Shuttlecock Kicking
踢毽子
Shuttlecock has another name shuttle ball. It is made up of a shuttle rudder and feather. A shuttlecock rudder is made of a copper coin or a round metal plate coated with cloth or leather, while the feather is always the plume. People use two sides of the feet, kneel or tiptoe to hit the shuttlecock, and make the shuttlecock continuously upward. That is called shuttlecock kicking.
毽子又称毽球，蹀锖，它由毽舵和毽羽两部分组成。毽舵通常用一个铜钱或圆形的金属片外裹布或皮而成，毽羽则多用翎毛。人们用脚的内外侧、膝盖或脚尖磕击毽子，使其不断上扬，称为踢毽子。
Shuttlecock kicking had already been very popular in the Song dynasty. A lot of creative kicking methods were invented. Gao Cheng in the Song dynasty thought that many methods of shuttlecock kicking were carried on from Cuju.
宋代时期踢毽子就已很盛行，并且发明了各种新奇的踢法。对此，宋人高承认为毽子的诸多踢法都承自蹴鞠。
The period of its most popularity was in the Qing dynasty. Then not only there were a lot of people kicking shuttlecock, but the methods were greatly skillful. Even the people who lived on shuttlecock kicking appeared.
中国历史上踢毽子最盛的时代是在清代。不仅踢毽子的人很多，踢毽子的技艺更为精湛，甚至，出现了专门以踢毽子表演为主的人。
Nowadays, shuttlecock kicking is still a widespread activity. Shuttlecock kicking competitions are often held especially in primary and middle schools. There are various competitive forms such as single, double and group performances. The contents of the competition are the number of kicking, skills and difficulty degrees of kicking, and the time that one player could maintain the shuttle in the air etc.
时至今日，踢毽子仍是一项开展得十分广泛的运动。尤其是在一些中小学中，常常会举行踢毽子的比赛。比赛的项目很多，形式上有单人表演、双人对踢、集体转踢，比赛内容则有比踢的次数、比踢的花样和难度、比毽子不落地的时间等等。
The current popular competition method among the folk is: there are six players in the competition, and they are divided into two groups, occupying each side of the field. The field is almost as big as a badminton field. When the competition begins, one side will serve first. The players in the other team could use any part of the body below head and shoulders but hands and arms to kick or shoulder or kneel etc the shuttle. If the shuttle-catch side fails, the serve side will score one point. 15 scores determines the result of the competition, but the winner should be sure to be 2 scores ahead, otherwise, the competition will be going on. To touch the shuttlecock with hand or arm is foul. Then the opponents score one point and have the serve.
但目前在民间流行的比赛方法是：参加比赛者为六人，分两队，每队三人，站在场地两边。场地大小和羽毛球场地相似。比赛时，首先由一方发球，对方接球时可用头、肩以下部位，但不能用手和胳膊。如果接球方失误，则发球方得分。如果发球方失误，则对方得分并取得发球权。比赛是15分定输赢，但赢球的一方要保证领先2分，否则，比赛将继续进行。用手或胳膊接触毽子属于犯规，这时，判对方得一分并获得发球权。
Shuttlecock kicking is good for the training of softness and flexibility of the body, and the amount of exercise can be controlled freely, so it is a game that suits the tastes of both old and young, men and women.
踢毽子极有利于身体柔顺性和灵活性的训练，而且运动量可大可小，因此，是一项男女老少皆宜的活动。
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