![Shuaijiao taizhou jiangsu 2007 11 24 IMG 2741](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Shuaijiao_taizhou_jiangsu_2007_11_24_IMG_2741.JPG)
Shuai Jiao () is the term pertaining to the ancient
jacket wrestling
Jacket wrestling is a form of wrestling and one of the oldest form of sports that has been practiced in both Europe and Asia going back many centuries. It generally involves two contestants wearing jackets and belts attempting to Takedown (grappl ...
wushu style of Beijing, Tianjin and Baoding of Hebei Province in the
North China Plain
The North China Plain or Huang-Huai-Hai Plain () is a large-scale downfaulted rift basin formed in the late Paleogene and Neogene and then modified by the deposits of the Yellow River. It is the largest alluvial plain of China. The plain is bord ...
which was codified by Shan Pu Ying (善撲营 The Battalion of Excellency in Catching) of the Nei Wu Fu (内務府, Internal Administration Unit of Imperial Household Department). In modern usage it is also the general
Mandarin Chinese
Mandarin (; ) is a group of Chinese (Sinitic) dialects that are natively spoken across most of northern and southwestern China. The group includes the Beijing dialect, the basis of the phonology of Standard Chinese, the official language of ...
term for any form of
wrestling
Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...
, both inside and outside China. As a generic name, it may be used to cover various styles of wrestling practiced in
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
in the form of a
martial arts
Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...
system or a sport. The art was introduced to
Southern China
South China () is a geographical and cultural region that covers the southernmost part of China. Its precise meaning varies with context. A notable feature of South China in comparison to the rest of China is that most of its citizens are not n ...
in the Republican era (see
Republic of China (1912–1949)
The Republic of China (ROC), between 1912 and 1949, was a sovereign state recognised as the official designation of China when it was based on Mainland China, prior to the Retreat of the government of the Republic of China to Taiwan, relocat ...
) after 1911.
History
![Shuaijiao masters tianjin 1930](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/Shuaijiao_masters_tianjin_1930.jpg)
Over 6,000 years ago, the earliest Chinese term for wrestling, "jǐao dǐ" (
角抵, ''horn butting''), refers to an ancient style of military
Kung-Fu
Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common ...
in which soldiers wore horned headgear with which they attempted to butt, throw and defeat their enemies. Ancient Chinese imperial records state that "jiao di" was used in 2697 BC by the soldiers of a rebel army led by
Chiyou
Chiyou (蚩尤, ) is a mythological being that appears in East Asian mythology.
Individual
According to the Song dynasty history book ''Lushi (book), Lushi'', Chiyou's surname was Jiang (surname 姜), Jiang (), and he was a descendant of Flame E ...
against the
Yellow Emperor
The Yellow Emperor, also known as the Yellow Thearch or by his Chinese name Huangdi (), is a deity ('' shen'') in Chinese religion, one of the legendary Chinese sovereigns and culture heroes included among the mytho-historical Three Soverei ...
's army.
[ In later times, young people would play a similar game, emulating the contests of domestic cattle, without the headgear. Jiao di has been described as an originating source of wrestling and latter forms of martial arts in ]China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
.
"Jiao li" (角力) was first referenced in the ''Classic of Rites
The ''Book of Rites'', also known as the ''Liji'', is a collection of texts describing the social forms, administration, and ceremonial rites of the Zhou dynasty as they were understood in the Warring States and the early Han periods. The ''Book o ...
''[ during the ]Zhou Dynasty
The Zhou dynasty ( ; Old Chinese ( B&S): *''tiw'') was a royal dynasty of China that followed the Shang dynasty. Having lasted 789 years, the Zhou dynasty was the longest dynastic regime in Chinese history. The military control of China by th ...
. Jiao li supplemented throwing techniques with strikes, blocks, joint lock
A joint lock is a grappling technique involving manipulation of an opponent's joints in such a way that the joints reach their maximal degree of motion and hyperextension.
