BLOOD and GUTS to GLORY A HISTORY OF SPORTS THE FIRST VIDEO-TEXT ON SPORT HISTORY Gerald R. Gems TOTAL HEALTH PUBLICATIONS Copyright 2014 ISBN (epub) 9788293232872 MEET THE AUTHOR Professor Gerald Gems teaches sport history at North CeNtral College iN IlliNois. He is a former presideNt of the North AmericaN Society for Sport History and is the vice president of the International Society for the History of Physical Education and Sport. He is also a member of the ProfessioNal Football Researchers AssociatioN. He is aN iNterNatioNally known speaker on the history of sport and has written several books in the area. He Not oNly has the academic credeNtials of expertise but he has been a successful athlete and an experienced coach of football, baseball, softball, basketball and track as well as an athletic director. He is the recipient of a 2013 prestigious award for exceptional service by the North AmericaN Society for Sport History. His expertise in the history of sport has given him the opportunity to research, teach, lecture and learn throughout the world—giviNg him an unparalleled international expertise in the field of sport. He has been: a Fulbright Senior Scholar in Europe, aN honorary member of the Bangladesh Institute’s for Sport Sciences, a Visiting Professor at Beijing Sports UNiversity aNd is a reviewer for the South AfricaN JourNal for Research in Sport, Physical Education and Recreation. You, the reader, will Now profit from Dr. Gems passioN aNd knowledge. READING A VIDEO-BOOK The text can be read anywhere but for videos to be seen, you must be connected to the Internet. The videos bring to light how ancient and modern sport has been played. Acknowledgement. My thanks to Brian Hoffert, Professor of East Asian Studies at North Central College for proofreading Chapter 1 and correcting my errors. FOREWORD Currently, sport is in the limelight, as the Football World Cup raises the interest and emotions of the populations, not only of the participating countries, but worldwide. Without any doubt, media sport has become a major factor in policies and politics as well as in the everyday lives of peoples. With the increasing debates about health and wellbeing as well as the global wave of obesity, sport (for all) seems also to be an activity and a movement which promises beneficial effects. Thus sport has become an activity and an issue of high relevance in various contexts. The new roles of sport and the current expectations with regard to the benefits of physical activities and sport have to be addressed from a historical perspective and embedded in historical developments, as they help to understand sporting values and practices in the past, but also today. This book presents and discusses the huge variety of sporting practices in various cultures and different time periods. It provides insights into pre-historic hunting cultures, the competitions in Greek antiquity, conducted in the honor of gods, and the gladiator spectacles in the Roman Empire. The role of sport for knights in medieval times, the physical education concepts in the 18th and 19th centuries and the role of modern sport as a tool of politics and as mass entertainment are described and discussed in a way which is informative and entertaining at the same time. Numerous pictures provide visual aids which support understanding. A particular feature is the provision of links to videos e.g. of performances of unfamiliar sports, which illustrate the text and address different learning styles. The inclusion of video material is a unique feature, not found in other books. The author, one of the most prominent sport historians, present historical facts and developments in a way which is informative and entertaining at the same time. The book can be recommended for general historians, sport historians and the general public. It is also very appropriate for the use as a text book- Gertrude Phister Professor Phister iis the Past President of both the International Society for the History of Sport and Physical Education and the International Sport Sociology Association and is currently a professor at the University of Copenhagen. Brief Table of CoNteNts Chapter 1 Sport iN the ANcient World From ChiNa to Rome Chapter 2 Sport iN Medieval Europe Chapter 3 Renaissance Europe Chapter 4 ENgland—The Birthplace of Modern Sport Chapter 5 Sport iN the United States Chapter 6 Sport and Female Liberation Chapter 7 Global Sport Chapter 1 Sport in the Ancient World Physical activity has beeN a Necessity siNce the dawN of maN-kind as people traveled, huNted, aNd fought to survive. DemoNstratioNs of physical prowess eventually evolved into sports with individual and group competitioNs defiNed by rules aNd regulatioNs. The ChiNese are amoNg the oldest civilizations with a record of sporting practices. They generally regarded coNtemplatioN aNd scholarship as more importaNt thaN physicality; but sportiNg eNdeavors might teach Necessary military skills and reinforce cultural values such as respect for authority aNd elders, the social stratificatioN of society, male domiNaNce, aNd proper etiquette. Sports and games ofteN iNcluded aN importaNt aesthetic compoNeNt other than just winning the contest. Sports also provided an opportunity for gambliNg, a characteristic of ChiNese culture. 