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Shuai jiao () is the modern term for Chinese and Mongolian wrestling.
The Chinese wrestling art presently called Shùai jīao has a long history and has undergone several changes in both name and form. The earliest term, Jǐao dǐ (horn butting), refers to an ancient sport in which contestants wore horned headgear which they attempted to butt their opponents with. Legend states that Jiao di was used in 2,697 BCE by the Yellow Emperor's army to gore the soldiers of a rebel army led by Chi You. In later times, young people would play a similar game, emulating the contests of domestic cattle, without the headgear.
Early history
Jiao li was a grappling martial art that was developed in the Zhou Dynasty (between tenth and third century BCE). It is generally considered to be the oldest extant Chinese martial art and is among the oldest systematic martial arts in the world. As a military fighting system, Jiao li supplemented throwing techniques with strikes, joint locks and attacks on pressure points. These were practiced in the winter by soldiers who also studied archery and military strategy.
Jiao li eventually became a sport in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BCE), held for court amusement as well as for recruiting the best fighters. Competitors wrestled each other on a raised platform called lei tai for the potential reward of being hired as a bodyguard to the emperor or a martial arts instructor for the Imperial Military. Some contests would last a week or so, with over a thousand participants. Jiao li was taught to soldiers in China over many centuries and influenced the later Chinese martial arts.
The term Shuai jiao was chosen by the Goushu Institute of Nanjing in 1928 when competition rules were standarized. Today, shuai jiao is popular with the Mongols, where it is called Böhke, who hold competitions regularly during cultural events. The art continues to be taught in the police and military academies of China and Taiwan.
Translation
The word shuai, 摔, stands for "to throw onto the ground", while jiao may have two meanings: the first and oldest, 角, stands for "horns" and the second and recent, 跤, stands for "wrestle / trip using the legs". Shuai jiao therefore means either "to throw onto the ground using horns" or "to throw onto the ground through wrestling with legs". 摔跤 means wrestling in chinese.
In Chinese, the term shuaijiao can also be used to refer to wrestling in general, including Western wrestling of various kinds. However, in a Western context, the term refers specifically to Chinese and Mongolian styles of wrestling.
References
- Chinese Kuoshu Institute. History of Shuai Jiao.
January 26 2006> - Burr, Martha. Ching, Gene. 100 Kungfu Styles of the Past Millennium. Kungfumagazine.com.
January 26 2006> - Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Chinese Language, entry 35831.82
- Chinese Fast Wrestling for Fighting, Liang, Shou-Yu and Tai D. Ngo, ISBN 1-886969-49-3
See also
External links
Chinese martial arts | Chinese martial arts terms | Sport in China | Wrestling
"Shuai jiao"