Traditional Sports
The traditional sports of Miao are a kind of ethnic sports that developed with their production and living practice. Its continuation and development connected with the language and customs, festivals, living habits, moral principles, religious belief, code of conduct, values, mode ofthinking, ideology and mentality and feelings ofthe Miao people.It is not only a platform where the Miao people express trust, friendship, harmony and reciprocity among one another, but also an important part ofthe traditional Chinese sports.
Miao has a long history and rich cultural traditions. Owing to the differences in geographical environment, social development, economic life and customs, etc., the traditional sports of Miao take on a colorful look. The common sports of Miao include crossbow shooting, back accessory shooting, swing, magu (hand shuttlecocking), dragon boat racing, horse racing, bullfighting, climbing a ladder of swords, flower pole climbing,slope pole climbing, cloth pheasant netting, muddy foot shooting, lion dance, greeting dragon dance, jumping lion, monkey drum dance, drum dance, baton play, Miao boxing and practicing martial arts, etc.
Because the traditional Miao sports have not only bodybuilding and entertaining effects,but also important cultural and spiritual values, the Miao people always focus on inheriting and developing their own traditional sports. Most of the Miao sports are developed by apprenticeship. In some Miao villages there is a martial arts association established by young people in order to learn from each other by exchanging experience. With the change in their idea in recent years, some people have been offering Miao martial arts classes in an effort to spread the traditional Miao sports, achieving many good results. The popularization ofmodern sports in Miao area accompanies the development of school education. As the traditional Miao sports are inherited and developed in a continual way, the modern sports are spread and popularized in depth. That’s a new feature of the Miao sports culture. Both traditional and modern sports are both important ways in which the Miao people keep fit. Both ofthem play an active role in improving enhancing the physical constitution ofthe Miao people.
(1) Martial Arts
Actually, there are many kinds of Miao martial arts, such as boxing, stick play, flailflinging, meteor roller throwing, etc.
Boxing is also called bare-handed boxing. Its basic steps include standing at attention,fist-making, punch throwing, buffeting, kicking, grabbing, churning, arm-swinging, vital point attacking, punch withdrawal, saluting, etc. In the process ofboxing, the boxer focuses on applying his internal force. He practices boxing fast at one stretch with firm and steady steps while stepping forward and then backward. He looks tough and staunch when moving his feet along a “simple” or “complex” line. The traditional Miao martial arts boast fly kick, foot sweep, strength gathering, etc. Now, when inheriting the Miao boxing, some young people absorb the Chinese boxing skills and focus on machining the two together organically, promoting the development ofthe Miao boxing.
Stick play is a kind ofmartial arts activity with a stick as a weapon. The stick, generally made of bamboo or round timber, is about 2m long and easy to hold. First of all, the play shows the stick to the audience, and then practices the stick by skills. It can be brandished on all sides for an attack or self-defense, being too dizzying to see clearly. In some places,two people can fight against each other with sticks, one launching strikes and the other defending himselfexpeditiously, receiving prolonged applause from the audience. In Weixin County, Zhaotong City, there is a popular stick twisting game, in which either player holds one end of the stick and twists it in the opposite direction until one falls down and fails.That’s also a type ofstick play.
Flail flinging[9] is also one of the martial arts. The flail is made of an iron chain with two sticks on it. When flinging the flail, the player should hold one stick while flinging the other, and then hold both sticks while pulling the flail horizontally to resist the attack from the opponent. During flailing, it is necessary to do a goodjob in grabbing, flinging, rotating and flailing in a low position. The player should exert himself to grab at the flail, fling it accurately, rotate it stably and flail it in a low position horizontally. Otherwise, the flail will miss the target and hurt the player. In a manner of speaking, flailing does not require strict routines, but only skills. As for the source of flail flinging, it is said to evolve from wheat and buckwheat threshing. Now, we can occasionally see some people threshing wheat and buckwheat with a rope tied to two wooden sticks. This shows that the fail might evolve from the way ofthreshing wheat and buckwheat.
Meteor roller throwing is a relatively simple martial art, e.g.. “Throwing” is the only movement, but there is a high requirement for the “throwing” accuracy. The meteor roller is made of an iron chain with an iron ball tied to it. It is just necessary to throw the meteor roller at the target, and there is no routine, but one must practice hard if he wants to hit the target easily. On the one hand, it must be thrown accurately with exertion; on the other hand, it must be taken back quickly and well. Only a bonny player can achieve these two goals and kill the enemy in actual combat. Meteor roller throwing is rarely seen today, but in the past, many people practiced and used it because it was a deadly weapon.
(2) Crossbow Shooting
In the past, there were many beasts ofprey in the Miao area. Additionally, the Miao people often fought a battle. So, they invented the crossbow very early in order to go hunting and fire at the enemy. There is a mythological legend, Sun and Moon Shooting, in which the crossbow was used to shoot the sun and the moon. Later, as there were fewer and fewer hunting activities and warfare, crossbow shooting gradually evolved into a competitive sporting activity.
