Ｃｈｉｎｅｓｅ Ａｎｃｉｅｎｔ Ｆｏｏｔｂａｌｌ Ｗｉｔｈ Ｒｏｍａｎｔｉｃｉｓｍ

Ｊｉａｎｇ　Ｌｉｎｇ

Like other traditional Chinese sports, the ancient Chinese football, which used to be called -Ograve;cujuÓ, has some differences from several sports in western countries concerning cultural and humanist purport as well as metal aspiration, although it was similar with modern football to some extent, such as a leather-made ball with a bladder, rectangle sports ground, referee, goal and certain competitiveness. The author tries to talk about such difference in cultural and humanist purport as well as mental aspiration by making a comparison between “cuju” and modern football.

Two and OneUsually, a game of human being is an imitation or epitome of its social life. Such game will certainly give expression to somewhat cultural connotation and mental aspiration of a man who is always the subject of a game.

The concept of “two and one” is a fundamental difference between Chinese culture and Western culture in the field of mental aspiration.

Here, “two” means dualism, contradiction and opposition between human being and the world. Such cognition is a tradition of western culture being traced to the same origin since ancient Greece. The tradition stresses principal value of human being, regarding the world as an object and target which is antagonistic to human being. Therefore, a relationship of “binary oppositions” between subject and object appears.

Such tradition created modern sciences in contemporary western countries, while infiltrating into every activity, including football.

To the contrary, the Chinese tradition is in favour of harmony of man with nature. The result of the harmony is that man becomes integral part of nature after thawing of subjectivity instead of uplift of human beings subjectivity.

“Cuju” is the ancient Chinese football£¬which is similar with modern football. “Cu” means to kick, “ju” refers to a type of leather ball filled with feathers. Contrasting “cuju” with modern football, people may notice the very difference of two kinds of goal.

In modern football of Western countries, there is one goal on each side of a football pitch. Each team who attacks on opposite sideÕs goal with more score will be the winner. But the ancient Chinese footballs goal is set up in the middle of a football pitch (usually referring to the style of “cuju ” with goal during the ripe period). Both sides of the game manifest two kinds of forces in the world, yin (feminine or negative principle in nature in Chinese philosophy) and yang (the opposite to yin). Although the relationship between yin and yang is contrary and contradictory, the two forces integrate with the “center”, the goal in the middle of the pitch. So there are a series of differences:

onquest and golden mean Modern football with a goal on each side is the epitome of the relationship between man and nature in Western philosophy. The opposite sides always sets itself as subject while regarding the opposite as object, or the target of conquer. However, “cuju” with a goal in the middle of the pitch has a different way although it contradicts apparently. Both sides of the game try hard to be the winner by showing the ability respectively through the goal in the middle “golden mean” instead of obtaining victory with direct attack on the opposite side or disintegrating opposites attack. The games philosophy shows that there is contradiction of yin and yang in the world, however, “golden mean” running through with a single theory integrates the whole world into an entire and harmonious order behind the phenomenon. Therefore, both sides just seek for the “golden mean” of professional skills instead of the conquest of winning the opposite.

Conquering others and self-confidenceIn terms of philosophy, the western football incarnates “strength”, that is the way to conquer others; while the ancient Chinese football represents “might”, that is the way of self-confidence. “Who conquers others is physically strong; while who conquers himself is mighty.” This is the wise dictum of Lao Zi (580 BC-500 BC), who is the founder of Taoism. Very different from the way to conquer others in western ideology, the Chinese cultural tradition stresses more on the way of “inner cultivation and exterior action”. That means that instead of conquering by force or coercing others into submission, everybody cannot achieve great success judging by appearances (exterior action) until he upgrades his own accomplishment through self-cultivation (inner cultivation). As for “cuju”, each side should pass the ball from its half court to the opposite half court through the goal in the middle of the pitch. Who will emerge the victor depends on the professional skills of each side instead of direct attack and fierce face-to-face jostling.

Tussle and enjoyConnecting the above difference, modern athletic football and the ancient Chinese football also provide people very different visual enjoyment. What “cuju” impresses people mainly is enjoyment or an entertainment. It is regarded as a light-hearted cheerful game. On the other hand, “cuju” integrates itself closely with some entertainment, such as music, dance, gamble and erotica, during its development.

Therefore, modern football looks more like a war without smoke of gunpowder. If we use only one word to describe modern football, the correct word must be “tussle.”

Contesting of physical strength, wits and courage, modern football incarnates the Olympic spirit of “swifter, higher and stronger.”

Sublimity and harmony In modern football, we usually see the players taking off some of their sports shirts while running like mad and the football fans celebrating the victory with uncontrollable fanaticism when the players scored the goal after several exquisite passing the ball and dribbling past an opponent. At that very short moment, human beings subjectivity and individual character of the single player were fully liberated. Through the conquest over the object, human being confirms his position in the universe to the fullest possible extent so as to satisfy greatly in the innermost depths of his heart.

Meanwhile, all members of the defeated side were struck dumb as a wooden chicken or wept with their face covered by their own hand. Correspondingly, the bleachers were dead still, making a sharp contrast with the scene of great joy on the winner. As far as aesthetic conception concerned, football in the Western countries displays a sublimity of human being and a kind of great sentiments. However, the loser must experience the extreme sense of loss and sorrow which the winner cannot taste while indulging in revelry.

While playing “cuju”, the ancient Chinese paid more attention to experience a feeling of carefree happiness and self-satisfaction.

The players were completely intoxicated in playing game, experiencing the pleasure of the game itself and the combination of all creatures in the universe. From aesthetic perspective, what the player tastes from the combination is a feeling of harmony and permanence.

Like many other ancient Chinese inventions, “cuju” did not develop into popular style of modern football. But its superb skills and mental aspiration during its long-term process of development has become an inseparable part of human civilization. Much more, we also believe that its concept of harmony between man and nature and enjoyment during the playing will provide something for modern sports.