摔跤吧，爷爷！ 85岁的“跤痴疯子”李宝如 | Beijing's Ageless Wrestler

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In the Temple of Heaven Park, 85-year-old Li Baoru begins his exercise at 8 o'clock every day, in all weathers.

每天八点，在天坛公园，85岁的李宝如出门练功，风雨无阻。

He stands firmly in his wrestling outfit. His strong muscles make you wonder whether he has aged at all.

双腿站定，一身跤衣；甩开膀子，都是硬邦邦的肌肉。光看体型，他完全没有老迈之势。

When people ask him about his techniques, he always greets and teaches them for free.

若有人讨教，他便与对方抱拳作揖，倾囊相授，分文不取。

He's more than happy being called a "wrestling fanatic."

“跤痴”，他欣然让人这么称呼自己。

"I was born in 1934, now I live to the South of Yongdingmen Tower. I grew up in the hutongs." He talks with a strong Beijing accent. His wrestling career started at the age of 14. "At that time, the children all loved martial arts. It's like a tradition. We used to learn tricks from each other.”

“我是1934年生人，生活在南城永定门外，胡同串子里长大的。”李宝如一开口，便是纯正的老北京腔调。他从十四五岁开始练习摔跤。“那个年代，像我这么大的孩子都喜欢练，有好武的传统。也不会拜师，就互相学习。”

"It was as simple as the will to win. Wrestling caught my interest because at the end of the day, you are either up or down," Li says.

“那时候挺简单，就是习武好胜。我感觉摔跤有意思，一躺一站着解气”，李宝如说。

There wasn't much entertainment either. When the night fell, the children would practice wrestling in the street, even without any road lamps.

没有什么别的娱乐，胡同里的孩子们到了晚上，有灯没灯都到街上练跤，黑灯瞎火也练。

By the age of 18, Li had mastered wrestling. In the 1950s, he earned himself a spot on the Beijing wrestling team. In the first and second National Games, he was an athlete and the coach.

十七八岁，李宝如已经能摔得相当好。五十年代，他有幸入选北京队，参加了第一届和第二届全运会，既当运动员也当教练员。

"Chinese wrestling has its own culture. It evolved from Beijing wrestling." Li knows the history of the sport very well, "In the Qing Dynasty it was a training exercise for the imperial guards. The terms, the moves, everything came from the local culture, such as the term for the kneeling technique that derived from Manchu language.”

“中国跤是一种文化，它以北京跤为基础。”李宝如不仅会摔跤，对它的历史也如数家珍，“北京跤在清朝的时候，是中央组建的训练侍卫的活动。它从名称到招式，都根植于本地文化。像小得合等等招式的名字，都是从满语演变过来的。”

Wrestling seems like a violent version of martial arts, although Li believes that it is "one of the most civilized games that echo the Olympic spirit," because "when you put your opponent on the ground, you win. It's simple and fair."

虽然摔跤是武术的一种，但李宝如认为它“最文明、最符合奥林匹克精神”。因为它“两两相对，扑倒为胜，太公道了。”

However, as Chinese wrestling was removed from the National Games, many professional teams were disbanded, and the number of wrestling players dropped significantly. In the new century, it became even less popular as an entertainment activity. But Li never gave up.

不过，随着中国跤被移出全运会项目，许多专业队解散，学摔跤的人越来越少。时代发展之后，它作为一项民间娱乐活动也逐渐式微。但李宝如没有因为行业的衰落而放弃。

"Some practitioners may keep doing it but only for a couple of years. I love it full-heartedly. So I keep practicing even though my wrestling association doesn't exist any more. I've been doing this sport all my life."

“有些习武的人，可能练个三五年就不练了。但我是真的爱，从骨子里的爱，所以我一直在练，拳会解散了还继续练，干了一辈子。”

A robust old man, Li still teaches people wrestling techniques. He's a regular to the Temple of Heaven Park. "I'll teach anyone who wants to learn. Be it black-haired, grey-haired, brown eyed or blue eyed, anyone is welcome."

从精干的小伙子变成了精干的老大爷，现在的李宝如还在坚持教人摔跤。在天坛公园和跤馆都能看到他的身影：“只要愿意学，什么人我都教。黑头发的白头发的，黑眼睛的蓝眼睛的，不问姓名。”

He also went abroad to wrestle with foreign coaches: "You don't have to speak their languages. Your moves speak for you.”

他还到国外和外国摔跤教练切磋：“摔跤这东西，不必用语言交流，比划比划就懂了！”

Li believes that living in the new era, he should be equal with his pupils: "I never do the old rituals like kowtowing to the master, or like sworn brothers stuff." He is most pleased to see the pupils improve.

他自诩为新时代的北京人，和学生平等相待，“我从来不搞以前磕头拜师、兄弟拜把那一套”。只要学生学会了，能摔了，他比什么都高兴。

"When I know something that you don't, I shall teach you. Or I might die leaving no legacy at all. It's such a waste.”

“我会的你不会 我得教给你啊。如果不教你，我死了我就白练了，我把这东西就糟践了。”

To further promote Chinese wrestling, the elderly wrestler even learned to use new technologies. He makes video tutorials and writes columns on online social media platforms, persistently introducing the history and techniques of the sport. With the help of the Internet, wrestling lovers are now able to reach him for communication.

为了更好地推广中国跤，他虽然已经八十五岁，还紧跟新时代潮流，录教学视频，开知乎专栏，坚持不懈地传播中国跤的历史和技术。借着网络的帮助，散落在京城各地的中国跤爱好者都能慕名找到他。

"People keep asking why I just can't quit wrestling and just rest at this age. Me resting? I'm always feisty!" Li jumps on his bicycle and goes to his "wrestling park" again.

“好多人问我，你都这个年龄还不养老。养老是什么呀？我还没玩够呢！”自行车一蹬，这位“跤痴”又上天坛公园练功去了。

Cameraman: Liu Xu, Zhao Junjie

Film editor: Li Yuan

Story written by: Zhu Siqi

English editor: Melissa Chua

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