1 SPORT IN ANCIENT CHINA ChiNese sports caN be traced back several milleNNia as dancers, acrobats, and runners are depicted on pottery and stoNe carviNgs from 8,000 to 2,000 BCE. ONe game, kNowN as jirang, required players to hit a grounded target at a distance of twenty to thirty paces in order to win a point. Individual stunts as well as lifting partners in exhibitions were tied to health practices and recreational activities. By the HaN Dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE) music, daNce, acrobatic displays, aNd eveN wrestliNg evolved iNto a form of gymnastics kNowN as juedixi with public performances featuriNg siNgle haNd staNds, iNverted haNgs from a pole or cart, aNd haNd stands upon a tight rope. Such stuNts evolved iNto the sport of moderN gymnastics aNd remnaNts of such early activities caN still be gleaNed iN the current daily practice of tai chi each morNiNg amoNg the urbaN residents of the nation. As rival groups coNteNded for territory aNd resources for ceNturies martial skills became a Necessity. Arrowheads datiNg back 28,000 years have been found in China, and Confucius, the great philosopher (551 – 479 BCE), advocated the practice of archery (shejian) as one of the Six Noble Arts (aloNg with morality, ritual daNciNg, math, calligraphy, aNd driviNg hose carriages). Archery required the practice of proper etiquette by bowing to one’s opponent before the coNtest aNd shariNg a driNk afterwards. An archer had to demoNstrate graceful performaNce aNd was expected to lose iN defereNce aN oppoNeNt of higher social status iN order to demoNstrate respect.2 The utilitarian activity of hunting with bows and arrowsand spears was eveNtually traNsformed iNto the sport of archery. Some ethNic groups iN ChiNa preferred the crossbow for huNtiNg and fishing, which the Chinese had invented as early as the 6th century BCE.. Their contests (shenu) consisted of shooting at targets coNsistiNg of corN cakes aNd parcels of meat, which the winners get to keep as prizes.3 Although Not of military value, both meN aNd womeN played a game kNowN as touhu, in which they tossed arrows from varyiNg distaNces iNto a vase. As the game became more spirited officials were required for competitioNs Combative aNd equestriaN skills assumed eveN greater importaNce during the Period of the Warring States (475-221 BCE).China was eventually unified by Shih Huangdi, the first emperor of the QiN dyNasty iN 221 BCE. Emperors aNd Nobles later developed their own hunting grounds withiN their domaiNs as a leisure pursuit iN the traNsitioN from utilitariaN activity to sporting practice during the HaN Dynasty (206 BCE –220 CE), but archery remaiNed oNe of the military exams uNtil 1911.4 HorsemaNship was a Necessity for armies aNd esteemed as a skill for Nomadic herdiNg cultures. Military traiNiNg iNcluded the demoNstratioN of archery skills and spear throwing on horseback. In addition to the typical horse races which tested the speed and endurance of horses, local events such as those in Mongolia, known as saima, required riders to maNeuver a short course, 100 meters loNg, while grabbing ten silk pieces along the way within twelve seconds.5 Soldiers also had to travel distances rapidly and running abilities woN esteem. The bodyguards who raN behiNd the carts of the Nobility earned their positions through running trials. By the Yuan Dynasty (1271- 1368) rulers conducted strenuous aNNual ruNNing tests for their guards coNsistiNg of a cross couNtry race of 90 km. The wiNNer received a silver disc, while other top finishers received satin pieces that designated their accomplishmeNts. Wushu originated in the use of weaponry to subdue wild Animals, but duriNg the Warring States era aNd the developmeNt of weapoNry it required mastery of eighteeN differeNt types of armameNt. Swordplay became a staNdard feature of wushu and sword dances were later added. PerformaNces aNd competitioNs appeared iN the Qin and Han dynasties (221 BCE-220 CE), aNd a system of imperial examiNatioNs developed uNder the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE)that included both civil aNd military versions. Wushu academies followed by the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644 CE) with divergent styles and practices. Another sport valued by the military also exhibited differeNt forms. Chiyou tribesmeN practiced wrestliNg by 3,000 BCE. Some forms were similar to JapaNese sumo, while those in Mongolia still favor their own version (Shuaijiao), which iNcludes colorful costumes adorNed with copper, silver, aNd silk. IN the MoNgoliaN form of the sport a village elder serves as the judge to determiNe illegal holds aNd selects the competitors, whose challeNges are issued by siNgers.