Wrestling
01 · Historical Records
Korean ethnic wrestling has its own distinctive competition format and cultural characteristics. Traditional Korean ethnic wrestling is divided into the attacking style and the circling defensive style. Depending on the number of entrants, Korean ethnic wrestling generally begins with preliminary rounds, from which eight or six finalists are selected to advance to the finals. A Korean ethnic wrestling contest is divided into three stages:
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Wrestling has a long history in China and is a competitive sport enjoyed by people of all ethnic groups. Building on this, more than a hundred combinations of attacking and defensive techniques can be varied. The final contest between champion and runner-up, held last, is the climax of the entire competition. To boost the morale of the wrestlers and enliven the atmosphere, the prize — a large yellow bull draped in red silk and adorned with colored ribbons — is first led once around the arena before the final, then tethered at the sidelines to await its new owner, the champion. The relatives, friends and spectators of both contestants cheer for the wrestlers, singing and dancing as they watch, making for a scene of great excitement. 1. Ceremony The two contestants shake hands with each other, shake hands with the referee, and salute the audience. The names, ages, native places and even home villages of both contestants are announced, along with their records in previous editions of the contest. The referee for the championship final is generally a senior veteran wrestler or the chief referee. 2. Competition At the start of the match, the two contestants kneel face to face, each gripping the other's belt with the right hand and the other's leg strap with the left hand, while clasping each other's right shoulder. Both contestants take hold of the wrestling belt and, at the referee's command of "rise", slowly get to their feet, holding the standing posture — right hand gripping the other's belt, left hand gripping the other's leg strap, right shoulders clasped — without moving, until the referee blows the whistle for the match. When the referee on the field blows the whistle to declare the match open, both contestants exert force at the same time and use techniques such as the inside hook, outside hook, neck lock and leg hold to throw the opponent; any part of one contestant's body above the knee touching the ground means defeat. Each contest is decided by the best of three rounds, with three minutes per round. 3. Award ceremony The "hero" rides the yellow bull, with colored silk tied to its horns, once around the arena to the sound of gongs and drums, saluting the audience; his family and the spectators, dressed in full ethnic finery, sing and dance, applauding and cheering, after which he happily rides it home.
Ritual, contest and award
A bout proceeds through greeting and introduction, the contest itself, and the final between the two winners.
Inside hook, outside hook, neck lock and leg grab
Techniques include inside and outside hooks, neck holds and leg grabs; touching the ground above the knee loses, in best-of-three three-minute rounds.
The prize ox
Before the final a beribboned ox is paraded and tethered by the ring, then awarded to the champion who rides it round the field.
The attacking and the circling defensive forms
The traditional art splits into an attacking and a circling defensive mode, from which over a hundred combinations are built.
Finals from eight or six
Preliminaries cut the field to eight or six finalists, the final bout judged by a senior wrestler or head referee.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
When the contest ends, the chief referee announces the final rankings, and a local government official personally awards the winner a large, well-fed yellow bull draped in red silk and adorned with colored ribbons.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Tianqiao Wrestling · Wrestling · Wrestling · Wrestling.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Li Yong (as recorded in the official dossier of an associated inheritor): male, of Korean ethnicity, born in November 1962, a native of Yanji City, Jilin Province. Performer of Korean ethnic wrestling technique. In 1979, he served as a wrestler on the sports work team of Jilin Province. From 1985, he began systematically studying wrestling technique. He is able to skillfully apply the standing-frame techniques of Korean ethnic wrestling, grip positions and other movements. He has developed his own wrestling theory and transmission norms, and promoted them in his work. Since the 1990s, he has taken part in numerous competitions within and outside the province and published a number of theoretical articles. Representative inheritor of wrestling (Korean ethnic wrestling) in the fifth batch of national-level intangible cultural heritage projects. Fond of wrestling since childhood, and influenced by two generations of inheritors, Ma Baori and Jiang Yongji, he resolved to devote himself to Korean ethnic wrestling. In 1986 he took up the posts of coach and referee, discovering a large number of wrestling talents; he has trained more than fifty students in succession, all of whom have achieved excellent results in major competitions.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Li Yong 05-2543
- Li Yougui 05-2544
- Miman Aimila 05-2545
- Guan Guilin
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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