Traditional Sports and Games (TSG) as Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) In 2009, during the second UNESCO Collective Consultation on the Sa...
Traditional Sports and Games (TSG) as Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)
In 2009, during the second UNESCO Collective Consultation on the Safeguarding of Traditional Games and Sports (TSG) (16 to 20 January, Tehran) a committee of experts developed the following definitional framework:
“Traditional games are motor activities of leisure and recreation, which can have a ritual character. Deriving from regional or local identity, they are part of the universal heritage diversity. Practised in an individual or collective manner, they are based on rules accepted by the group which organise activities, competitive or no. Traditional games have a popular character in their practise and in their organisation, yet if turned into sport tend to become uniformed and institutionalised”.
The General Conference of UNESCO (Paris, 2003[1]) considered that Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) is manifested inter alia in the following domains: (a) oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of the ICH; (b) performing arts; (c) social practices, rituals and festive events; (d) knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe; (e) traditional craftsmanship.
TSG are mainly linked with social practices, rituals, and festive events.TSG as ICH represent respect for world cultural diversity and the preservation of cultural identities, through mutual understanding and respect for differences. Communities from around the world have originated a great variety of TSG in harmony with the local cultural environment and its changes. TSG form a part of living collective memory, as a socially constructed reality.
TSG have an original feature, they are manifested through body language, through motor actions. TSG are local traditions characterised by a great variety of activities, that is, a ludodiversity of rules (ways of playing) and sociocultural conditions (different protagonists, spaces, moments and materials).
TSG behave like a microcosm of society, that is, a laboratory of interpersonal relationships, providing great opportunities to expand an open, flexible sociability adapted to the social, civic, intergenerational and intercultural challenges faced by today’s World. When people play together they express a willingness to share a mutual experience.
Currently, some TSG have been transformed into sports and follow a model very similar to Olympic sports, unifying the rules and standardizing the conditions of practice. However, this is not the only way to promote TSG because their diversity as intangible cultural heritage should be guaranteed.
Martial Arts as Traditional Sports and Games (TSG) and Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)
Each year, UNESCO evaluates nominations proposed by States Parties to the 2003 Convention and decide those cultural practices and expressions of intangible cultural heritage on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Register of good safeguarding practices. In these lists, some martial arts have been recognized as good examples of ICH (https://ich.unesco.org/en/lists).
Martial Arts are codified traditions of combat practiced for many reasons self-defense, military uses, mental and spiritual development. They represent a diversity of world intangible heritage and a symbol of world peace thanks to the values they promote as next ones:
Spiritual and sustainable connection with oneself, with the other peopleand with the environment that allows players to have virtues such as: gentle and circular rather than straight and rigid, enormous flexibility and strength fluid, rhythmic dance-like;courage, strength, and pride… all body actions are intended to harmonize with the structure of the human body, techniques are natural and minimally stressful. The philosophy is associated with the idea ofassimilation with nature referring to harmony, flow, balance, and coexistence, a traditional view of nature.
Non-violent interchange between two adversaries, mutual respect, friendship, chivalry;control aggressiveness; integration in the community; not discrimination; mutual respect between communities, groups and individuals and promotes social integration and the memory of cultural heritage.The importance of integrity in practicing Martial Arts.
Martial Arts (MA) as TSG are local traditions characterised, as we have described before, by a ludodiversity of rules (ways of playing) and sociocultural conditions (different protagonists, spaces, moments and materials). We will confirm this ludodiversity of Martial Arts through four examples that have been recognized by UNESCO as ICH: Taekkyeon (Republic of Korea, 2011), Capoeira (Brazil; 2014),Tahteeb (Egypt, 2016), Ssirum/ssireum (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea – Republic of Korea, 2018).
Ludodiversity of rules in Martial Arts (MA):
MA are usually a motor confrontation between two players who are opposed in different ways, according to the use of diverse parts of the body, with different forms of contact, with or without objects of combat, with diverse dispositions of the participants in space and with different ways of ending.
- Taekkyeon (Republic of Korea) is a fluid, rhythmic dance-like movements to strike or trip up an opponent. A true master knows how to make an opponent withdraw without incurring damage;
- Capoeira(Brazil) is simultaneously a fight and a dance;
Capoeira players form a circle at the centre of which two players engage with one another. The other players around the circle sing, chant, clap and play percussive instruments.