The crossbow of Miao is similar to that of other ethnic groups. The crossbow base is generally made ofhard chestnut; the crossbow frame is shaped like the moon and made of a hard material with sufficient elasticity; the crossbow string is made of a firm and elastic hemp rope or rubber band. Generally, there is a crossbow groove in the crossbow base for the placement of arrows. There is a “hook”, i.e., “trigger”, under the crossbow base and connected to the rabbet above for shooting. Arrows are generally made of bamboo, with a sharpened front end and a sleeve on the back end. The arrows for hunting and fighting are often equipped with an iron head or coated with venom for higher lethality; the arrows for competitions are not treated this way. For crossbow shooting, it is necessary to first pull the crossbow string into the rabbet. Then, the bowman squats or stands, holding the crossbow base with the crossbow frame kept horizontal to pull the “trigger” to shoot at the target.For a crossbow shooting competition, a target needs to be set up, but the folk people do not care about the ring value, while the one hits the target wins. Some people like using regard as the target, and anybody hits the reward wins it. In some competitions, only the one who hits the target for a certain number oftimes and stay ahead ofall the others can win. During the game, the players can shoot at the same target in turns or shoot at different targets at the same time. Some people, who are highly skilled because they practice regularly, hit the target amazingly accurately.
(3) Flower Pole Climbing
Flower pole climbing refers to climbing a flower pole erected on the flat ground during the Flower Mountain Festival. The flower pole is made of thick Yushania polytricha or bark-free fir wood. Generally, the flower pole is 20-30m high, with branches and leaves on upper end. Before the game, a bottle of wine or a reed-pipe wind instrument is often hung on the top of the flower pole as reward. Whoever climbs up to the top and gets it will have it. Some game rules require that every player should raise both hands above his head, with his back against the flower pole, and keep his head over heels to climb the flower pole. Of course, the simple way is to climb the flower pole with both hands by keep the head upward and feet on the pole. Generally speaking, he same posture should be adopted in a certain game. It is worth noting that in some competitions, the players must play the reed-pipe wind instrument without stop while climbing the flower pole. Obviously, it is very difficult to climb the flower pole this way. So, there are not many people in a place who can climb the flower pole. Sometimes, a competition is none other than y a performance given by an individual or a few people. If a young man takes down the reward not only can receive warm acclamation from the audience, but also may win love from a girl. This can be said to be a great charm offlower pole climbing.
(4) Reed-pipe Wind Instrument Kicking
Reed-pipe wind instrument kicking used to be part of the Miao reed-pipe wind instrument dance[10]. Later, it got separated from the dance and became an independent sport.In the past, two rivals should hold a reed-pipe wind instrument, respectively, and kick each other while playing the instrument. Today, in some regions, “red-pipe wind instrument kicking” is just a title. In other words, both rivals kick each other without holding a reedpipe wind instrument in their hands. During the game, either play can only kick the other’s buttocks, and shall not kick any body part above the waist or grab the other with hands.There is no limit on the direction ofkicking, and either player will win ifhe hits the target for the larger number of times or the other player admits defeat. Usually, if there is no reward, and the players just play with each other, a umpire is not required. The player who feels exhausted or frequently fails to hit the target will show the white feather, and the audience will naturally see the result of the game. In a regulation game, there must be an umpire, who shall separate the two players from each other ifone violates the rules. For the winner of the game, others can challenge him until no one comes out to compete with him before he becomes the final winner. Reed-pipe wind instrument kicking is mainly popular in Wenshan, Mengzi, and some other Miao areas.
(5) Reed-pipe Wind Instrument Rolling
Reed-pipe wind instrument rolling is also part of the reed-pipe wind instrument dance,and it has also become an independent sports activity owing to the high difficulty of movement. It can be performed by one person alone or by two or more people. In a simple mode, the playerjust plays the reed-pipe wind instrument while rolling. In a complex mode,the player needs to stunt, such as bending backward to bite a bowl. That is, the player must bend backward to bite a bowl filled with wine on the ground and drink the wine. It will be difficult to do so if one does not practice hard. Sometimes, there may be flames and sharp swords as obstacles. That is, a few burning oil lamps and sharp swords are set on the ground. The player must roll over the obstacles by stooping while playing the reed-pipe wind instrument. His body cannot be burned by the flames or wounded by the swords. This kind of activity requires superb skills and boasts thrilling performance, often causing the audience to break into a sweat with fright. If a player is careless slightly, his body will be wounded by a sharp sword or burned by fire. The consequence is predictable. Therefore,there are only a few people able to engage in the sport. In some places, the reed-pipe wind instrument can be replaced with a suona horn, but the process is also full of danger. Reedpipe wind instrument rolling, which is something of an acrobatic art, such as human body stacking and horse vaulting, is a sports performance very popular with the Miao people.
