Traditional Games in Malaysia - Gasing

Gasing 

Gasing or tops spinning is a traditional game popular among the Malays especially among the villagers living in the state of Kelantan and Melaka. The game is usually played traditionally before the rice harvest season when several villagers will come together to challenge each other in an ultimate test of skill. The player requires strengths, co-ordination and skill to play this game. If the gasing is hurled expertly, it can spin for up to 2 hours. The villagers believe that the spinning tops would bring good harvest.

History

Gasing game is popular almost in all provinces in Indonesia and they have the same term: gasing. In East Kalimantan, the game is called begasing. The origin of begasing in East Kalimantan in unknown, yet, according to the stories by the local people, the game is considered to be delivered from Sumatera and Java. This is due to the fact that a certain culture is strongly attached to its supporters, and is always carried along when they move to a new area. That culture is then socialized and developed in accordance with the new setting. From here then emerged several versions of that culture, gasing is an example. 

How to play 

Both adults and children can play the game. But bigger or giant top spinning is more of a game for adults than children. The one used by adults are much bigger in size and can spin for a period of time whereas the one played by kids are much smaller. 

Gasing or top spinning is split into two categories. One is for ornamental purposes whereas the other is for playing.There is no fixed number of players and the game can be played either in teams or individually. The first thing to do before playing a gasing is choosing a firm ground as a space or arena to throw gasing. To start playing gasing, coil the string on the gasing neck strongly. Then, insert your middle finger into the grip hole on the string. Raise or pull your hand backwards, throw gasing to the ground as powerful as possible. Gasing will spin immediately as its poited base touches the firm ground. Top with the longest spin and also spin within the drawn circle will win the competition. Once the top spins out of the circle, the player will lose the game. 

Different shapes of gasing 

There are actually five different shapes of gasing found in Malaysia namely: 

1. Plate-shaped 

2. Heart-shaped 

3. Hat top 

4. Egg-shaped 

5. Berembang-shaped 

Traditional Games in Malaysia - Wau

Wau 

Wau game is one of the traditional games of the Malays since hundred of years ago. The word 'Wau' is derived from the Arabic letter 'Wau' as the shape of the wing resemblances to the outline of the particular letter. There are many types of Wau. The most popular Wau in Malaysia is known as the Wau Bulan. This game is one of the hobbies for the population who live in rural areas, especially for the states in the North West of Kedah, Perlis and Kelantan. It has become a tradition to play the Wau after the harvest so that the farmers are able to relieve their tiredness after a period of hard work. Moreover, in some areas, Wau Festival will be held annually for people to know more about Wau.

History 

The arrival of Wau game in Malaysia is uncertain. However, according to a historian named Clive Hart, kite in Malaysia originated from China. This is because the designs and characters of Wau are almost similar to the traditional kites from China.

Characteristics of Wau 

Compared to the traditional size of Wau bulan, the other kites are quite small. It is 2.5 meters wide and 3.5 meters long. Thus, there are lot of spaces that can be used to decorate the kites. The kites are in bright colours so as to make them look more extraordinary.   As for the designs, Wau Bulan has a stringed bow that is attached to it. This bow will produce a very soft wailing tone when it is flown in the sky.

Types of Wau 

Nowadays, there are many types of Wau and the most widely known is Wau Kikik which is the Malay kites. Besides, there are many other widely known Wau such as Wau Bulan (Moon Kite), Wau Kucing, and Wau Jalabudi (Women Kite). These few types of Wau are considered as the National Kites and are regarded as the main items in the National Kite competition. Whereas, Wau Daun (Leaf Kite) is made as an optional in the competition.  

Wau Making 

Traditional Games in Malaysia - Congkak

                                            CONGKAK

Congkak is a type of traditional board game of Malay origin played in Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Southern Thailand. It is within the family of mancala games which are games of sow, count and capture. Basically congkak is played on a wooden boat shaped block with two rows of seven holes on each row along the body and two large holes at both ends called ‘home’. It is usually played as an indoor game and encourages fast mental arithmetic.

History

Congkak is believed to be originated from the word ‘congak’ which means count in the old Malay language. The game is also believed to have originated from the Middle East, where it was known as mancala in Arabia. The earliest discovery of the board game was made in Jordan, dating between 7000 BC and 5000 BC. The game was probably brought by Arab or African traders travelling to China. Introduced first to Indonesia and then to Malay Peninsula, it took root in Malacca where it was thought to be played in the royal court by the king and family and palace residents. However, later the game became popular among the general population in particular among Malays and Peranakans. As the congkak board is shaped like a boat, it is believed that the game is based on the legend of a fisherman unable to go to sea during rainy season who lost his income during the time. To prevent boredom, he created this game which is similar to his boat.

How To Play

The objective of the game is to gather as many game pieces (shells, marbles,pebbles or congkak seeds) into the ‘home’ on the player’s side.

The game begins with seven game pieces in each hole except ‘homes’ which remain empty. Congkak requires two players. Each player controls the seven holes on his side of the board and owns the ‘home’ to his left.

On a turn, a player removes all pieces from one of the seven holes from his side. He then placed them clockwise with one in each hole to the left of this hole in a process called sowing. Sowing skips an opponent’s ‘home’ but not a player’s own ‘home’.

As how the game continues, it depends on where the last piece is placed.

If the last piece falls into an occupied hole, then all pieces are removed from that particular hole and are sown in the same way (clockwise from that hole) in another round. The current player’s turn ends when the last piece is placed into an empty hole of the opponent’s side.

If the last piece is placed into the player’s own home, the current player earns another chance which can begin again at any hole from his side of the board.

