抖空竹 Play Kongzhu

Aside: As a folk game, Kongzhu is interesting to play and it is good for people’s health. Nowadays, some primary and middle schools also find another advantage of playing Kongzhu. It can make people concentrate their minds, and work with mind and hands. Therefore, it will help the development of the brain and encourage students to learn. Since it will teach students with fun, many schools begin to introduce it into the physical education class.
空竹作为一种民间玩具，很有趣味，有很强的健身作用，现如今，一些中小学校也发现了空竹的另一好处，增强精神集中的能力，动手动脑，从而促进大脑发育，激发学生的坚韧的学习精神，而且寓教于乐，于是学校开始把空竹引入到体育课堂上。

采访福庄第二小学校长张丽荣：我们把空竹引入学校体育课有一年多了，我们全校有九百人，这九百人都在学。
Interview with Headmaster of No.2 Primary School of Ding Fuzhuang: We have introduced Kongzhu into our PE class for more than one year. There are 900 people in our school. We all learn to play Kongzhu.

采访阴秀敏体育老师：学生兴趣非常高，而且学生也特别愿意练，也非常喜欢这个项目，我觉得这项活动非常好，学生锻炼身体呀，而且特别能激发学生学习兴趣，所以说这项活动非常好，学生也爱学。
Interview with PE teacher: Children are very interested in it and they love to play it. I think it is a wonderful sport. It is good for children’s body and their mind. Students just love to play it.

采访福庄第二小学校长张丽荣：通过开展这项活动，引入课程，对孩子们非常有好处，首先丰富了他们的课余生活，原来孩子们玩电脑游戏的比较多，引入空竹课后，包括其他的民族体育项目，孩子们的业余生活更加丰富了，可选择的游戏项目更多了。
Interview with Headmaster of No.2 Primary School of Ding Fuzhuang: To introduce Kongzhu into PE class is very beneficial for our pupils. It enriches their extracurricular activities. Before a lots of them liked to play computer games in their spare time. After we introduced Kongzhu and other national sports, our pupils have more choices in their extracurricular activities.

采访女学生：我比较喜欢空竹这个项目，我原来是田径队的，胳膊老是抽筋，抖空竹对我的胳膊来说可以让它多锻炼锻炼，可以让它灵活。然后在学习上，有时候学累了，也可以锻炼锻炼，不仅养好了身体，也有精神学习了。
Interview with a pupil: I like to play Kongzhu. I was a member of our track and field team. My legs often get cramped. My arms are exercised when I play Kongzhu. They will be more agile. When I feel tired from study, I will play Kongzhu for a while. It will bring me a strong body and a fresh mind.

采访男学生：抖空竹练习胳膊耐力，让胳膊肌肉强健。
Interview with a pupil: Playing Kongzhu will make my arm muscles stronger and increase their strength.

采访阴秀敏体育老师：虽说空竹小，但它真是一项全身运动，每个关节部位都活动到了，而且能让你没有厌倦、烦的感觉。
Interview with PE teacher: Although Kongzhu is small, you can exercise your whole body. Every joint will be involved. You won’t feel bored.

采访空竹协会主任李宽江：玩空竹的好处比较多，象老年人抖空竹主要是健身，对于身体四肢锻炼特别有好处。
Interview：There are many advantages of playing Kongzhu. Old people like to play Kongzhu for good health. It is especially good for the exercises of arms and legs.

采访男市民: 主要是为了锻炼身体，当时身体不是特别好，血压有点高，现在通过抖这个，血压也降下来了，自我感觉身体素质在往上升。
Interview with a citizen: I play Kongzhu mainly for the sake of health. Before I was in poor health and have high blood pressure. After I play Kongzhu for a period, my blood pressure is no longer high and I feel I am getting better every day.

采访女市民：我想这个（可以）锻炼身体，原来我颈椎不好，我想要玩这个颈椎就好了。
Interview with a citizen: I think it is good for my health. Before I suffered a lot from neck ache. I think if I play Kongzhu, my neck condition will be improved.

Aside: It seems easy to play Kongzhu. A thin thread is placed in the hallow part of the axis. You lift Kongzhu gently and keep it spinning by moving arms properly. However, these seem simple movements need a lot of time to learn and practice.
旁白：抖空竹看似是很简单，一根细绳置于空竹轴中凹处，轻轻提起空竹，靠两臂交替协调抖动，空竹就逐渐加速地旋转起来了，然而，这看似简单的动作却并不容易实现，需要一定时间的学习和练习。

采访空竹协会副主任张文良：首先从基本功开始，从怎么起动，把它抖转了，逐渐一步步深入。
Interview: You should start from the basic skills. You first need to know how you can make it start.

采访男学生：我开始学时抖不起来，抖着抖着空竹就脱线了，后来老师教了我一些技巧，我就抖得很好了。
Interview with a student: At first, I could not play. Kongzhu just go off the thread. Then my teacher taught me some skills. Now I can play it quite well.

采访空竹协会副主任张文良：要学抖空竹真正学每天要有一两个小时，在老师指导下，学三四十分钟，然后平常再练练，一天有两个小时学习，有一个月，三十天就能学会。
Interview: If you can spend one or two hours in playing Konghzhu, under the guidance from a teacher, you will be able to play it in a month.

采访空竹协会主任李宽江：抖空竹必须眼力好，不盯着它，风向呀，掌握不住，而且手也得快，做花时手必须快，不快做不了，步法也得走。
Interview: You need to have good eyesight to play Kongzhu. When you do not have good eyesight or you don’t stare at it, you can not control the direction of Kongzhu. You also need to move your hands fast. Otherwise you can not play Kongzhu in complicated patterns. You also need to walk fast.

采访体育老师阴秀敏：我们体育课都是在室外，有时候碰到学生有什么动作花样，我们之间会进行比较，而且也进行比赛，他们学会了一个新花样，会教给我，我要是会了新花样，也会教给他们。
Interview: Our PE class is outdoors activities. Sometimes when our students play Kongzhu with new patterns, we will compare with them. And sometimes we hold a contest. When they learn a new pattern, they will teach us. When I learn a new pattern, I will teach them.