Mao Zedong’s Sports Thought And Its Contemporary Value

Comrade Mao Zedong, as the great Marxist, the great proletarian revolutionist, strategist,theorist and the great pioneer of Chinese Marxism, was also the pioneer and founder ofSports in New Chin. Mao Zedong’s sports thought, which was developed during long-termrevolutionary practice, is characterized by unique viewpoints and profound systems. Underthe new situation, the research, inheritance and development of Mao Zedong’s sports thoughthave great theoretical value and practical significance for the enhancement of the people’sphysique, the development of sports in China and the improvement of quality of the wholenation as well as for the construction of comparatively well-off society and achieving thegreat rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.Mao Zedong’s sports thought, which has both solid basis of practice and deep historicalorigins，was developed gradually in certain social background. Mao Zedong’s childhoodphysical condition and physical exercise during his schooldays, which aroused his stronginterest in sports, are the direct trigger of Mao Zedong’s sports thought; Marxist writers’classic views on sports are the important theoretical source of Mao Zedong’s sports thought;The beneficial sports thoughts in traditional Chinese culture were adopted selectively; Thesports views of modern Chinese thinkers (such as Cai Yuanpei, Chen Duxiu and so on) wereadopted and used for reference.The development of Mao Zedong’s sports thought is divided into three stages: the initialformation period, the basic formation period, and the improvement and development period.During the initial formation period, the main views are focused on the book calledResearches of Sports, the major theoretical viewpoints are: sports are vital to healthy bodyand sports are the source of knowledge, which emphasize the all-round development ofpeople. Physical exercise should focus on interest oriented, which emphasize the importanceof interest in sports and has significance to the current interesting teaching. Physical exercisecan create its own unique pattern, which has significance for the current rigid PE curriculum.The source of Mao Zedong’s sports thought during the basic formation period is themilitary struggle practice against enemies. The basic theoretical viewpoints are: sports areindispensable weapons for revolutionary struggle and also the source of strong fighting capacity against enemies. It promotes and actively carries out military training amongsoldiers to achieve the purpose of physical exercise. When battle was over, various sportsevents were carried out to motivate soldiers’ interest in physical exercise.The improvement and development period was formed after the founding of new china.The major theoretical achievements are national fitness and enhancement of people’s healthconditions. Students’ overall developments not only include moral and intellectualdevelopment but also physical development. The thought of national fitness goes throughMao Zedong’s sports thought and has significance for the current development of nationalfitness.Through the three stages of development and perfection, the contents of Mao Zedong’ssports thought become more and more substantial and rich. Its main contents include (1)Military sports thought; it emphasizes not only physical training but also the effect of sportson the stimulation of fighting spirit.(2) National fitness sports thought; it emphasizes theimportance of participation of the whole nation and opposes the tendency of niches and elites.It emphasizes the importance of health and considers the starting point of mass sports is notcompetitiveness but improvement of physical constitution.(3) School sports educationthought; sports in school should develop in an all-round way-morally, intellectually andphysically. It emphasizes that sports is the base of students’ development and it’s wrong topartially pursuit intellectual development and ignore physical exercise. It emphasizes theimportance of interest and wishes to develop the sports events that can interest students.(4)Competitive sports thought; It creatively puts forward the view “friendship first, competitionsecond” and emphasizes non-utilitarian. Also it puts forward the view of combiningpopularization with enhancement. This sport thought steers a way for the comprehensivepopularization of new china’s sports and making China among the greatest sports countries inthe world.Mao Zedong’s sports thought is neither individual thought and feeling nor improvisation,but a scientific system with its own characteristics, which are primarily embodied in itsscientificity, populist, practicality, and openness. Scientificity is reflected in its theoreticaldepth, which can be put to guide sports practice directly, rather than specific skills; populist isreflected in that Mao Zedong’s sports thought has a strategically advantageous position, think in the position of the people, and emphasize popularity and people’s livelihood. Practicality isembodied in that it can be applied to practice and not out of practice. It truly achieved "comefrom practice, go to practice". Openness is embodied in that Mao Zedong’s sports thoughtinherits and innovates the previous outstanding sports thoughts. Openness is also embodied inthat Mao Zedong’s sports thought is like the sea which contains all the rivers and ready toreceive all the beneficial sports thoughts.Mao Zedong’s sports thought enriches and perfects Mao Zedong Thought, lays thefoundation of China’s Socialist sports, realizes the historical transformation of Socialist sportsand promotes the sports development in new China. The study on Mao Zedong’s sportsthought has great significances on exploring new ways of PE education and on looking fornew ways to practice PE education, also it will contribute to build up the people’s health andbring about a great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.