Chinese Golf - Chuiwan
球类运动——捶丸—中国的高尔夫球
Chuiwan is to hit the ball with a rod or stick. During the reign of Yuan Shizu in the Yuan dynasty, it was in 1282 AD that the book "The Classic of Ball" was published with a perfect description about the course, instruments, the number of competitors, umpire and the counting. "The book" with 32 chapters was divided into 2 parts. It says: the course of Chuiwan is a garden with rough terrain and a wide field of vision. Then choose a spacious place to decide the one-chi-squared ball-base after the location of the course. A number of holes are dug 60 or 100 steps away from the base. Beside each of them a small colored banner is set. The instruments are rods and a ball. The end of the rod should be curved in order to hit the ball well. When the competition begins, the players hit the ball in turn. If the player hits the ball into the hole in three hits, he will get a chip; if fouls, he will be punished a chip. Chuiwan is divided into the Greatest, the Middle and the Smallest Sports according to the numbers of the players. Usually the player should gain 20 chips in one match in the Greatest sports, 15 chips in the Middle, ten in the Smallest.
“捶”，意为“打”，“丸”即球。捶丸，就是以棍棒击球。元朝元世祖时期也就是1282年出版的《丸经》，对捶丸的场地、器材、参赛人数、裁判、胜负计算都有详细的记述。《丸经》共三十二章，分上下两篇。书中介绍到：捶丸所用的场地是地势起伏不平、视野开阔的园林。场地确定后，再选一个空旷的地方，划定一个一尺见方的球基。在离球基60～100步处，挖若干数目的球窝，每个球窝旁插一面彩色小旗为标志。所用器材是球棒和球。球棒要求下端弯曲，以便能很好的击球。比赛开始后，参赛者轮流上场，若三棒内把球击入球窝，即得一筹；若违例，则倒扣一筹。捶丸比赛按参加人数的多寡分为大会、中会、小会三种，大会以得二十筹为一局，中会以得十五筹为一局，小会以得十筹为一局。
Chuiwan and Golf have extreme similarities, which tell us the two should have certain historical connections.
捶丸与高尔夫球的性质和玩法在总体上是极为相似的。这种惊人的相似让人们浮想联翩。
It is recorded that Chuiwan is originated from the Stick-and-Goal game in the Tang dynasty, which is similar to the modern hockey. It developed into Chuiwan in the Song dynasty, matured in the 12th century and came to its summit in Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties, but it suddenly disappeared at the end of the Ming dynasty and the beginning of the Qing dynasty. During the later years of the 19th century, when golf was introduced into China, it was regarded as a new and strang sport of the western lifestyle. However, cncerning the history of golf, Japan Sports Dictionary says: it was thought to start in the Great Britain, but a drawing of golf was discovered on a china in Holland recently, and according to the research, it originated in Holland in the early years of the 15th century. Therefore, Golf must be at least three centuries later than Chinese Chuiwan. Compared with rich certificates and pictures of Chinese Chuiwan, the proofs about the origin of Golf are rare, of which is only a picture on a china, which reminds us of the important and significant event happened in 13th century -- the Mongolians invaded Europe. The Mongaolians went on the expeditions twice to the West during the years of 1219 AD ～ 1242 AD, when they introduced the papermaking, compasss and gunpowder etc. into Europe. Hence, we can deduce the East civilization-Chuiwan was introduced into Europe and improved to the present Golf in the confrontaion and combination of the East and the West.
据有关资料记载，捶丸源于唐代的步打球，步打球与现代的曲棍球类似。到宋朝时期，发展成了捶丸。12世纪已发展成熟，宋、元、明三代是捶丸运动的全盛时期，到了明末清初，捶丸运动突然销声匿迹。19世纪末，当高尔夫球从西方传入中国时，被看作是一种代表西方人生活方式的新奇运动。而《日本体育大词典》中在谈到高尔夫球的历史时写到：过去一般认为高尔夫球创始于英国，近来在荷兰的陶器上发现了一幅高尔夫球的图绘，据考，它发祥于15世纪初期的荷兰。由此可见，高尔夫球产生于15世纪初期，比中国的捶丸至少晚了3个世纪；有关高尔夫球起源的证据极为贫乏，主要的依据是一幅瓷画，与中国捶丸运动的书证、图证的丰富切实形成了鲜明的对比。由此，我们想到了发生在13世纪的重大事件——蒙古人入侵欧洲。公元1219年～公元1242年，蒙古人曾两次西征，把中国的造纸术、指南针、火药等传入了欧洲。由此可以推断，东方文明——捶丸正是在东西方的冲突与融合中传入欧洲，并改进成现在的高尔夫球。
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