In judō these are referred to as, 関節技 ''kansetsu-waza'', "joint loc ...
s and attacks on pressure point
derive from the supposed meridian points in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Indian Ayurveda and Siddha medicine, and martial arts. They refer to areas on the human body that may produce significant pain or other effects when manipulated in a specific ...
s.[ These exercises were practiced in the winter by soldiers who also practiced ]archery
Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In m ...
and studied military strategy
Military strategy is a set of ideas implemented by military organizations to pursue desired strategic goals. Derived from the Greek word '' strategos'', the term strategy, when it appeared in use during the 18th century, was seen in its narrow s ...
.
Jiao li eventually became a public sport held for court amusement as well as for recruiting the best fighters. Competitors wrestled each other on a raised platform called a "lei tai
The ''lei tai'' is an elevated fighting arena, without railings, where often fatal weapons and bare-knuckle martial arts tournaments were once held. "Sanctioned" matches were presided over by a referee on the platform and judges on the sides. F ...
" for the potential reward of being hired as a bodyguard
A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects a person or a group of people — usually witnesses, high-ranking public officials or officers, w ...
to the emperor
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
or a martial arts instructor for the Imperial Military. Jiao li was taught to soldiers in China over many centuries and its popularity among the military guaranteed its influence on later Chinese martial arts through the end of the Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
.
Qing dynasty and Republican Era
The Manchu rulers of the Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
enjoyed wrestling. In the Qing dynasty, wrestling was referred to as liaojiao, guanjiao, buku and jueli/jiaoli. The Kangxi Emperor
The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 1654– 20 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, born Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1661 to 1 ...
was reported to have established the Shanpuying (Manchu: buku kifu kvwaran). This was an institution dedicated to training wrestlers. The camp was located in Beijing and counted 300 members, of which 50 were archers, 50 were riders and the remaining 200 were wrestlers. The camp was split into two wings, left and right, based on which way the direction the camps are located from the perspective of the Imperial Palace. Each of the wings was headed by a different wing commander, both of whom answered to the same Zongtong Dachen 總統大臣 (President). The likely purpose of this split of the camp, Yuhuan writes, was to stimulate rivalry between the two sides so that the wrestlers would always remain competitive. Its members, also called Puhu (or Buku in Manchu) were expected to perform a variety of duties such as guarding the Emperor and wrestling with Central-Asian tribute bearers.
Aside from their normal work, the wrestlers could also earn money by receiving rewards from the Emperor by doing extra duties such as performing at banquets and accompanying the Emperor on his battue hunts. The Mulan Battue/Mulan Autumn Hunt (Mulan Weilie/Mulan Qiuxian 木蘭圍獵/木蘭秋獮) was a Manchu tradition named after the Manchu word muran for the battue held during the deer mating season. The Emperors of the Qing would go to Chengde, beyond the Great Wall, to hold this event. In the event the Inner-Eurasian heritage of the Manchus would be celebrated and Inner-Eurasian subjects of the Manchus, mainly Mongolic, Turkic and Tibetan lords would be invited to join the Great Khan in the festivities. Zhao Yi records that the Mulan hunts were organised so frequently "to subjugate all Mongols, make them harbour fear urmight and respect urvirtue, yrepressing the head and have them submit so that they do not dare to have llintentions."
After the fall of the Qing dynasty, many of the former members of the Shanpuying were forced to make a living teaching wrestling or by busking on the streets. For example, the progenitor of Beijing wrestling was an instructor of the Shanpuying known as Wan Baye (宛八爷), or Wan Yongshun (宛永顺). Wan Yongshun was the founder of the Tianqiao Wrestling School, a prominent wrestling school in Beijing, which gained great popularity in Beijing. This kind of wrestling was unique as it was a blend between the comedic performance art xiangsheng 相声 (crosstalk) and wrestling, creating a form of comedic performance wrestling art known as wuxiangsheng 武相声 (martial crosstalk).
Wrestling made its way into the Central Guoshu Academy by way of Ma Liang, who wrote the first wrestling manual in China. Shuaijiao was henceforth formalised in 1917 through the manual Zhonghua Xin Wushu 中華新武術 ew Chinese Martial Artswritten by Ma Liang, which was disseminated by the educational department of the Republican Government. This formalised style has been taught in schools since 1928.
