On National Kyrgyz Games

To know your heroes... Nowhere, perhaps, are national heroes loved and revered as much as in Kyrgyzstan. This is also a folk tradition. In any distant village, like a close relative, they will tell you about the strength and bravery, justice and resilience of the national baatyrs — heroes. Children are named after them, songs and tales are composed in their honor, and they are surrounded by legends... And why is that? Because they triumphed in competitions — sometimes through agility, sometimes through cunning, sometimes through strength — against their not-so-favorable opponents. That is why the interest in all kinds of martial arts is sincere and boundless. Try proposing any competitive event — and you will immediately find a multitude of spectators, fans, and advisors.

Folk games and physical exercises often represent a valuable, crystallized over the centuries means of comprehensive physical and moral development for the youth. They deserve to be preserved as carefully as we preserve folk dances, melodies, and songs. It should not be forgotten that from among the youth engaged in national sports, strong, willful athletes emerge.



Among the Kyrgyz, people of great physical and spiritual strength, agile, brave, and hardened, capable of enduring any hardships, have been respected and celebrated since ancient times.

By creating hyperbolic images in the figures of Manas, Semetey, Seytek, and other heroes, the Kyrgyz people aimed to raise the youth to be healthy, strong, agile, fearless, and resilient.

The Kyrgyz people have gone through a difficult path in their development. Many times, during invasions and plundering campaigns by foreigners, the Kyrgyz defended their land and national independence in unequal struggles.

In the most challenging conditions, this people not only withstood and repelled the assaults of conquerors but also preserved their unity, developed, and brought to our time their multifaceted culture of songs and tales, monumental heroic epics, unique applied arts, physical exercises, games, and heroic competitions.

Emerging in deep antiquity, the physical culture of the Kyrgyz was an inseparable part of the life and everyday existence of the people.

The constant military raids that the Kyrgyz had to repel for many centuries, along with their nomadic lifestyle, demanded great courage, strength, and agility from men. In this regard, the emergence of competitions with a military-physical character becomes understandable — er sayysh — the duel of two horsemen with spears, oodarysh — wrestling on horseback, and jamby atmay — archery while riding at a gallop at a suspended target.



The most ancient of the militarized sports is er sayysh. Two horsemen, armed with spears, attack each other at high speed with the aim of piercing the “opponent” and unseating him. The blows of the opponents were so strong that their horses would sink back on their hind legs. Often the outcome of the duel was fatal, which is why only brave, agile people who were not afraid of possible death participated in er sayysh. No one was held accountable for the death or injury of participants; the organizers of the event cared little about this. The great Kyrgyz akyn Toktogul wrote about this brutal form of competition:

Two strongmen fight so that bones crack.
And the manaps laugh, the manaps shout.
They are pleased that the fight ends in death.
May such a custom sink into the ground!

The life of a nomad was unimaginable without a horse. It is no coincidence that various horse games and equestrian competitions became widespread among the Kyrgyz — at chabysh (races), jorgo salysh (competitions on pacers), ulak tartysh (struggle for a goat carcass), tyin enmey (picking up a coin from the ground while riding) and many others. Success in them often depended on the preparation of the horse and the rider's ability to control it at a critical moment.



The next group of games of the Kyrgyz people consisted of male competitions and board games — kurash (wrestling), ordo (a game with alchiks in babki), toguz korgol (9 holes — Kyrgyz chess), upai (a game with alchiks) and others.

Separately, one can highlight competitions related to hunting with a golden eagle or falcon, and hunting with a taigan.

Among the Kyrgyz youth and children, active games were popular — ak chölmök, chaka chapmay, jooluk tashtamay, ak tere — kok tere and many others. These games were part of the overall culture of the people and widely reflected their way of life. It should be noted that many of this group of games are similar to games of other peoples from the East and West. Clearly, they arose as a result of communication with them, especially with the Russian people.

And finally, the last group consisted of games that served as entertainment for the wealthy class — tyo chechmey (untying a camel by a naked woman), atala bash (picking up coins with the mouth from a pot filled with milk) and others.

