Chapter 11 Chapter 5 Ancient Wrestling

In the seventy-fourth chapter of "Water Margin", there is a wonderful description of a wrestling match. It is about a group arena match between Liangshan hero and wrestler Yan Qing and Ren Yuan, who is known as "Optimus Prime".In this competition, Yan Qing adopted a late-strike strategy. First, he dealt with the opponent with flexible footwork. crotch, supported his chest with his shoulder blades, lifted Ren Yuan straight up, top-heavy, and turned four or five times with his strength, and turned to the side of the altar...Put Ren Yuan head down, feet on top, straight down to the altar This pounce is called "pigeon spin." From other descriptions of this round, we also know that wrestling was called "sumo wrestling" in the Song Dynasty.There are prizes in the wrestling competition. In Yanqing's wrestling competition, apart from a full-on pommel horse, there are also some other "objects" placed on the "mountain shed".Wrestling in the Song Dynasty had a competition rule called "Sumo Club Rules", one of which was "no tricks are allowed", and kicks can also be used in the competition.The wrestling competition was deeply loved by the people at that time, not only hosted by the state officials, but also tens of thousands of spectators.

Wrestling is a very ancient sport. It has a history of thousands of years in China and has undergone many changes. The Song Dynasty wrestling mentioned above is just a fragment in the long history of wrestling development. There was no word "wrestling" in ancient China. The earliest words were "jiaodi" and "wrestling", and later there were "hand fighting", "wrestling [zuo yesterday] Hu", "sumo wrestling", "pat Zhang" and so on.Its origin can be traced back to ancient times without written records.There is such a legend in the Qin and Han Dynasties that about 4,600 years ago, the tribe of the Yellow Emperor and the tribe of Chiyou had a great battle in Zhuolu (now Zhuo County, Hebei Province). Arriving at people", unstoppable.So later on among the common people in this area, there was a game of wearing ox horns on their heads and fighting against each other in twos and threes, which was called "Chi You Opera" ("Shu Yi Ji Volume 1").This kind of fighting is one of the oldest forms of fighting in China. Some later confrontational sports, such as boxing and wrestling, are directly related to fighting.In the Western Zhou Dynasty, people called unarmed combat "wrestling", which was an important part of military training.Every winter, the emperor of the Zhou Dynasty would call his generals together to let them practice archery and wrestling, and personally check the training effect ("Book of Rites·Yue Ling").Because wrestling is also a kind of competition, the two sides of wrestling not only need to fight for strength and courage, but also for wisdom and strategy to subdue their opponents. Sexual entertainment.Therefore, by the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, this kind of hand-to-hand wrestling actually became an activity that combined martial arts training and entertainment.People often wrestle for fun. In 1955, a bronze wrestling openwork sculpture of the Warring States Period was unearthed in Hakshingzhuang, Chang'an County, Shaanxi Province, which allows people to see the vivid scene of folk wrestling at that time.I saw two big men wearing only trousers, with their upper bodies naked, each clasping the other's waist with one hand, and pulling the other's leg with the other.There is a horse behind each of the big men, quietly waiting for the result of this game.This is the earliest image of wrestling in ancient China that people have seen so far.

After Qin Shihuang unified China, he believed that the world would be peaceful from now on, and that he could enjoy peace forever. He forbade the common people to hide weapons privately, and the atmosphere of martial arts practice also declined.Wrestling was changed to "Jiaodi", and it became a performance specially for the court to appreciate, called "Jiaodi Opera".The second emperor of the Qin Dynasty, Hu Hai, loved to watch Jiaodi. When the Second Emperor of Qin enjoyed watching Jiaodi in Ganquan Palace, no one should disturb him, even Prime Minister Li Siyou. If you come to ask for an interview on state affairs, you will also be rejected ("Historical Records Biography of Li Si").