The term "shuai jiao" was chosen by the Central Guoshu Academy (Zhong Yang Guo Shu Guan 中央國術館) of Nanjing
Nanjing (; , Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Nanking, is the capital of Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China. It is a sub-provincial city, a megacity, and the second largest city in the East China region. T ...
in 1928 when competition rules were standardized
. Subsequently, the first Chinese Shuaijiao competition was held in 1935. The art continues to be taught in the police
The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...
and military academies
A military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps. It normally provides education in a military environment, the exact definition depending on the country concerned. ...
of China.
Translation
The word "shuai," 摔, stands for "to throw onto the ground", while "jiao" may be one of two characters: the first and older, 角, stands for "horns Horns or The Horns may refer to:
* Plural of Horn (instrument), a group of musical instruments all with a horn-shaped bells
* The Horns (Colorado), a summit on Cheyenne Mountain
* ''Horns'' (novel), a dark fantasy novel written in 2010 by Joe Hill ...
" and the second and recent, 跤, stands for "wrestle or trip using the legs". In modern Chinese Shuai Jiao is always written using the more recent characters 跤, and should be translated as "to throw onto the ground through wrestling with legs". The use of the character 角 is because in the earliest form of Shuaijiao, players wore helmet with horns and head-butting was allowed. This form of Shuaijiao is called 'Ciyou Xi'.
Styles of Chinese wrestling
Chinese wrestling can be divided into the following styles:
Zhili
Zhili, alternately romanized as Chihli, was a northern administrative region of China since the 14th-century that lasted through the Ming dynasty and Qing dynasty until 1911, when the region was dissolved, converted to a province, and renamed ...
(直隷) or Hebei
Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, an ...
(河北) Style – This style traces the lineage to the Yellow Emperor who fought two decisive battles against Chi You and Yan Emperor in modern-day Zhang Jia Kou (張家口) Region in Northern Hebei, to the NW of Beijing. The modern training methods and rules are codified by Shan Pu Ying (善撲营 The Battalion of Excellency in Catching) of the Nei Wu Fu (内務府, Internal Administration Unit of Imperial Household Department). It comprises Beijing, Tianjin and Baoding styles, listed below. Wrestlers wear a jacket called Da Lian.
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
Style (北京) – This is in essence the lineage from the Manchu Buku style that was practiced by the Imperial Guards Brigade
The Imperial Guards () of the Qing dynasty were a select detachment of Manchu and Mongol bannermen responsible for guarding the Forbidden City in Beijing, the emperor, and the emperor's family. The Imperial Guards were divided into three groups: ...
, Shan Pu Ying (善撲营, literally the Expert in Wrestling Unit). The main characteristic is the use of the legs to kick and off-balance opponents, and the use of arm locks.
Tianjin
Tianjin (; ; Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Tientsin (), is a municipality and a coastal metropolis in Northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the nine national central cities in Mainland China, with a total popul ...
Style (天津) – This is the lineage of Ming Dynasty wrestling mixed with Manchu Buku (布庫). The main characteristic is the use of legs to kick and off-balance, and the use of forearms in blocking and striking.
Baoding
Baoding (), formerly known as Baozhou and Qingyuan, is a prefecture-level city in central Hebei province, approximately southwest of Beijing. As of the 2010 census, Baoding City had 11,194,382 inhabitants out of which 2,176,857 lived in the b ...
Style (保定) – This is the lineage that is called Kuai Jiao (快跤) or "Fast Wrestling". The main characteristic is the fast application of technique. Another characteristic is the adaptation of Shaolin Quan from Ping Jingyi, a famous teacher of wrestling who learned Shaolin style from the Meng family of Nanguan County even though he was a Muslim Hui.
Shanxi
Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...
Style (山西) – This is the lineage of Song Dynasty wrestling. It is mainly practiced in the counties between the mining city of Datong in northern Shanxi and the provincial capital Taiyuan in central Shanxi. The main characteristic is leg catching techniques, as traditionally wrestlers wear only tight knee-length pants.
