Chinlone – a new North American Sport?

Recently I saw a documentary, “Mystic Ball” directed by Greg Hamilton, about Chinlone. Chinlone is a Burmese game that consists of of six players that pass a “cane ball” back and forth with their feet and knees as they walk around in a circle. One player goes into the center, creating a dance of various moves, while the other players try to pass the ball back with one kick to the person in the center. When the ball drops the play is considered dead.
The game is said to be over 1 500 years old and was tyically played for Myanmar royalty. Since Myanmar is a predominately a Buddist country many of the serious chinlone players experience a state of mind comparable to that achieved in Zen meditation. Live music generally accompanys the players and accents their moves. The players’ ages range from very young children to adults in their late 80’s!
This is the first time I’ve heard of this sport, but I think we will defintely be seeing more of these “cane balls” in America in the coming years. Be sure the check out the links to discover more about this intriguing sport.