In the Western Han Dynasty, the national power was strong, and the need for cultural entertainment of the ruling class became more intense. Therefore, the content of Jiaodi Opera continued to increase, and finally developed into a prosperous and lively entertainment including wrestling, singing and dancing, acrobatics, magic, etc. A large-scale comprehensive performance in one form.Although wrestling is only one of the performances, it is deeply loved by the people.Many emperors in the Han Dynasty, including Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, were enthusiastic lovers and supporters of Jiaodi opera, especially Emperor Ai of the Han Dynasty, who was not interested in other entertainment activities, but liked to watch wrestling competitions ("Han Shu·Ai Di Ji").Some high-ranking officials and dignitaries are also good at wrestling. For example, the important minister of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Jin Riyi [di Di] was good at wrestling. When he found out that Mang Heluo was rebelling, he used the wrestling technique and threw Mang Heluo to His Highness at once. ("Han Shu Jin Ridou Biography").Sun Hao (242-283 A.D.), the subjugated king of Wu during the Three Kingdoms period, also liked to watch sumo wrestling.But like many stupid emperors, Sun Hao also had a morbid appreciation mentality. He ordered the court ladies to wear gold jewelry with pendant beads on their heads for sumo competitions for his entertainment. Let the craftsmen continue to make new replacements (the fourth and second volumes of "Ancient and Modern Book Integration" quoted "Jiang Biao Zhuan").

Judging from the unearthed cultural relics, there have been several different types of wrestling in the Han Dynasty. One is the wrestling method in the openwork wrestling of the Warring States Period mentioned above. The method is the method in the lacquer painting "Wrestling Picture" unearthed in 1975 on the wooden grate in the Fenghuang Mountain Qin Tomb in Jiangling, Hubei: there is no fixed method of holding, and various forms such as hitting, hitting, throwing, and holding can be used; The wrestling method of fixedly hugging the opponent's waist in the Koguryo wrestling diagram of the Eastern Han Dynasty unearthed in Donggou, Ji'an, Jilin.The wrestlers in these unearthed cultural relics are all bare-chested, wearing only trousers or shorts, strong and powerful men.

Wrestling is a fighting technique, which requires contests and exchanges between various types of wrestlers, in order to absorb nutrients from different genres and styles of wrestling and fighting methods, and develop.There were many opportunities for this kind of exchange among ancient Chinese wrestlers. For example, exchanges with the Western Regions, where wrestling was quite developed, frequently appeared in history books. Jin Ridun mentioned above came from the Huns.Of course, due to the narrow national sentiment of the people at that time, this kind of art exchange often became a life-and-death struggle, and sometimes there were serious consequences of disability or even the death of the wrestler on the spot.For example, during the reign of Sima Yan, Emperor Wu of Jin Dynasty, a barbarian who was good at wrestling came from the Western Regions. He was invincible, and the people of Jin dared not fight with him. Yu Dong fought fiercely with this Hu man and threw him to death ("Book of Jin Yu Chan Biography").

As wrestling has gradually become an indispensable part of performances during banquet celebrations and entertaining guests, "Jiaodai Team" has gradually appeared in the palace guards since the Southern and Northern Dynasties, specializing in practicing and performing Jiaodai ("Sui Shu·Etiquette Records VII") ").In the Tang Dynasty, this kind of professional wrestlers had a more formal organization called "Sumo Shed". This kind of professional sumo team specially performing for the court gathered master wrestlers. For example, in the late Tang Dynasty, a man named Meng Wanying is a wrestler with quick reactions and quick movements. He was selected into the sumo shed at the age of fourteen or fifteen. When he grew up, he was invincible in sumo wrestling. It was rewarded, and also won the reputation of "Win Win" ("Wrestling Ji·Archaeology").Emperors of the Tang Dynasty, such as Mu Zong, Jing Zong, Wen Zong and Xi Zong were all enthusiastic spectators of wrestling.The wrestling matches in the Tang Dynasty were often played as the finale after all the performances were over, pushing the whole performance to a climax.Wrestling is carried out in a very strong atmosphere. First, the two teams of majestic soldiers on the left and right beat the big drums resounding through the sky. Amid the drums that shake people's hearts, the wrestlers bare their upper bodies and show off their muscular bodies. Bronze shoulders and iron arms, male and female, appear on the stage with arrogance, and then you come and go, hug your waist and hook your legs, do your best, and never give up, regardless of whether you are superior or inferior ("Tang Yingui Sign" Volume 10 Four).Wrestling matches are often carried out very intensely, and accidents of "broken heads and broken arms" often occur ("Old Tang Book·Jing Zong Ji").Competitions between some highly skilled wrestlers often last for a long time, and they are still indistinguishable, just like someone drew a wrestling picture on the wall at that time. Do not give in.He also wrote a poem: "The foolish man hooks the white man's neck, and the white man catches the fool's pastern (that is, the calf); if a person can't tell the winner from the loser, he will wait until the heart of the wall to exchange" ("Wrestling Ji Miscellaneous Talk").Here the author said very humorously that only when the wall fell down could the two of them fall to the ground.