Tahteeb (Egypt) is a non-violent interchange between two adversaries each wielding a long stick while folk music plays in the background;
Ssirum/ssireum (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea – Republic of Korea): The purpose of the wrestling is to put the opponent down by grabbing the fabric strap that he has tied around his waist and a thigh; Ludodiversity of sociocultural conditions related to types of protagonists (adults, young people); installations; moments of game (annual agricultural cycle, festive rituals, traditional festivals...); provenance of materials and types of prizes or recognitions.
Taekkyeon (Republic of Korea)
As a part of seasonal farming-related traditions, serves to facilitate community integration. In general, Taekkyeon events were thought to be a social occasion of playful folk event.It may involve competition, but underscoring the value of competing with others not against. Notably, it teaches mutual consideration between participants who should regard the opponent as a partner.
Capoeira(Brazil) is played around a circle field. The circles are formed by a group of people of any gender, and comprise a master, counter-master and disciples. The master is the bearer and guardian of the knowledge of the circle, The master usually plays a single string percussion instrument, starts the chants, and leads the game's timing and rhythm. All participants are expected to know how to make and play the instrument, sing a shared repertoire of chants, improvise songs, know and respect the codes of ethics and conduct, and perform the movements, steps, and strikes.
In Tahteeb (Egypt) practitioners are male both young and old, mostly from Saeedy populations in upper Egypt, particularly rural areas where the tahteeb stick has been used by inhabitants as part of their daily lives and considered a sign of manhood. It is practised in public and private social settings. Sometimes competitions are held to encourage new players and special tahteeb evenings involving different governorates that can last almost a week.
Ssirum/ssireum (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Republic of Korea): Open to all, regardless of age, the wrestling can take place anywhere (as long as the ground is sandy) and at any time, but it is mostly the tournaments organized during traditional festivals that attract the most people. These festivals. The winner of the competition wins an ox or bull, which is also a centuries-old tradition.
Background:
Majors steps towards the recognition and official decisions for the safeguarding of TSG.
In the following three figures we show the main ideas associated with the recognition and official decisions for the safeguarding of TSG.
Challenges for Policy Guidelines for Safeguarding Traditional Sports and Games (TSG) and Martial Arts (MA)
In accordance with the UNESCO convention in 2003, the concept of Safeguarding means:
“measures aimed at ensuring the viability of the intangible cultural heritage, including the identification, documentation, research, preservation, protection, promotion, enhancement, transmission, particularly through formal and non-formal education, as well as the revitalization of the various aspects of such heritage” (UNESCO, 2003, p.3).
All these combined dimensions should be associated with raising awareness of the richness and cultural diversity of TSG and MA around the world.
Inventory: Identification and documentation
To ensure the safeguarding of TSG and MA each State should draw up, in a manner geared to its own situation, inventories of the TSG in its territories.
This inventory should include: a) Well-defined rules of the game; b) well-defined sociocultural conditions (context) of the game and c) Associated values promoted in the local culture, based on the analysis of the TSG and MA.
Revitalization: Preservation, Protection, Promotion and Enhancement
The Inventorying, with the identification and documentation of TSG of any society (community, group), should be a key element to promote its revitalization. This previous action allows verifying the richness and cultural diversity of TSG in the world.
Among the possible actions we could highlight the idea of the data collected could be preserved and deposited in community centres, local archives, museums, schools or libraries, so they can be consulted by the communities concerned. Some of this information might be disseminated through databases, articles or social media. The use of the technological resources of today's society (web sites, social networks) might also be of great interest to promote TSG.
It is also necessary to active TSG and MA enhancement through informal as well as formal education. TSG and MA are therefore powerful tools for educating people's health and well-being in their social-cultural, cognitive, emotional and biological dimensions in an original way: manifested through motor actions, they are a key element in school physical education programmes.
Scientific Research. TSG, MA and Development of Associated Values.
Research is an essential element for the safeguarding of TSG, because it provides scientific evidences in order to confirm the real contribution of these games in the different societies. TSG have the originality to be a body language collected in their rules that are in consonance with the culture that hosts them. Studying the features contained in the rules of the games is a necessary first step to discover the values and the underlying symbolism shown by the TSG of their culture.
Intervention Contexts
Education programs
Education is a key element for safeguarding TSG and MA. Children, adolescents and adults, from school to university, should learn the meaning of ICH in general and TSG in particular. All courses could contribute to raising awareness of the motor and cultural diversity that characterises TSG and MA. Physical education can play a crucial role given the singularity of TSG and MA, as they are manifested
through motor actions, through body language.
