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Encyclopedia > Cuju

Cuju (Chinese: 蹴鞠) is an ancient sport similar to footbal (soccer), played in China as well as Korea and Japan. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Football (soccer) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Korea (Korean: 한국 or ì¡°ì„ , see below) is a geographic area, civilization, and former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. ...


In Chinese, 蹴 ("Cu") means kick while 鞠 ("ju") means ball.


Although disputed, In 2004, football's governing body Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) officially acknowledged that China was the birthplace of football. The game became popular during China's Warring States Period (476-221 BC). Back then, cuju was used to train military cavaliers due to the fierce nature of the sport. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA, French for International Federation of Association Football) is the international governing body of association football. ... Alternative meaning: Warring States Period (Japan) The Warring States Period (Traditional Chinese: 戰國時代; Simplified Chinese: 战国时代; Pinyin: Zhànguó Shídài) covers the period from sometime in the 5th century BC to the unification of China by the Qin in 221 BC. It is nominally considered to be the second part... Centuries: 4th century BC - 5th century BC - 6th century BC Decades: 520s BC 510s BC 500s BC 490s BC 480s BC - 470s BC - 460s BC 450s BC 440s BC 430s BC 420s BC Years: 481 BC 480 BC 479 BC 478 BC 477 BC _ 476 BC _ 475 BC... Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 270s BC 260s BC 250s BC 240s BC 230s BC - 220s BC - 210s BC 200s BC 190s BC 180s BC 170s BC Years: 226 BC 225 BC 224 BC 223 BC 222 BC - 221 BC - 220 BC 219 BC... Prince Rupert of the Rhine Cavaliers was the name used by Parliamentarians for the Royalist supporters of King Charles I during the English Civil War (1642–1651). ...


During the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), the popularity of cuju spread from the army to the royal courts and upper classes. It is said that the Han emperor Wu Di enjoyed the sport. At the same time, cuju games were standardized and rules were established. Football matches were often held inside the imperial palace. A type of court called "ju" cheng was built especially for cuju matches, which had six crescent-shaped goal posts at each end. Later Han redirects here. ... Events Births Deaths Taishi Ci, general of Sun Quan Categories: 206 ... Events Han Xiandi abdicates his throne to Cao Pi, symbolizing the end of the Han Dynasty and the beginning of the Three Kingdoms period in China. ... A social class is, at its most basic, a group of people that have similar social status. ... // Han in China Chinese (æ¼¢), an abbreviation or adjectival modifier for things Chinese. ...


The sport was improved during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). First of all, the feather-stuffed ball was replaced by an air-filled ball with a two-layered hull. Also, two different types of goal posts emerged: One was made by setting up posts with a net between them and the other consisted of just one goal post in the middle of the field. The level of female cuju teams also improved. Records indicate that once a 17-year-old girl beat a team of army soldiers.


Cuju flourished during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) due to social and economic development, extending its popularity to every class in society. At that time, professional cuju players were quite popular, and the sport began to take on a commercial edge. Professional cuju players fell into two groups: One was trained by and performed for the royal court (unearthed copper mirrors and brush pots from the Song often depict professional performances) and the other consisted of civilians who made a living as cuju players.


In the Song Dynasty only one goal post was set up in the middle of the field. Cuju organizations were set up in large cities called Qi Yun She or Yuan She - now known as the earliest professional cuju club - whose members were either cuju lovers or professional performers. Non-professional players had to formally appoint a professional as his or her teacher and pay a fee before becoming a member. This process ensured an income for the professionals.Unlike cuju of the Tang Dynasty,


Ways to Play Cuju


There are mainly two ways to play cuju: "Zhu Qiu" and "Bai Da"


"Zhu Qiu" was commonly performed at court feasts celebrating the emperor's birthday or during diplomatic events. This competitive match between two teams consisted of 12-16 players on each side.


"Bai Da" was the dominant cuju style of the Song Dynasty, attaching much importance to developing personal skills. The goal became obsolete in this method and the playing field was enclosed with thread, with players taking turns to kick the ball within. The number of fouls made by the players decided the winner. For example, if the ball was not passed far enough to reach the other players, points were deducted. If the ball was kicked too far out, a big deduction was made. Kicking the ball too low or turning at the wrong moment all led to fewer points. Players could touch the ball with any part of the body except their hands and the number of players ranged anywhere from two to 10. In the end, the player with the highest score would win.


Cuju began its decline during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) due to neglect, and the 2,000-year-old sport finally faded away.


However, this ancient traditional Chinese-style soccer game was revived in September 2004.


See also

Kemari is a sport that was popular in Japan in the Heian Age. ... It has been suggested that Takraw be merged into this article or section. ... The sub-pages of this article aim to list articles on Wikipedia that are related to China, including Hong Kong and Macau. ... This is a list of Wikipedia articles on Korea-related people, places, things, and concepts. ...

External links

  • Cuju match to be played in Shandong, September 2004
  • FIFA article on cuju


 

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