These games, humiliating the dignity of participants, once again emphasized the class essence of the organizers of the competitions.

The living conditions and lifestyle of the Kyrgyz turned physical culture into one of the main factors in educating children and youth in strength and agility, endurance and courage, and other qualities necessary for a warrior.

As scientific research has shown, during the circumcision ceremony, boys at the age of three were placed on a horse — this was the first step in teaching the child to ride.

In some regions of Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyz boys up to the age of six initially learned to ride on rams, later on colts. The Kyrgyz even had a special type of children's saddle (ynyrchak), which allowed the child to learn to ride independently.

After the age of six, boys began hunting small game, spending nights in the mountains under harsh conditions, far from their native aul, mastering the art of rock climbing, covering long distances on foot and horseback, and learning to navigate at night.

Such a system of physical training allowed children to participate in competitions as early as six to eight years old, especially in equestrian events.

An interesting fact, reflected in the national epic and confirmed in conversations with the oldest connoisseurs of folk competitions and games in various regions of Kyrgyzstan, is the adherence to a special diet and daily routine by participants before competitions, with both the diet and daily routine varying depending on the age of the participant and the program of the competitions.

Particularly great attention was paid to diet and daily routine by those participants who competed in equestrian events.

In competitions, healthy boys, but with a slight weight, participated. A few days before the competitions, boys were fed exclusively calorie-rich foods: meat, milk, and sour milk.

Before the competitions, the boy would have a light breakfast to maintain lightness and ease the work for the horse.

Men prepared differently, especially for wrestling competitions. Here, in addition to calorie-rich foods: lamb meat, kumys, etc., the wrestler's weight was increased. Moreover, all participants in the competitions, without exception, avoided consuming bozo (an alcoholic drink): it was believed to cause shortness of breath.

Warming up before participating in competitions was mandatory. We find mention of this in the “Manas”: “vigor for the duel is needed, for vigor, warming up is needed.” Often, warming up was conducted in the form of massage.

It is characteristic that girls and women participated widely in the folk competitions and games of the Kyrgyz.



Thus, the character and content of national sports in pre-revolutionary Kyrgyzstan were closely related to the socio-economic and domestic way of life. Although it was the people who created the competitions and games, they had a class character. This was due, firstly, to the fact that the festivities where competitions and games were held could only be organized by the bai and manaps. They were able to invite many guests and allocate large prizes for the winners. Secondly, by timing the competitions to religious holidays and various ceremonies (weddings, funerals, etc.), the wealthy elite used them for their own interests.

The organization of such festivities placed a heavy burden on the shoulders of the poor.

One of the prominent Russian researchers, ethnographer Burov-Petrov, wrote: “The funeral for the famous manap Shabdan (1912) cost each poor household 21 rubles and each middle-class household 50 rubles. In addition to the colossal collection for large prizes for the races, every 5 yurts had to accommodate, feed, and provide drinks for up to 30 guests during the funeral. In total, at this funeral, according to the testimonies of living participants, about 10,000 sheep were slaughtered and a significant number of horses were prepared to feast the guests.”

At-chabysh
Ulak-tartysh (goat dragging)
Oodarysh
Kyz kuumay
Jamby atmay
Tyin enmey
Kurash
Ordo — khan's stake
Toguz korgol (toguz kumalak)
Alty bakan selkinchek and Dumpuldak
Arkan tartmay (tug-of-war)
Achakei-jumakei and Chaka chapmay
Teke chabysh
Chakan atmay (chakan stone)
Upai
Besh tash
Jooluk tashtamay
Ak cholmok
Burkutchi (hunting with an eagle)

Other games (see next page)



Urmay top (hitting the ball) — a lively game involving 4 to 8 people. Children and youth play it.

