sumo, buku, erut, wrestling, etc.
Wrestling was documented as early as the Spring and Autumn Period. According to the Book of Rites? "Moon Order" records: "Meng Dongyue, the son of heaven was appointed as a general, teaching martial arts, learning to shoot, resist and fight." According to "Mandarin", there was already a wrestling match in Jin State at the end of the Spring and Autumn Period. Zhao Jianzi was the marshal of Zhong Jun in the state of Jin and the father of Zhao Xiangzi, who was later divided into three parts. His military commander is an expert in unarmed wrestling.
After Qin Shihuang annexed six countries and unified the world, what was the content of the military salute? . In the Northern and Southern Dynasties, wrestling was the most intense competition at that time. At this time, wrestling is also called sumo, wrestling and wrestling, all of which mean hitting each other. According to the Book of Jin quoted by Wang Yin in Taiping Yu Lan, a sumo contest was held in Chuan County, Xiangcheng County, Central Plains. After losing, Xiangcheng people sarcastically said: "Sumo skills are not enough to know the advantages and disadvantages of the two counties." In fact, sports competitions can best represent the dignity of a region, a country and a nation. In order to maintain this dignity, we often don't give in, don't fight for honor, and never let it go. Jin Shu? "Biography of Jade" records that "there is a healthy Hu in Xicheng, which is heroic and invincible, and Jin people dare not compare with it". Sima Yan was furious and posted a placard, "Recruit Warriors". Yu Yan's father, Yu Dong, recruited to compete with the conference semifinals and "killed them". Is this where Yu Dong came from? It is famous and unusual that he was rewarded as an official.
Are the historical materials of Tang and Song Dynasties called wrestling sumo or horn? . From the royal family to ordinary people, wrestling was the most popular sport and entertainment at that time, and there were many records about wrestling in both historical documents and novels. At that time, besides men's wrestling, many women also took part in wrestling.
The royal families of the Yuan Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty both originated in the northern region, and the folk customs were mainly riding, shooting and wrestling. In fact, there are two forms of wrestling in the Qing Dynasty: one is cloth storage, that is, "taking off the hat and skirt to win or lose", which is the national wrestling of Manchu and Mongolian. The other is called "Errut", that is, "I will jump on Brown, although I will control my head and bend my shoulders to the ground to win." This is a bit similar to international wrestling now, and the winner must be on a par.
With a tripod? Strength can move mountains, and spirit is unparalleled.
Weightlifting experienced three stages in ancient China: one was to lift household appliances, the other was to lift wooden iron weightlifters, and the third was to lift stone weightlifters. Because of the different weightlifting equipment, their names are different, such as "Qiaoguan", "Shouding" and "Lifting Stone", all of which are the names of ancient weightlifting.
In ancient wars, the size of strength, the sharpness and killing area of weapons, and combat skills were all the keys to winning. Sun Tzu's Art of War "Woods" said: In an army, there must be strong men who can lift weights easily. If so, choose not, love is expensive, called military life. When He Lv, the king of Wu, attacked Chu, he "selected 500 people from all forces, thinking that the front line would win five wars and five victories". It is precisely under the needs of military operations that the training and contest of strength is particularly important.
As mentioned above, the aristocrats in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty were both civil and military. According to literature, Confucius himself was a "Hercules". Lu Chunqiu, Huai Nanzi, Lun Heng, Liezi and other books all record that "the power of Confucius can recruit (pass) the door of the country". The gate of the country is the gate of the capital of the vassal state. At that time, the bolt of the gate weighed at least dozens of pounds. According to the interpretation of the Han Dynasty, the method of crossing the gate is "grasping the gate with one hand and showing it with the other." That is to say, one hand holds one end of the door bolt and lifts the 45-foot-long wooden bolt. It takes a lot of strength, so Confucius is indeed a weightlifter.
During the Qin and Han dynasties, the social nature of weightlifting changed, that is, from military combat training to social entertainment performance. Zhang Heng described the entertainment performances in Chang 'an City in Xijing Fu, saying that among the numerous acrobatic song and dance performances, there are also "fighting the tripod with fire, which is as heavy as a feather", indicating that it has become a social entertainment project. In the Tang Dynasty, Wu Zetian added martial arts subjects, including "customs clearance, weight bearing and map selection". At this time, the cock is no longer holding the door bolt, but holding a special piece of iron, which has taken an important step from using daily tools to lifting weights with self-made sports equipment.
Wood weightlifting equipment is too light and iron weightlifting equipment is too expensive, which is not conducive to the extensive development of weightlifting. In the Song Dynasty, there were stone weightlifting equipment. According to the Old Wulin Story, there were weightlifters Tian (lifting a stone ball), Er (pulling a stone pier), Wang He and Lu Shou in Lin 'an City in the Southern Song Dynasty. Stone balls and piers are weightlifting equipment made of stones. Stone weightlifters can draw materials from anywhere, which is convenient and economical, and has many benefits for developing weightlifting extensively. From wooden and iron weightlifters to stone weightlifters, it can be regarded as a sign of the extensive development of weightlifting in ancient China.
Swimming? It's shallow, but it's swimming.
