HISTORY OF DRAGON BOATING Dragonboat races are held all over the world. The festival and races originally arose to commemorate Ch’ü Yüan, poet and counselor to his kinsman, Huai Wang, the ruler of Ch’ü (China), 2000 yrs. ago. Loved by the people, disliked by his rivals, driven to despair and banished from court, he had thrown himself to drown in the Mi Lo River in Yeuyang, China. Beating drums and splashing the water furiously with their paddles, the boatmen raced to the river to save him but failed. Then to prevent his body from being taken by the fish, water dragons and evil spirits, they threw rice dumplings, wrapped in silk, into the water. This is reenacted in the modern dragon boat festival. For the festival, Buddhist monks and local dignitaries go to each boat and “awaken” the dragon and “open” his eyes by dotting the pupils with red ink. This way, the dragon can see his way to victory. The International Dragon Boat Federation reports that 50 million people, world-wide, now participate in this racing festival annually. COMMANDS There are a few basic commands in the boat: “Push Off On The Right” - is used to propel the boat away from the docks. “Sit Ready” – is used to focus the team and prepare them for the next command. “Paddles Up” – is used to bring all the paddlers into a position from where the can easily start a stroke on the command of the coach or steersmen. “Go” “Paddle” “Take It Away” – interchangeable commands to order the crew to start paddling. “Let It Run” – is the command to stop paddling “Hold Water” – is used to stop the boats forward or backwards movement “Release” – is the command to stop “holding water” “Draw” – is used to move the whole boat or one section of it sideways. Used to align the boat for the start of a race/mock race. “Back Paddle” – is used to move the boat backwards “Paddles On The Water” – is used to stabilize the boat if needed. Has the effect of doubling the width of the boat, allowing each paddler to use their paddle as a lever to keep the boat upright and stable. |