| （1.School of Physical Education，Shanxi Datong University，Datong 037009，China；2.School of Physical Education，Luoyang Normal University，Luoyang 471022，China) Abstract: By basing the research mainline on the course of evolution of medieval knight competition, coupled with social development background at that time, the authors analyzed several major forms of knight competition, and put forward the following opinions: knight competition emerged due to the need of war; in the beginning period, group competition was full of violence and blood, its main purpose was to intensify military training on knights via group competition; later, with the development of society, one on one spear competition replaced group competition, becoming an important platform for showing knight spirit; when knight competition developed into the late period, such two ways of knight competition as hitting a ring or target with a spear on a running horse appeared, ultimately knight competition evolved into costumed competition, becoming a competitive activity that was provided with a strict ritual procedure, valuing competition rules, and for building individual image; from this course of develop-ment, the trend of knight competition gradually becoming less and less violent can be found, and at the same time, the trace of evolution of human sports competitive activity civilization can be seen from the other side.
Key words: sports history；knights competition；knight spirit；physical violence；middle ages |
