265 and 316); the term adopted in Japan for sumô; and xiangfei,a local
term used in Sichuan and Hebei.
Contemporary descriptions of society in the Song dynasty (960–1279)
capitals of Kaifeng and Hangzhou reveal that wrestling enjoyed widespread
popularity. Wrestling associations were among the specialty groups
abounding in the capital of Hangzhou. Open-air matches were held at spe-
cially designated areas in and around the city, sometimes in spacious tem-
ple grounds. People came from all around to watch and participate. The
wrestlers included both men and women, and there were even mixed male-
female matches, such as the one described in the novel Water Margin(also
known as All Men Are Brothersor Outlaws of the Marsh). In this episode,
a woman, Woman Duan Number Three, confronts Wang Qing. Wang fools
her and flips her to the ground, but immediately snatches her up with a
move called “Tiger Embraces His Head.”
The scholar-official Sima Guang, in a memorial to court (1062), op-
posed the spectacle of scantily clad women wrestlers. Moreover, the elite
palace guards or Inner Group were all top-flight wrestlers.
The Mongols, who ruled China from 1271 to 1368, emphasized the
“men’s three competitive skills” of riding, archery, and wrestling. They
were key elements tested in competition for leadership positions. To say
Wrestling and Grappling: China 707Two Mongolian wrestlers lock themselves in battle during a match in China. (Karen Su/Corbis)