On a flat area, a circle with a diameter of 3–5 meters is drawn. The larger the number of players, the bigger the circle. In the center of the circle, each player digs a hole in a straight line, spaced 10 cm apart, large enough to fit a ball. In the past, a felt ball was used, but now a tennis ball is used. Two participants, whose holes are at the edges, take turns rolling the ball along the line of holes so that it falls into one of them (but not into their own). If the ball lands in a hole, all players run away. The owner of the hole quickly picks up the ball and, without leaving the circle, throws it at the fleeing players. If he hits someone, the game continues. In case of failure, a stone is placed in his hole. The game continues until a certain number of stones accumulates in someone’s hole.

The loser steps back 15–20 steps and turns his back. The players take turns hitting him with the ball from the circle.

Ak tere — kok tere (literally “white poplar — green poplar”) — a fun and engaging game for school-age children.

Two teams line up opposite each other at a distance of 20 meters, holding hands. The teams are given a game name.

The team that starts the game asks their opponents in unison:

Ak tere — kok tere Sizge bizden kim gerek?
(White poplar, green poplar Who do you wish from us?)

The other team, after consulting, responds in unison:

Kichinekey Kerimbek,
Kelsin bizge tezirek!
(Let little Kerimbek come to us quickly!)

The player called by the team runs and tries to break the chain between any two members. If successful, he takes one player from the opposing team into his own. If unsuccessful, he remains in that team himself.

Then the teams switch roles, and the game continues. The team that takes more players from the “opponent” wins.

Kohen tepmey. This foot wrestling among the Russian population of the republic is known as “Gypsy wrestling.”
On a green lawn or carpet, two people lie on their backs with their heads in opposite directions. The right or left arms of the players are hooked at the elbows so that these arms, clenched into fists, can be placed on each other. The free arms are placed along the body on the ground. The game mainly attracts young men, develops strength, strengthening the muscles of the legs, back, and abdomen.

Kanym, dat (literally “Oh, khan, listen to me!”) — a peculiar improvised game. Sitting in a circle, players take turns throwing alchik. The one who first rolls an aykur becomes the “khan,” and the one who rolls a taa becomes the “vizier.” The other players continue to throw alchiks in turn, and the one who rolls a chik portrays a “thief.” The “vizier,” immediately grabbing the “thief” by the hand, leads him to the “khan” with a complaint (dat). For example: “Oh, my esteemed khan! I caught this villain when he crept up to the horses and wanted to take your best steed. He deserves the harshest punishment!” The outraged “khan” punishes the “thief” — making him sing, play, etc. Then the game starts over.

Tomuk katmay. Tomuk — the kneecap of a lamb. This small bone can easily be hidden in the palm between the thumb and index finger. The game is a kind of memory test. By agreement or drawing lots, one of the two players hides (takes care of) the tomuk for several days.

The conditions require that when meeting at any time and in any place, the tomuk must be only in the hand and immediately presented when asked — “Where is the tomuk?” It cannot be taken out of a pocket, bag, etc.

If the bone is not in the hand, the keeper of the bone loses.

Jorgo-salysh (competitions on pacers) is a type of Kyrgyz equestrian competition that has the character of individual and team championships and is held over distances of 2, 4, and 6 km for horses aged no less than 3 years and riders aged 18 and older.

The horse's equipment is determined by the rules, but the saddle is of arbitrary design.

According to the rules of the competition, a penalty time is added for a pacer's fault, i.e., for the first fault — 10 seconds, for the second — 20 seconds, for the third — 30 seconds. A participant who commits more than three faults is disqualified from the competition for that distance. The winner is determined by the speed of completing the entire race distance, taking into account faults or with knee faults from the pacer.

The emergence and development of jorgo-salysh is closely related to the historically established domestic and labor activities of the Kyrgyz. The competitions stimulate the improvement of horse quality and serve as a test of the work of “sayapkery” (trainers). Jorgo-salysh competitions are widely popular and held in almost all regions of the republic.

Sayish (dueling horsemen with spears) — this is one of the ancient types of Kyrgyz national sports. Horsemen, armed with spears, attack each other at high speed in a career with the aim of piercing the “opponent” with a sharp spear.

This sport is undoubtedly connected to the distant past of the Kyrgyz people, when they, defending their independence from foreign invaders, waged bloody wars for many centuries, and the naiza (spear) was then the primary weapon.