Mongolian Style – This style traces its lineage to the wrestling styles of the Donghu (東胡) Confederation, which included Xianbei
The Xianbei (; ) were a Proto-Mongolic ancient nomadic people that once resided in the eastern Eurasian steppes in what is today Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Northeastern China. They originated from the Donghu people who splintered into the ...
, Khitan and Mongol
The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member of ...
people.
See also
* Chang Dongsheng
Chang Dongsheng (; Xiao'erjing: ) (1908–1986) was a Hui martial artist. He was one of the best-known Chinese wrestling (also known as Shuai jiao) practitioners and teachers.
Biography
Born in 1908 in Baoding, Hebei, Chang was remarkably stron ...
* Bökh
Mongolian wrestling, known as Bökh (Mongolian script: ; Mongolian Cyrillic: Бөх or Үндэсний бөх), is the folk wrestling style of Mongols in Mongolia, Inner Mongolia and other regions where touching the ground with anything other th ...
* Kurash 'HISTORY OF KURASH''
Kurash is an ancient type of upright jacket grappling which originated in the territory of modern Uzbekistan. According to the latest scientific research the age of Kurash is at least three and a half thousand years. Kurash is ...
* Khuresh
Khuresh is a traditional Tuvan wrestling, in Siberia. The word has cognates with Tuvan's sister Turkic languages, for example Turkish '' güreş'' and Tatar ''köräş'' (all ultimately derived from Old Turkic ''keriş'').
See also
*Kurash
*Wrest ...
* Alysh
Alysh () is a Turkic term for Central Asian folk wrestling or "belt wrestling" regulated by United World Wrestling.
Alysh is an upright wrestling style. Competitors wear trousers, jackets and belts, and must hold on to their opponents' belts at ...
* Chin Na
Qinna () is the set of joint lock techniques used in the Chinese martial arts to control or lock an opponent's joints or muscles/tendons so they cannot move, thus neutralizing the opponent's fighting ability. ''Qinna Shu'' ( meaning "technique") ...
* Wu-shi Taijiquan
* Jujutsu
Jujutsu ( ; ja, link=no, 柔術 , ), also known as jiu-jitsu and ju-jitsu, is a family of Japanese martial arts and a system of close combat (unarmed or with a minor weapon) that can be used in a defensive or offensive manner to kill or subdu ...
* Sambo
, aka = Sombo (in English-speaking countries)
, focus = Hybrid
, country = Soviet Union
, pioneers = Viktor Spiridonov, Vasili Oshchepkov, Anatoly Kharlampiev
, famous_pract = List of Practitioners
, oly ...
* Ssireum
''Ssireum'' (Hangul: ) or Korean wrestling is a folk wrestling style and traditional national sport of Korea that began in the fourth century.
In the modern form each contestant wears only a belt (satba) that wraps around the waist and the th ...
* Sumo
is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a ''rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (''dohyō'') or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by thr ...
Notes and references
General references
* ''Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Chinese Language'', entry 35831.82
* ''Chinese Fast Wrestling for Fighting'', Liang, Shou-Yu and Tai D. Ngo,
*''Journal of Asian Martial Arts
The ''Journal of Asian Martial Arts'' (''JAMA'') was a quarterly magazine published by Via Media Publishing Company that covered various aspects of martial arts from Asia, but also included material from other parts of the world. The magazine had i ...
'' Volume 15, No. 1, 2006. Via Media Publishing, Erie Pennsylvania USA.
External links
ShuaijiaoNation.com Online Community
United States Shuai Chiao Association
European Shuai Jiao Union
British Shuai Jiao Union
Combat Shuai Chiao
World Shuai Chiao Society: Shuai Chiao
Mongolian Shuai Jiao Association: Shuai Chiao
Shuai Chiao Association
Middle Kingdom Wrestling - Chinese Pro Wrestling
{{Grappling
Chinese martial arts
Wrestling in China