(6) Ball Kicking
Ball kicking is popular in Funing County and Guangnan County, Wenshan Prefecture,Yunnan, etc. The ball is actually made of threads and slightly larger than a fist. There are rules ofkicking: After it is thrown high with a hand, the ball needs to be kicked with a foot as the player jumps up. During the game, the umpire keeps an eye on both height and hit rate. The player who kicks the ball higher and keeps a higher hit rate wins the game. The game can be played by two persons alone or in groups. For a group game, different group members can take a pass, and the hit rate can be accumulated. In some villages, people of all ages and both sexes enjoy watching such a game because of the lively atmosphere. In particular, some players may fall to the ground from time to time because of an overhead kick, causing bursts oflaughter.
(7) Top Whipping
Top whipping is a favorite sport ofthe Miao boys, and it popular in almost all the Miao areas. There are two types oftops: one is flat-headed while the other is sharp-headed. Both ofthem are made ofhard wood. Before top whipping, the player should wind a thin thread around the upper part of the top. For the flat-headed top, the thin thread should be tied to short stick. For the sharp-headed top, the thin thread should be twisted steadily around the index finger and middle finger. Then, the player exerts himself to pull the thin thread and the top will get off the thread and rotates on the ground. During the game, there are players in two groups, one of which is “the defensive” while the other is “the offensive”. The number ofthe players in either group must be equal to that ofthe players in the other group,but the number can be large or small. Generally, the game is played best ofthree sets. Ifthe offensive hits the target for three times, they will take an “extra test”. Ifthe offensive misses the target for one time, it will be reduced to “the defensive”. There is a longer distance for the “extra test”, and “the defensive” “takes out” one top only. This means that the difficulty is increased, making it harder to hit the target. If “the offensive” hits the target during the“extra test”, it can continue to be “the offensive” in the second round. If “the offensive”hits the target for three rounds, it will take a “grind test”, i.e., the distance is much longer,and the difficulty is much higher. Therefore, there is not much chance to take a “grind test”.If there are many players in the game, a livelier atmosphere will be created. This game is suitable for both teenagers and youths. It’s required that hit rate should be high and the rotating time should be as long as possible. If “the offensive” fails to “defeat” the other side, it will have to be “the defensive”. Owing to the progressive escalation ofthe game, the players often fail to enjoy themselves to the full when it gets dark, and the entire mountain village is immersed in excitement andjoy.
(8) Playing Rooster-feather Ball
Playing Rooster-feather Ball is analogous to playing badminton, but the Rooster-feather Ball is made of chicken feather inserted into a small bamboo slip or shell case, while the racket is a wooden board with a handle at one end and a rectangular body at the other end. During the game, the two rivals stand face to face with a distance of about 10m, and either player can serve. If they just play shuttlecock for fun, there will be no rules of the game, i.e., neither player will get reward or punishment. But in a regulation game, the player who misses the target shall be beaten on the buttocks by the other player with the racket, but a touch ball counts, too. This kind of competition is generally held between a man and a woman, unmarried or married, and it is just for fun. However, the game is often played by unmarried men and women. Playing Rooster-feather Ball also one of the most favorite sports ofthe Miao people. People ofall ages and both sexes often stand in the same courtyard and play Rooster-feather Ball together. The Rooster-feather Ball flies round and round, looking like a swallow, so interesting. Moreover, when the Rooster-feather Ball bumps on the racket, tick-tack sounds can be heard without end, with a lively atmosphere created. Ifthe player who misses the target is beaten on the buttocks and therefore pretends to feel painful with whoops, the audience will be more joyful. The people often refuse to go away even ifit already gets dark.
(9) Gun Blowing
Gun blowing is primarily popular in Malipo County, Wenshan Prefecture. The “gun”is made of a straight and long bamboo pipe, with a caliber of 1-1.5cm. A “stock” is often mounted under the “gun” in order to make it easier to aim at the target. The “bullet” is a mud pellet made of clay. Before “firing”, the mud pellet is put into the bamboo pipe at the rear end of the gun, and then the “gunner” exerts himself/herself to blow the mud pellet away so that it should fly to the target. Gun blowing is usually used for bird hunting, but the people sometimes conduct training or organize competitions in order to become more skilled. In addition to improving accuracy, frequent gun blowing also helps to increase the vital capacity, thereby making people healthier.
There are also many other traditional sports of the Miao nationality, and only some of them are presented above. Most ofthese physical activities are carried out during festivals.For example, top whipping and shuttlecock striking are generally carried out d on the first and second days of the first month of the New Year; martial arts performance and flower pole climbing, etc. are often carried out at the Flower Mountain Festival. These activities help to the festive atmosphere more joyful and make the people healthier both physically and mentally health. Moreover, these activities help to inherit the history and culture of the Miao nationality. Especially, the sports activities that have been passed down from generation to generation tend to jog the people’s memory of history, thereby urging their children to inherit their ethnic culture and spirit.