If the last piece ended into an empty hole on his own side, the player grabs all pieces from the hole across from his one on the opponent’s side and put them into his own ‘home’. If the opposing hole is empty, no pieces are captured.

After that, the other player chooses which hole he wishes to start from, removes the pieces and placed them in each hole, clockwise from that chosen hole. If a player has no pieces on his side of the board when it’s his turn, then he must pass.

The game finishes when there are no more pieces in any of the holes on both sides of the board. The player can now count the number of pieces collected in their own ‘home’ and the result is finalized to see who has won.

  

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_kw8U25irs

Traditional games in Malaysia - Batu seremban

Batu Seremban

History

Batu seremban is known as knucklebones or five jacks in English. It is usually played by girls, either in a pair or a group. The game is usually played with five or seven objects such as marbles, pebbles, or objects that are round which are suitable to be played, known as buah. In the modern days, usually tiny bags filled with either beans or rice are used. In the olden days, you will be able to see this game being played during the free time of these children in their veranda, living room or anywhere with a flat surface. It is recommended for players to sit on the floor as it is easier to play in this manner. 

How to play

This game has seven stages, ranging from the easiest to the hardest. The first stage is the easiest. One player is to start first.  Player is required to spread the buahs . Make sure that all these buahs aren't in contact with each other. Now, player is to choose one of these buah  to be the ' mother'. The 'mother' is to be tossed into the air and at the same time, the player needs to pick another buah up using the same hand. The collected buah can be put aside. The steps are repeated till all the buah have been collected. 

The second stage is similar to the first. Instead of picking one buah at one time, player is required to pick two buahs up. This means at the second stage, players are only allowed to toss the 'mother' twice.

There is a slight difference in stage three. At the first throw, only one buah is picked. However at the second throw, three buahs are grabbed before catching the one in the air. 

At the fourth stage, player is to throw one buah and grab the four on the ground before catching the one in the air. 

The fifth stage will be played like the fourth stage except with an extra move. Throw the 'mother' and place the other four onto the surface before collecting the 'mother'.

Next, the 'mother' has to be tossed and the other four buahs need to be grabbed before getting the tossed one. 

The sixth stage is really different from the previous stages. Player needs to choose two buahs and toss one of them into the air. Before catching that buah, you are required to switch the buah in your hand with any one of those on the ground.  The steps are repeated until all the buahs have been switched.

The last stage is a continuous of the sixth stage. In the player's hand, there will be two buahs. The player will toss these two buahs and pick one up from the floor. Unlike the previous stages, the players need to collect the two buahs using two hands, each catching one. The game continues till the last buah is caught. 

Traditional Games in Malaysia - chapteh

CHAPTEH

Capteh is a traditional game that requires great dexterity and balance in keeping a feathered shuttlecock in the air for as long as possible by kicking it up with the heel of the foot. A popular game that is also well known internationally.

HISTORY

The earliest reference to a game of kicking a feathered object dates back to the 5th century BC in China. Later known as Ti Jian Zu or “kick little shuttlecock”, the game was used to train military men. Shaolin monks in Henan during the Tang Dynasty were also known to have practised the game to strengthen their martial art skills. It remained popular for about two millennia, from the Han (206 BC-200) until after the Sui and Tang dynasties. During the Song Dynasty (960-1278), chien tsu (jianqiu) meaning “arrow” became the game’s more popular name. The name is still used to refer to the “shuttlecock” used in badminton. 

In Singapore and Malaysia, the game is known as capteh. The name is thought to be either Malay or Hokkien in origin. Variants of the name include chapteh, chaptek and chatek. 

HOW TO PLAY

The game is played using an object also referred to as a capteh, a rubber disc topped with rooster feathers. The game involves keeping the capteh in the air for as long as possible by kicking it up using the heel of the foot until it is missed or dropped. In the past, homemade capteh were made of old tyre tubes and discarded feathers. The game can be played individually or in a team. 

When played in a small group, players are judged individually on the number of kicks they make. The players agree on a winning tally of kicks, and the first person in the group to reach that tally, or the player with the highest score in the group, is considered the winner. To decide who plays first, each player kicks the capteh using their heel and without putting the foot down. The one with the highest score before the capteh falls to the ground or their foot touches the ground is the one who starts first. For the game proper, the player kicks the capteh until he misses it or loses his footing. The player is able to put his foot down with each kick. However, he is not allowed to use his hands to touch the capteh. 

Source : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btjgmI8MudA

Traditional Games in Malaysia - ketingting

KETINGTING

Ketingting game, also known as a game 'Buat Rumah Batu', 'Tinting' and 'ciak Tingting' is one of the Malay cultural heritage which is still popular nowadays. It’s a children's game that is not only entertainment, but also beneficial for mental and physical development to the players. This game was practiced especially by rural communities that still maintain their ancestral heritage. 

HISTORY

According to the study of History, ketingting game, started during the Roman Empire. Ketingting introduced among the Roman soldiers as military training who honed physical the strength and resilience. During the training, the soldiers will run while carrying heavy sacks and reliable method that can enhance the agility and resilience of their feet. By leveraging this training, the soldiers can survive longer. When Rom children see the training, they begin to imitate their warriors training to create and modify ketingting game. The warrior training structure transformed into a kind of interesting games among children. 

OTHER TERMS FOR KETINGTING

Alaska	Alaskan / Hopscotch
Argentina	Rayuela
Aruba	Pele
Bolivia	La Thunkuna
India	Ekaria Dukaria
Indonesia	One Leg Jump
Jerman	Templehupfen
Malaysia	Ketingting / Buat Rumah Batu
Netherlands	Hinklebaan
New York	Potsy

Source : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhILZKkCDwQ