It seems many years ago since I can feel the exictment to play Tug of War. When your hands catch the rope, you can let off all your emotions until you have no any strength. At the last moment of competition, you are excited and satisfied no matter what is the final result. The same number of team members tests the fair of sport and shows that only key of wining is the power!
When saw a real modern competitive Tug of War after many years, I was surprised by Tug of War which is filled with art and standards. I saw the lengendary Tug of War Track for the first time in Tug of War Competition between China and Britain. Although I walked along the mat of Tug of War at the end of competition, I cannot understand fully to its great functions.
I can observe the unimaginable value of strategy when there is relative disparity of physical power between the two teams. Nowadays Tug of War competition can be appreciated with the sight of artists and be fight with strategy. It must take example of the tactical strategies and then absorb them!
As a spectator, when in the tumultuous competition, I often recalled the related knowledgy that I have learnt in high school. I can clearly remember the notes beside the picture of Tug of War: Tug of War was held in the first fifteenth day of the first month of Lunar year to pray for good harvests. The numbers of paticipators are not limited primarily and it was a competition between the villagers of two near villages. Small rope would be attached in the main rope every one or two meters so that more people can attend the contest.
As for the denomination of Tug of War, the explanation of history teacher was still remained fresh in my memory. He said in Spring-Autumn Period, about 2400 years ago, the naby of Chines Chu State invented a weapon named “Gou Ju” to hook the boat of enermy so that they can not escape. Before long, the enermy state imitated and produced the same weapon. As a result, one side which had more physical power wined the battle. Then the marine brought the method to folks and then a game named “hook pulling” was created. In Tang dynasty, the game was widespreaded and popular in the nation. The equipment of hook also was replaced by hemp rope. According to the reference of historical book, the main hemp rope up to 167 metres (548 ft) with shorter ropes attached. And in the center of rope, a flag was set and every side will be left the same distance which was called River Boundary and the team who pulled out of the center wined the game.
The reason for me who has no gifts on any sports to rember the ancient game is that I like the simple things. Nowadays the Tug of War has been full of sence of beauty and strategies and also occupied the high-end technology but I just wodered how far the sport is from us or whether we have alienated modern sports?
In order to know more about the two attribiutions of Tug of War, I once interviewed the responsible person of Chinese Tug of War Association and take notes for a whole notebook. There is no doubt that the manager of Chines Tug of War sport has great wisdom and confidence in the attributes of the sport, a correct direction in the connections of localization of Tug of War and internationality and a correct prediction to the sustainable development of the sport.
The sounds of whistling, catchword, and the wave of thick rope still echoed in my mind. And It is beautiful for Tug of War now to have a professional development path.