Raise your hand if you like soccer. Do you know where it was invented? Most people think that it was invented somewhere in Europe. Today's game was codified in England in the mid-1800s, but humans were playing sports that featured kicking a ball far earlier. Recognized by FIFA, the premier worldwide soccer organization, the oldest original ball-kicking game was officially recorded in Lin Zi, China, during the Han Dynasty over 2300 years ago. It was called Ts’u-chü, or Cuju. Ts’u-chü translates to “kick” and “type of leather ball.” This game featured spectacular juggling with everything except the hands and arms. The goals were elevated with a small opening, making it difficult for the player to kick the ball through.

The game functioned as a military exercise for the soldiers, but the wealthy elite played a less violent version. The military version featured players who were allowed to tackle each other, like rugby or American football. Players had to concentrate amid the violence and chaos and focus on the objective of scoring a goal while defending themselves from attack. It was an excellent way to train focused, obedient soldiers for war without killing each other. An ancient illustrated book called Ts’u-chü outlined the special tricks and maneuvers players would use to move and control the ball while avoiding being hit.

The less violent version of the sport became popular with the royal court. They quickly created a rule set and played on an official court called Ju Chang, which featured six elevated crescent-shaped goals. During the Tang Dynasty, the game continued to flourish as the goals were modified to include nets, the number of goals was reduced from six to one, and more women entered the sport. A record indicates that a seventeen-year-old girl defeated a whole team of royal guards single-handedly. The ball was initially filled with feathers but was improved when the ball became air-filled, which bounced easier. The elite guards and soldiers would create teams to play each other, fully supported by the emperor, and lots of Ju Chang courts could be found throughout the land. During the Song Dynasty, the sport became so popular that everyone, even lower-class civilians, participated. Part of the reason was that a new version of Cuju was being played that did not require scoring goals but instead relied on tricks and keeping the ball in the air (more like a hacky sack). Its popularity led to the rise of professional Cuju players, some from the royal guards and others from the civilian sector. These athletes and games were depicted on mirrors and pots, similar to how Olympic athletes were depicted on olive oil containers in Greece.

Cuju would inspire another ancient ball-kicking game invented around 1400 years in Japan called Kemari. Evidence of the direct association between the games is that they have identical characters in both Chinese and Japanese. However, while this game also featured kicking and juggling a ball in the air, it served a different purpose and function. Evidence of Kemari first appeared around 644 CE during the Asuka era of the Yamato Period in the Nihon Shoki (collection of ancient texts). Still, it did not become popular until the Heian Period (700-1100 CE). Legend had it that two princes were playing on the same team when one of their shoes fell off. The other prince got the shoe for him, and this show of friendship later turned into an alliance that overthrew the Soga clan and instituted the Taika reforms.

The playing area is called the Kakari and features a different tree (cherry, maple, willow, and pine) or bamboo to mark the corners of the playing area. The official players are called the Mariashi, and each stands at one of the trees. The assistants are called Nobuse, who stand outside the playing area, and the referee is called the kensho. The ball is called the Mari, traditionally made of deerskin and either stuffed with barley or inflated with air. More modern Maris are deerskin stuffed with sawdust weighing around a quarter pound.

Kemari can be played for fun, or it is played ceremoniously with a specific purpose. There are records of young samurai playing Kemari, drinking tea, and reading poetry after training. However, a rich lineage of the game is used for ceremony and passed down from one ruling family to another. For example, suppose one were to go to Japan today during seasonal festivals. In that case, one might notice a celebration happening at a Shinto Temple. A small group of priests would wear ornate Kariginus (similar to kimonos) reminiscent of the Asuka age. They would start kicking a ball back and forth with each other.

Kicks are traditionally done with the right foot only with the toe, and the leg remains rigid. The players are encouraged to have complete control over the ball before they pass it to their teammates. The kicker will typically say “ariyaaa” each time the ball is juggled and “ari” when the ball is passed to a teammate. The player who will receive the pass will say “Ō” when the ball is at its highest point before descent. If two or more players call “Ō,” the player who holds the “Ō” the longest should kick the ball next. After the last kick, the ball is rolled into the center of the playing area. This tells everyone the game is over. Like hacky sack, this game does not have a winner or loser. The game aims to work together to keep the ball in the air as long as possible. Suppose

your students are studying the continent of Asia in lower elementary. In that case, these two games are perfect for studying because they feature very similar game mechanics but are very different. If your upper elementary students are doing the Imaginary Island project (or studying Asia), playing these games helps the students understand that sports featuring ball kicking are prevalent in Asia. There is a fantastic sport called Sepak Takraw from Thailand (played all over southeast Asia). This ball-kicking game looks like a blend of soccer and volleyball. Some speculation is that there might be a shared ancestry between Takraw and Cuju. So it would stand to reason that if your students are making an island close to Asia, the national sport should feature a ball-kicking mechanic.

Materials: 

·      A large play area (gym or outside)

o   If in a gym, hula hoops and basketball hoops

o   If outside, something to suspend hula hoops

§  Trees or makeshift hula hoop holders

·      Lots of soccer balls (if possible, one per person, and smaller sizes are better)

·      Jerseys or pennies to show teams

Minimum Number of Students Needed: This game could be played with as few as two players, but an entire class is much more fun.

Age: All ages