The ability of swimming comes from the instinct of human survival and is widely used in production. With the emergence of the country, in the war, in addition to chariots and knights, ships were also used as a means of attacking the war, or cruising and sneaking, destroying the enemy's defense. "The Six Towers" said: "If you are clever, the water will cross the river deeper. Wu, on the other hand, the more boats and cars there are, the more gentleman troops there are, and people who are good at swimming can be used as soldiers. "
Swimming, originally formed as a game activity, is inseparable from bathing, and at the same time, swimming and boating are also closely related. In ancient times, people began to take a bath and then played in the water, gradually forming various forms of ancient swimming-swimming, swimming, wading, floating, diving and so on. Around the Han Dynasty, the first day of the third month of the lunar calendar was Shangsi Festival, also known as Bathing Day. This day uses water to remove filth and ominous, so it is also called "Zan". The Book of Rites says, "In March, officials and people were clean and washed in Dongshui."
From a mural in the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 386-534), we can see that swimming has become a water game. From the center of the picture, we can see four naked women playing in a water bath or water game. The woman's upper body comes out of the water and her arms swing. Their movements are just like freestyle or sidestroke today.
Ancient swimmers were also called "frolicters". In the Tang Dynasty, there were poems reflecting the lonely side rooms of wealthy businessmen, all of which were eager to marry people who were good at swimming. At that time, swimmers had high social status and had become "sports stars" at that time. Those who surf at the high tide of Qiantang River are even more impressed. Documents in the Southern Song Dynasty, such as "Old Wulin Stories" and "Dream of Beasts", also recorded the names and performances of some troublemakers: "People who make water in the market are like monks, and more than 100 people all hold ten colorful flags and win the battle through the wind and waves until Haimen meets the tide."
A tour guide? Dance with your hands and follow with your feet.
In all competitive competitions, gymnastics is the most important sport that emphasizes coordination, strength and beauty. Among gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics is the most ornamental. In ancient China, there were roughly two kinds of gymnastics today. One is unarmed gymnastics, which often appears for the purpose of strengthening the body, and the other is gymnastics with equipment, which is between rhythmic gymnastics and sports dance today.
In ancient China, unarmed gymnastics generally belonged to the guiding category of alchemy, including what people call qigong today, which is the qigong closest to yoga today. The original intention of instruction is "guiding qi to make harmony, pulling the body to make softness", which refers to gymnastics combining breathing with physical exercise, and is a health preserving method in ancient China. Later, Taoism expanded the concept of guidance and called various health preservation methods guidance.
1973, guide map unearthed from Mawangdui Han Tomb. There are more than 40 guiding actions in the map, and there are text descriptions beside the map. This picture is the earliest fitness picture in the age of archaeological discovery in China and the earliest gymnastics picture in the world. Hua Tuo, a famous doctor, summed up the guidance of the Han Dynasty and compiled "Wuqinxi", followed by gymnastics. After Baduanjin in Song Dynasty, until the appearance of Tai Ji Chuan in Ming and Qing Dynasties, the development of gymnastics in China reached its peak. Health scientists believe that Tai Ji Chuan is the best fitness exercise in the world. It has a variety of functions of exercising the body, combining internal work with external work, so that breathing, mind and exercise are harmonious and unified. "Exercise your limbs with your mind, and breathe all over your body." Its movements are gentle and continuous, "walking like running water, like the endless river of the Yangtze River", and the amount of exercise can be large or small, which is suitable for people of different ages and physiques to engage in exercise.
Another kind of gymnastics is close to the present rhythmic gymnastics, with the help of instruments, which is very expressive and ornamental. In China, the earliest source can be traced back to the ancient martial arts dance. For example, Dawu dance, Ganqi dance and so on. At the end of the Warring States period, fencing combined with dance to create sword dance. This sword dance can be a solo dance or a duet dance. Advance and retreat must have certain rules, so as to coordinate with each other and achieve the purpose of entertainment. Historical records? Xiang Zhuang and Xiang Bo's dance at the Hongmen Banquet in Biography of Xiang Yu is an example.
In the Tang Dynasty, Gong Sundaniang was famous for his fencing. Ming Taizu's Miscellaneous Notes said: "During the Kaiyuan period, there was an electric sword-dancing device of the eldest daughter, Gongsun. When the monk Huai Su saw it, the cursive script became longer. " "Famous Paintings of Past Dynasties" said: "Pei Manshan danced swords, and Dao Xuan (Wu Daozi) watched his people dance swords and made great progress." Du Fu even exaggeratedly said, "Come like thunder and lightning to collect the wrath of heaven, and stop like the sparkling and calm rivers and seas." It can be seen that the dance in the Tang Dynasty had a great influence on society. Peiman's sword dance, Zhang Xu's cursive script and Wu Daozi's painting are called "Three Wonders of Kaiyuan". "Duyizhi" records that "people pull left and right, throwing swords into the clouds, dozens of feet high. If lightning strikes, humans hold the scabbard in their hands and the sword falls from the air. There are thousands of viewers and they are all afraid. " It is very close to the stick exercise in rhythmic gymnastics today.