Incorporating TSG and MA into official physical education programs.
Inviting local communities and groups that use TSG and MA in the territory to bring the school closer to its social and cultural context.
Encouraging exchanges and participate in educational projects with other schools.
Elaboration of materials: a) Making objects; b) Elaborating educative tools.
Training programs
University training of future trainers.
Nowadays TSG continue being considered as minor manifestations. In most curricular programs of university degrees in physical activity there is a dominant presence of sports. However, there is a great deal of scientific evidence confirming the great contribution of TSG and MA in generating quality experiences in the different contexts of intervention of motor professionals. It is necessary to introduce TSG and MA in the curricula of university degrees, in master programs, in doctoral programs. TSG deserve to be treated as a noble object of physical education, so it should design different training programs.
It is therefore essential to think differently about the design of training programs to future physical education, physical activity and sport professionals.
It is also necessary to meet the requirements of quality education for all the parts of the world, where physical education plays an essential part, but requires the introduction of innovative educational approaches, in view of the financial and material constraints affecting education systems in many countries. For this reason, online training programs could play an important role.
Other training on TSG and MA
Cultural associations, federations, and other organizations in charge of the different participants (players, coaches, referees…) training should also have the institutional support to activate these actions.
Recreation and Leisure
Recreation is an excellent context for non-formal education. Recreation parks, museums, holiday camps are some examples.Among the possible contexts, it is necessary to rethink the design of children's parks and sports facilities in the municipalities.
TSG, MA, Rituals and Festive events
Socialpractices, rituals and festive events involve a dazzling variety of ways. These activities are manifested through TSG and MA in many forms, such as worship, rites of passage, birth, wedding and funeral rituals, oaths of allegiance, culinary traditions, seasonal ceremonies and many more. Promoting TSG and MA fosters the safeguard of local social practices, rituals and festive events.
Local Tourism development
Tourism is a field of action that could contribute to illustrating the identity and cultural diversity that characterises TSG and MA. If properly presented, TSG and MA in tourism could help safeguard the cultural heritage. However, inappropriate use may lead to the folklorisation of TSG and MA and only show superficial elements outside their social and cultural context.
From Traditional Game to Traditional Sport: Towards the regional Institutionalization
Creation of a traditional sport
When in a region the rules of a TSG or MA are unified at the local level, the first step of institutionalization is created and the so-called traditional sport federations are born.
Currently, there are regional TSG and MA federations in many countries on different continents. In some countries, there are also regional confederations that integrate different modalities of traditional sports.
The local or regional institutionalization of some traditional games can favour the creation of TSG schools, the provision of an organizational structure so that this activity can have continuity throughout the year, with the participation of people of different ages, gender or social condition.
Risk of Institutionalization of TSG
As the level of institutionalization is stronger, the standardization of rules and conditions of practice (calendar, facilities, categories of players, ...) is also accentuated. This process leads to the progressive loss of the connection with the values associated with the uses and traditions of that territory and its communities.
It is necessary to make these federations aware to share the sporting vision of their TSG with the values of the traditional culture of their territory.
The ultimate goal of TSG and MA is not to imitate the model of Olympic sports; achieving professional athlete status or a world record should not be priority issues.
International Organisations: From Local Action to Global Action
In order to preserve the relationship between TSG and MA and local culture, a different model of international organisation followed by Olympic sports must be considered.
For this reason, there are currently international organizations that bring together very diverse institutions (museums, cultural associations, TSG federations, universities, training centres, etc.) that try to find a harmonious way between the institutional organization of TSG and the safeguarding of their cultural values as intangible cultural heritage. This is how some continental associations were born: The European Association of Traditional Games and Sports, the Asian Traditional Sports and Games Association (ATSGA)¸ The Pan American Association of Traditional and Autochthonous Games and Sports (APJDAT); the African association of traditional games and sports (AAJST); Traditional Sports & Games Federation (India).
Thinking and acting as a network at an international level is a key element to guarantee the safeguarding actions of the TSG and MA. We encourage to World Martial Arts Union to highlight challenges as a world organization of WoMAU and TSG by activating safeguarding actions in the different sections and contexts outlined above.
To this end, UNESCO could play an excellent advisory institution to achieve these world network actions.
- Prof. Dr. Pere LAVEGA
Expert on Traditional Sports and Games of UNESCO
President ETSGA & Vice President, ITSGA
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