Wrestling was also popularized in the army of the Tang Dynasty, and some master wrestlers who were good at sumo also appeared in the army. These people were rough, brave and heroic. Volume 4 of "Tang Yulin" records such a story, the four wrestlers of the Zhenhai garrison, named Fu Canglong, Shen Wanshi, Feng Wuqian, and Qian Zitao, received a special "reward" before the match. He bought a large pot of half-baked old beef with skin and tendons, cut it into large pieces, and put them on a big plate for them to eat.Three of them were terrified when they saw it, and they dared not say anything. Only Feng Wuqian, with eyes wide open, took it with both hands, and chomped.After eating, there was a wrestling match, and Feng Wuqian won a complete victory.In the Tang Dynasty, ordinary people also loved wrestling. After Meng Wanying, a master wrestler in the palace sumo shed mentioned above, became famous, he was often invited to teach skills among the people. There were hundreds of young people learning from him. ("The Story of Wrestling · Archeology").

Some even became high officials because of their unarmed combat skills.For example, during the Five Dynasties, the Later Liang Dynasty was destroyed, and the Later Tang Dynasty was established. Zhuang Zong Li Cunxu (xu Xu), who proclaimed himself emperor, liked to compete with others and often won games.In the fifth year of Tianyou (youyou) (908 A.D.), he joked to Li Cunxian, who had outstanding physical strength and was good at fighting, that if you wrestle with you, I will reward you with a county.Immediately, the two fought, and Li Cunxian won, and Zhuangzong named him the governor of Weizhou ("Old History of the Five Dynasties·Li Cunxian Biography").

The wrestling in the Song Dynasty has given us many vivid descriptions.During this period, wrestling became more popular in society, and the number of professional wrestlers who performed for the court increased.These people were called "neiwaizi" in the Song Dynasty, and they were a team with 120 places.These people are not rabble that can fight from the market, but selected wrestlers from the army. They are managed by the "Li Yuqian Zhongzuo Juntou Introduction Division". There is a fixed selection and competition system. The level of skill is different, and different salaries are received. "Neiwaizi" not only wrestled for the emperor in the palace, winning the smiles of the princes and nobles, but also served as bodyguards by clenching his fists and guarding the royal driver when the emperor was traveling (Volume 20 of "Menglianglu").With the development of the city and the needs of citizens for cultural and entertainment, a large number of folk sumo wrestlers have also appeared among the people.These entertainers who travel around the rivers and lakes rely on performing arts to make a living, and often possess unique skills, which greatly promote the improvement of wrestling skills. From their stage names or nicknames in the rivers and lakes, we can imagine their superb skills: knocking down the mountain, iron plate, song King Kong, Daoti Mountain, Saibanta, Zhou Jikuai, Dong Jikuai, Wang Jikuai... ("Old Stories of Wulin", "Meng Liang Lu").In the Song Dynasty, female sumo wrestlers also appeared. According to Wu Zimu's "Mengliang Lu", there were 10 people in Lin'an named Sai Guansuo, Xiao Sanniang, Hei Sijie, Zhang Chun, etc. They often participated in the competition and won prizes.According to historical records, on the 18th day of the first lunar month during the Jiayou period of Emperor Renzong of Song Dynasty, Renzong watched the performances of various artists in Xuandemen, among which there were female sumo wrestlers performing wrestling with their upper body naked, and were rewarded by the emperor (Qingyu Quyuan "Tea Fragrance" Room Cong Banknotes Continued Notes").Sima Guang, a famous historian in the Song Dynasty, felt that it was a violation of etiquette for female artists to wrestle in front of a large audience without their shirts on. Sima Wengong Collection "Volume 3).These folk sumo artists also set up their own organization "Jiaodishe", which is probably the earliest "wrestling association" in Chinese history.Because wrestling had a great impact on society, it aroused the strong interest of some literati, and felt that it was necessary to do some serious research on this topic. Therefore, at this time, a book reviewing the development and evolution of wrestling appeared. The work, this is Tiao Luzi's "Wrestling", this wrestling monograph is more than 1,000 years ago, and it is also the earliest sports history work in my country.

