China News Service, Huaan, Fujian, August 25 (Yang Yongfeng, Li Zhengyu) I have seen people throwing tops on the ground, but have you ever seen people throwing tops on bottle caps?
There is a motorcycle repairer named Chen Yiqiang in Xiandu Yunshan Village, Huaan County, Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province. He can erect a steel pipe four meters away. A 2 cm diameter bottle cap is fixed on the top of the steel pipe. The length of the tip is wound two to three times, and then the rope is wound from top to bottom from the top of the top to the top of the top, and the top is tightened in sequence. Fingers clamp the rope and the palm of the hand grips the top, eyes facing the steel pipe four meters away, and the arm flicks hard. The top steadily falls on the bottle cap and rotates.
Chen Yiqiang challenged the bowl bottom to throw a top. Photo by Yang Yongfeng
Such scenes can often be seen in Chen Yiqiang's home. As a motorcycle repairman, he often challenges various extreme spinning tops in his yard. Speaking of why he would focus on various extreme throwing tops, Chen Yiqiang told his story.
He just turned eighteen in 1992 and participated in the Cross-Strait Ethnic Minority Association. At the meeting, a compatriot from Taiwan's ethnic minorities gave him a spinning top. Since then, he has forged a love affair with this thing.
Chen Yiqiang successfully challenged the small-caliber spinning top. Photo by Yang Yongfeng
Few people play spinning tops in Chen Yiqiang's hometown, so he has no experience to learn from, so he can only learn by himself. Relying on his interest in spinning tops and his studious attitude, he quickly started playing spinning tops. But he found that the bottom contact surface of the top is so small, what would be the effect if it was thrown on some small things?
It is not so easy to make the top spin in a small place. "To make the thrown top just fall on the plate, the force thrown by the arm must be just right, the rotation force must be appropriate, and the landing point must be accurate." Chen Yiqiang recalled the previous practice, lack of strength, imprecise landing point, and rotation speed Not enough, the rope is not stable enough...Any factor will affect the success rate of the challenge.
Chen Yiqiang live broadcasts the gyro challenge at home. Photo by Yang Yongfeng
as long as you try very hard, you can achieve anything. Chen Yiqiang continued to practice day after day and kept studying, and dozens of iron cores at the bottom of the top were smoothed. Finally successfully threw the top on the plate. "I was happy for a long time that night, and I gradually realized that the ultimate throwing top is indispensable for the unity of mind, hand and eye."
Gradually, more and more people know Chen Yiqiang's "unique skills". He has been invited to perform in Guangzhou, Guizhou, Taiwan and other places many times, and won more than 20 related awards.
Chen Yiqiang played his work on the Douyin platform to neighbors in the neighborhood. Photo by Yang Yongfeng
"I can still remember one performance in Taiwan, when the host asked us to challenge a 5 cm diameter dish on the spot. It was a small diameter that I had not challenged before. Because it was a live broadcast, I took a few deep breaths and gave it a dexterous shot. , The top spins steadily on the plate. The challenge in the big scene at one time has made me more confident.” Chen Yiqiang said.
Today, Chen Yiqiang's skill in extreme spinning tops has become more mature, and ordinary props can no longer challenge him. He used his own props for more difficult challenges. Some throw the top onto a small-caliber pillar five meters high, some throw the top onto the bottle cap, and some throw the top accurately onto a moving plate five meters away...
In Chen Yiqiang's view, "the most difficult thing to challenge is the bottom of the teacup, because the porcelain is very thin and light-transmitting, and the bottom is smooth, which can easily make the top slip off. And it can't be in a brighter place, which will easily affect the judgment of the eyes."
Since September last year, Chen Yiqiang posted his usual challenge video on the Douyin platform, attracting 230,000 fans and more than 2.3 million likes in a year.
"Douyin is a stage for showing personal interests." Chen Yiqiang said that occasionally he would live on the Douyin platform when he was free. Seeing that so many people were interested in spinning tops, he felt that the traditional skills are still recognized by the public and hope to use this platform. Let more people understand this traditional technique. (Finish)