Chinlone

Chinlone ( Burmese: ခြင်းလုံး ) is a traditional sport of Burma. Chinlone is a combination of sport and dance, a team sport with no opposing team. The thought of Chinlone is not the competition, but it is as difficult as " competitive viable " ball games. It's not about winning or losing, but about how to play nice.

Survey

A team of six players play the ball with feet and knees back and forth while rotating in a circle. A player is playing solo in the middle and it creates a dance of various intertwined movements. He is supported by the other players who play the ball as possible with just a touch back to the center. Once the ball comes up on the floor, the round is over, and the game begins again.

The ball is woven from rattan, and makes a special " click" sound when it is kicked, which makes part of the aesthetic of the game. Players may touch the ball with six points: the top ( instep? ), The inner and the outer edge and the sole of the feet, as well as with the hoe and the knee. The game is played barefoot or with Chinlone shoes that give the player the best possible to feel for the ground and the ball. The typical game circle has a diameter of 6.7 meters. The ideal soil is dry, compacted sand, but it can be played on almost any flat surface.

History and tradition

Chinlone is over 1500 years old and was formerly played for the Burmese royal house. Over the centuries, players have developed more than 200 different ways to play the ball. Many movements are similar to Burmese dance and martial arts. Some of the most difficult tricks to be played behind his back without looking. The form is the most important thing in Chinlone, the correct posture of the hands, arms, body and head is for example given. Only if the shape of a trick right, he is regarded as good.

In Burma, Buddhism is predominant and Chinlone games are an integral part of many Buddhist events that take place each year. When this type largest fixed play up to a thousand teams more than a month. An announcer says the names of the tricks and entertain the audience with clever puns. Live music traditional orchestra inspires the players and shapes the style and rhythm of the game. The players play in time with the music and the musicians emphasize the tricks.

Performed by both men and women Chinlone, even in the same team. Likewise, adults and children can play on the same team, and sometimes you can see playing 80-year old men.

In addition to the team game of Chinlone (called " wine kat " or circle kick ), there is a solo variant, called " tapandaing ", which is played only by women.

To play well Chinlone, the entire team must always be attentive - if someone is distracted, the ball falls to the ground. All serious players experience an intense concentration, similar to the Zen meditation ( " jhana ").

Related varieties

Chinlone belongs to the family of football games that are played all over the world. It is related to similar games from Southeast Asia, which, " cator " as " Sepak Takraw " in Thailand, " sepak raga " in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, " sipa " in the Philippines in Laos and "da cau ' in Vietnam are known. A competition version of the game, when the ball is played over a network, was developed in the 1940s in Malaysia. The roots of Chinlone could to the old Chinese game " cuju " or " tsu chu " rich, which was recognized by FIFA as the oldest form of football. A similar game is played in Japan, where it is known as " kemari ". Footbag has its roots in all these games.