Since the Qin and Han Dynasties, wrestling in ancient China has mainly developed in the direction of performance, and the value of viewing is getting higher and higher, while the original role of martial arts training and fitness is gradually decreasing.This shortcoming was made up for by the two ethnic minorities from the prairie who came to dominate the Central Plains, namely the Mongols who ruled the Yuan Dynasty and the Manchus who ruled the Qing Dynasty.The Mongolian people regard archery, horse riding and wrestling as "men's triathlon", which are skills that every man must master, and list them as the main content of the "Nadam" conference. During the period of Genghis Khan, "Nadam" was just a kind of activity of offering sacrifices to heaven, including archery, horse riding and wrestling.Later, it developed into an annual traditional event with these three activities as the main content.The winners of the Naadam Conference often win high honors and are considered national warriors. Therefore, almost all Mongolian boys are good wrestlers.This kind of wrestling is regardless of weight class, has no time limit, and the outcome is determined by one wrestling. Therefore, it is very intense. During the competition, legs are not allowed to be hugged. Except for the soles of the feet, any part of the body will fail if it touches the ground.At the beginning of the competition, the singer sang a melodious and heroic song to encourage the athletes, and then the "Buheqin" (wrestlers) wearing "Zhaodege" (wrestling uniforms) and Mongolian boots danced and danced. The unique eagle step of the Mongolian people leaps out.The prairie is green like a blanket, and the bronze nails on the wrestling uniforms of the athletes are shining with gold, which further highlights their heroism.There are usually three or four pairs of wrestlers in the wrestling at the Naadam Conference at the same time, which makes the scene more powerful.In the end, the champion who beat all the heroes not only won a lot of prizes, but was also called "the brave wrestler".The athletes did not give in to each other on the court, and the competition was full of vigor, but the atmosphere off the court was very friendly, which fully reflected good sportsmanship.According to the records of the Qing people, the Mongolian people living in Xinjiang, in the wrestling competition of the sacrificial activities in April every year, the wrestlers stand in two rows in east and west, and then two people jump out of the field and twist together to wrestle. Once the outcome has been determined and the wrestling is over, the winner will help the loser up, and the two hug each other affectionately, rubbing each other's cheeks to show their friendship ("Qing Barnyard Banknotes · Skill and Courage"). Wrestling is not only a daily homework for Mongolian men to practice martial arts and entertainment, some Mongolian women have also mastered amazing wrestling skills.Marco Polo, a famous Italian traveler who visited China during the Yuan Dynasty, told such a story in his travel notes: King Haidu had a daughter named Princess Mingyue, who was very beautiful but had a strong personality. An extraordinary wrestling kung fu.When it came time to choose a spouse and a son-in-law, she ran into a lot of trouble. She couldn't find her ideal husband, because the princess had said beforehand that the person she wanted to marry must be able to beat her in wrestling, otherwise she would never marry.The boys in Haidu had no hope, because they were no match for the princess, so the matter was delayed.Until 1280 A.D., a handsome prince came from afar, bringing a team of attendants and 1,000 horses to propose marriage. The king of Haidu was very happy. Thinking that the princess was very serious about her words, she would never show mercy and let this suitor who came from afar "get away with it".During the competition, both sides used their housekeeping skills and fought fiercely for a long time. In the end, it was Princess Mingyue who threw the prince who proposed marriage to the ground.Whether this story is exaggerated or not, there is no need to delve into it. It shows that it is true that Mongolian women practice wrestling. The rulers of the Qing Dynasty maintained the traditional customs of the Jurchens (later renamed Manchus) who loved wrestling, and the Manchus called wrestling "Buku".After the Qing royal family entered the customs, they vigorously advocated wrestling. One was to use wrestling to train soldiers, and the other was to use wrestling as a recreational activity.The Eight Banners Army, a direct descendant of the Qing royal family, often