Home
Stone lifting is a game to lift up stones or stone instruments to do physical training or show one's strength, including the stone lion lifting. stone block lifting, millstone lifting, stone discs lifting and stone lock lifting etc.
Tuoguan and Tripod lifting are more traditional activities in Chinese weighting history. After Tang and Song dynasties, stone lifting became the main stream for it was convenient to make stomewares, which cost low and could be held and lift up easily.
There are descriptions about stone lifting in old diaries and stories. It also named Tuoshi, was a special subject in Qing's Wushu Examinations with stones weiqhing 200jins, 250jins and 300jins respectively. A player was considered qualified to lift a stone up at least one chi from the earth.
But stone lifting was a supplemental event in Wushu in ancient China, and it was mainly to lift stone discs and stone locks. The shape of stone discs was much same to Ihe barbells and there was a bar between the bells of oblates. In the center of the oblates, there were holes in order to stick the bar in. These oblates were made of different weights to adapt to different people and different purposes. There were two methods to lift stone discs, one was to lift it up and the other to brandish it. To lift it up means to lift it with one or two hands, but to brandish it means to wave it up in the air with various movements. Stone block was like an ancient lock, and its function and playing method were similar to the modern dumbbells.
Modern weight lifting started from Europe in 18th century and was introduced into China at the beginning of the 20th century. It is the official competition in the Olympic Games. It has its instruments-the metal barbells, and a perfect and regular training ways and competitive rules, which cannot be found in Chinese traditional stone lifting.
