Kazakh kokpar: the game of real men

4277
Adyrna.kz Telegram

For thousands of years, nomads have tempered their character and honed their skills as a brave warrior and proficient rider by playing kokpar. This ancient horse rider game known since the times of Zoroastrianism is popular not only among Kazakhs, but also among Kyrgyz, Tajiks, Uzbeks and other peoples of Central Asia.

The Kazakh name of the game "kokpar" comes from the common Turkic "kok boru". According to one of the legends, wolves lifted up a sheep and carried itshead to the wolf cubs. Wolf cubs played with it. People began to call it the game of cubs (wolves), and gradually the name "kok-boru" was born.

Passion for kokpar never subsided. Even in Soviet times, when it was forbidden to play kokpar, desperate adventures secretly left for the steppe to respect the traditions of their ancestors. Kokpar is not just entertainment. He strengthens the military spirit of a man, stimulates composure, honesty and, of course, physical skills in him. Young people gained experience in fighting on horses, managing them in extreme conditions of almost real combat.

The rules for playing kokpar are simple. The riders are divided into two teams and fight for the carcass of the goat. Previously, fellow countrymen from one villageat full gallop, fighting off their rivals, carried the prize to their village. In the modern version, the goal of the players is to hold the carcass and throw it into the "Kazandyk" (gate) of the opposing team. Each team has 12 people, four players come out on each side, during the game the riders change each other. After all, it is difficult for both the rider and the horse to withstand even a few minutes.

The article is taken from:https://mir24.tv/articles/16354488/kokpar-igra-nastoyashchih-muzhchin.  

 


Translated and edited by:Nagima Bazarkizi

Adyrna” national portal

Пікірлер