| Asian
Games Guide by John Bockskay |
The Beat September 2002 From September 29th to October 14th, Busan will be hosting the 14th Asian Games. It‘s huge—11,000 athletes from 43 countries (including North Korea) will participate in 38 events (419 sub-events) at over three dozen venues in Busan and vicinity. Because of the tremendous scope of the Games, we can‘t possibly provide all the details here. For more information, check out the official website: http://busanasiangames.org/Eng/. What follows is a rundown of select events in the Busan area: Wushu Literally translated from Chinese, “Wu” means military, “Shu” is art. It is now considered a performance art with several divisions depending upon the style. Some of these are: Changkwon, Nanguan, Taijiguan, Dangigye, Janggigae, and Sanshou. Separate events include Nangon, Namdo, and Taekeuk swordsmanhip. Kwonsul is a competition in which a combination of weapons is used, while Sansu is a form of hand-to-hand fighting. Lots of weapons flying around here—you may want to sit near the back. Kabaddi Kabaddi originated in India and is now a popular game in many countries. It is played in teams, usually of 7 members, with 5 others standing by as reserve forces. The game, which somewhat resembles both wrestling and rugby, demands a great deal of technique and strength. In traditional Kabaddi, each team alternately sends a “raider” to the opposing side to try to touch the opposing forces there. He is not allowed to breath during his raid and must chant “Kabaddi, Kabaddi…” as he runs around in the opposition‘s territory. Anyone the raider touches is then considered an “anti-raider” and may then attempt to hold the raider in his territory until the raider runs out of air and is forced to take another breath. If the raider is unable to return to his side in one breath, all the while chanting “Kabaddi, Kabaddi…” he‘s considered out and the opposition gets a point. When all members of the opposing team are out, a 2-point bonus is awarded. Games are usually divided into two 20-minute halves, with a break of five minutes to allow the teams to change sides during the halftime. Definitely one to check out if you‘ve never seen grown men running around chanting, “Kabaddi, Kabaddi, Kabaddi...” Fun stuff. Sepak Takraw Sepak Takraw originated in Malaysia over 500 years ago and quickly became very popular in many Southeast Asian countries, where it is still widely played today. The name itself is a compromise reached at a 1965 convention; “Sepak” means “kick” in Malay and “takraw” means “ball” in Thai. Over the years, Sepak Takraw has evolved from a circle game (like modern Hackey Sack) to its present volleyball-like form. The main difference from volleyball is that players must return the ball using any part of their body EXCEPT their hands. The ball is made of rattan or plastic and is slightly bigger than a softball, and the net is 1.5 meters high. It‘s a fast-moving, high-flying game that demands great agility, speed, and skill. Sepak Takraw is gaining in popularity around the world. If you check it out, DO NOT bet against either the Thais or the Malays. They are still the undisputed masters. Jokgu is a similar game, though the ball is allowed
to bounce once between touches and the net is slightly lower (1.1 meters). I often
see students playing Jokgu between (or in lieu of) classes on college campuses
around Busan. Football (Men‘s) For
those of you who missed the Red Devils in action during the World Cup, here‘s
your chance to see them at bargain prices. Okay, so they‘ll be beating up
on teams like the Mighty Maldives, but if the atmosphere is even one tenth as
cool as the World Cup, it should be a helluva good time. The Men‘s Final
is October 13th at 7:00 p.m. at the World Cup Stadium. Will the Red Devils be
there? I don‘t know, but I‘ll risk thirteen bucks to find out. Taekwondo Taekwondo is the sport Korea used to be known for before everyone went berserk for football. Of course it is still dominated by Koreans, though it is now popular around the world. Korea made a fair showing at the Sydney Olympics (two golds, one silver); expect them to open up a few cans of whoopass here too. A bargain at four bucks. Judo Judo originated in Japan at the time of the Meiji Restoration. At this time, the Samurai lost much of their traditional power and were forbidden to carry swords. As a result, certain non-armed fighting styles (Jujitsu) were developed and refined. One former student of Jujitsu, Professor Jigoro Kano, developed what became modern Judo by refining and adding to the techniques of traditional Jujitsu. Judo quickly spread around Japan, and after World War Two it grew rapidly around the world. Japan still has bragging rights (they took a combined eight medals at Sydney), but there‘s plenty of good competition from all over. Practitioners of Judo are drawn to it for fitness, mental discipline, and self-defense. We spectators like it because we like to see people whoop some serious ass. |
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© 2002 Busan Beat |