Comments on: Par for the course… http://www.froginawell.net/china/2006/01/par-for-the-course/ The China History Group Blog Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:35:30 -0800 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: Alan Baumler http://www.froginawell.net/china/2006/01/par-for-the-course/comment-page-1/#comment-234 Alan Baumler Sat, 14 Jan 2006 16:16:37 +0000 http://www.froginawell.net/china/?p=74#comment-234 Amanda, The soccer thing is of course silly, but there is a lot in Lewis <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0791400778/qid=1137254575/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-7704249-1142558?s=books&v=glance&n=283155" rel="nofollow">Sanctioned Violence in Early China</a> on kickball in early China. This is the type of data that can easily be re-worked into evidence of 'soccer' if one is in the mood. The old kickball game was seen as good training for war, and also as having cosmic significance. It is an ancestor, I think, of Kemari, the hacky-sack game that Shinto priests play. Amanda,
The soccer thing is of course silly, but there is a lot in Lewis Sanctioned Violence in Early China on kickball in early China. This is the type of data that can easily be re-worked into evidence of ‘soccer’ if one is in the mood.
The old kickball game was seen as good training for war, and also as having cosmic significance. It is an ancestor, I think, of Kemari, the hacky-sack game that Shinto priests play.

]]> By: Amanda Shuman http://www.froginawell.net/china/2006/01/par-for-the-course/comment-page-1/#comment-224 Amanda Shuman Fri, 13 Jan 2006 04:54:59 +0000 http://www.froginawell.net/china/?p=74#comment-224 That's funny you should mention this topic. I'm in the middle of reading Susan Brownell's book <i>Training the Body for China: Sports in the Moral Order of the People's Republic</i> (1995). At the end of the historical overview chapter she mentions that the Chinese claimed soccer was played during the Han dynasty (using an inflated bladder). I think your point is similar to what Brownell says about the Chinese claiming to have invented certain sports -- but certainly, this doesn't come as much surprise since the 2008 Olympics are now only two years away. I think they're just trying to increase support for the nation again... but that's not new. I also just picked up a book by Dong Jingxia on women and sports in China, though her focus is on elite participation rather than Brownell's focus on sports, body culture, and the nation. It was written in 2003. Finally, I checked out Andrew Morris' <i>Marrow of the Nation</i>, about the development of modern sports in Republican China. Has anyone read any of these books? I'd love to hear your opinions. So far, I find Brownell's book focused heavily on body culture and politics and her own experience, but I like her focus on overall modern changes in exercise (and the involvement of politics of the state) rather than on specific people. That’s funny you should mention this topic. I’m in the middle of reading Susan Brownell’s book Training the Body for China: Sports in the Moral Order of the People’s Republic (1995). At the end of the historical overview chapter she mentions that the Chinese claimed soccer was played during the Han dynasty (using an inflated bladder). I think your point is similar to what Brownell says about the Chinese claiming to have invented certain sports — but certainly, this doesn’t come as much surprise since the 2008 Olympics are now only two years away. I think they’re just trying to increase support for the nation again… but that’s not new.

I also just picked up a book by Dong Jingxia on women and sports in China, though her focus is on elite participation rather than Brownell’s focus on sports, body culture, and the nation. It was written in 2003. Finally, I checked out Andrew Morris’ Marrow of the Nation, about the development of modern sports in Republican China. Has anyone read any of these books? I’d love to hear your opinions. So far, I find Brownell’s book focused heavily on body culture and politics and her own experience, but I like her focus on overall modern changes in exercise (and the involvement of politics of the state) rather than on specific people.

]]>