held wrestling matches, and the losers were punished with cattle and sheep, so the Eight Banners Army had many good wrestlers.The imperial court selected youths with outstanding wrestling skills from the Eight Banners to set up the Shanpu Camp. They would come out to perform at every state banquet and celebration, and come out to compete with foreign guests ("Xiaoting Miscellaneous Records·Sumo Camp").Speaking of which, this Shanpu camp has an unusual history related to Emperor Kangxi.When Kangxi first became emperor, he was only eight years old. All the power in the court was controlled by the Minister of State and Affairs, Oboi.When Kangxi was 15 years old, he couldn't bear it anymore and decided to get rid of Obai and regain power.However, at this time, Oboi had installed many cronies inside and outside the court, so it was difficult to start.So Kangxi came up with a clever plan. He selected more than a dozen strong and fit little eunuchs to practice wrestling all day long as a game. One day Aobai came to the palace, and Kangxi gave an order, and these well-trained wrestlers immediately put Aoboi to the palace. Take it down and execute it immediately (Volume 1 of Yao Yuanzhi's "Miscellaneous Notes on the Bamboo Leaf Pavilion").Because the little wrestler made such a great contribution, after Kangxi regained power, he established the Shanpu Camp, which gathered the best wrestlers from all over the world. These people not only served as the emperor's attendants, defended the emperor's safety, but also performed for the emperor with exquisite skills. , so won the emperor's trust and love. Wrestling in the Qing Dynasty can be divided into two types, one is the traditional Mongolian and Manchu wrestling, called "buku", also known as kicking.In this style of wrestling, you can win as long as you knock your opponent to the ground.When wrestling, one needs to wear a white cloth called "裲 [liang] crotch" wrestling clothes. The short shirt has narrow sleeves, and the collar and front are sewn with seven or eight layers of cloth with thousands of stitches and threads. They are also tough, able to withstand the rough and tumble of those strong men, and wear a pair of short boots under their feet.This kind of wrestling mainly relies on the kung fu of the feet, using various tripping methods to make the opponent lose his body balance ("Miscellaneous Notes on the Roof Exposure · Miscellaneous Plays of Jumping Camels and Lifting Feet").The other is Erut-style wrestling. This kind of wrestling does not wear wrestling clothes, and the upper body is naked. The winner cannot be decided by only throwing the opponent to the ground. ("Three Collections of Imperial Poems Sumo"). In this way, after thousands of years of evolution, wrestling has developed from the very extensive content of fighting and wrestling at the beginning to Buku and Erut in the Qing Dynasty, and it is getting closer and closer to modern wrestling. Wrestling also has a long tradition in other ethnic groups in China.For example, in Korean wrestling, wrestlers are required to wrap a belt around their waist, and tie the two ends of a three-meter-long linen or white cloth to the belt and the right leg respectively. This is called a "leg belt".The preparation posture before the start of the match is also unique: the two wrestlers kneel on the ground with their right knees, their left legs bent, their right hands buckle each other's belts, and their left hands hold each other's leg belts, and then the referee gives an order to start the fierce competition.The "horse wrestling" of Kirgiz youths involves wrestlers riding horses. When two horses cross each other, they twist and pull each other's arms to pull each other off the horse. The rule is that they are not allowed to grab clothes, but only grab the opponent's arm below the elbow joint.When the Yi people hold a wedding, in order to wish the newlyweds happiness and happiness, they have the custom of wrestling on behalf of the male and female families at the wedding.You can only use your shoulders, arms, and waist to do movements, and you can't use your feet to trip.Standing on your shoulders is the loser.The two sides agreed on the number of wrestlers, and each pair only wrestled once, without referees. In order to show friendship, no one was willing to win a complete victory. The unique Kazakh wrestling on horseback and the wrestling method of putting legs in pockets; the "Kashgar-style" and "Turpan-style" wrestling of the Uyghurs; and the wrestling of the Dong, Li and other ethnic groups have their own characteristics, greatly enriching China. The content of ancient wrestling.