Before the establishment of Soviet power, sayish was cultivated as a means of inciting enmity between individual Kyrgyz tribes and as a means of entertainment for the bai and feudal lords. The latter were not at all concerned that participants in the bloody “sayish” often received serious, irreparable injuries, and more often than not, for one of them, “sayish” ended fatally.

In its savagery, bloodiness, and risk to life, “sayish” in the steppes of Kyrgyzstan was little different from gladiatorial fights in ancient Rome. Now, engaging in this type of equestrian sport is secured from any health risks.

Recently, breakable spears have begun to be used, which split into 2–3 pieces upon contact (stabbing), ensuring maximum safety.



Since ancient times, the peoples inhabiting the territory of Kyrgyzstan have been considered excellent archers and skillful skiers — not in the modern sense, of course. But the most beloved and revered competitions are the equestrian ones. No less persistence and ingenuity, agility and strength, than that of the ancient nomad, will be required of the tourist daring to participate in equestrian competitions. The dzhigits of Central Asia do not like to be defeated in either the competition of “at chabysh” — “smooth races,” nor in “jorgo-salysh” — races on pacers, nor in horseback wrestling — “oodarysh.”

You can join, under the cheerful encouragement of the spectators, one of the teams pulling the rope, and then tell that you participated — and won! — in the “arkan tartmay” competition. If you have enough courage to meet “nose to nose” with an opponent — the game “kurash” is at your service. The rules seem simple, but agility is absolutely necessary: you cannot release the opponent's belt, having taken hold of it with both hands until the end of the game; the one who puts the opponent on both shoulder blades wins. Whether it happened or not, but the people say that Chingiz Aitmatov competed in such wrestling with Michele Placido — the fearless commissioner of Catania, as he is often called in Kyrgyzstan, during the Issyk-Kul Forum. Who do you think won? Of course, at home, the walls help.


Among the youth, the most popular and mass remain the ancient games “urmay top” — hitting the ball, “jooluk tashtamay” — the third extra, “ak chelmek” — the game in the moonlight, “alty selkinchek” — swinging on swings, “teke chabysh” — a kind of ground hockey.


For lovers of calmer games, there is the game ordo, in which participants, divided into two teams, play with alchiks. This game can only be found in Kyrgyzstan. Another game with alchiks, similar to it, is upai, but there are no more than 3–4 opponents in each of the teams.

There is also entertainment for lovers of exoticism. The game “ulak tartysh” — goat dragging is perhaps the most vivid spectacle. Here, agility and courage are indispensable, as well as the ability to stay in the saddle. The goal of the players is to seize the carcass of a goat from the opponent. And since the number of players is unlimited, it initially seems that every participant wants to get the goat. But gradually, already in the process of the game itself, sympathies and antipathies form, and participants spontaneously divide into groups. Thus, in collective efforts, victory is achieved, the details of which are long discussed later by both participants and spectators.

The most interesting game “kyz kuumay” — catch the girl, widespread among Kyrgyz youth, is always accompanied by cheerful laughter and approving or disapproving shouts. The girl starts the race a little earlier than the dzhigit, who must catch up with her and touch her with his hand. If the girl turns out to be quicker, the dzhigit returns, chased by the whip of his rival — naturally under the laughter and comments of the spectators.

For the most agile and brave, there are equestrian competitions: “jamby atmay” — shooting at a target while riding, or “tyin enmey” — picking up a coin from the ground while riding, which lies in a pit 1.5–2 centimeters deep.

Do you prefer board games? You can try “toguz korgol” — nine balls. Vaguely reminiscent of chess, this game is very engaging. On a board with 18 pits carved out — nine for each participant, opponents place nine nuts — and the game begins. The theory of this game includes up to a dozen openings.

Tourists will be attracted by theatrical performances at the racetracks, traditionally concluding with equestrian competitions and games. Others — more calmly — can spend their leisure time at tourist bases, complementing it with traditional volleyball, basketball, tennis, etc.