Anthologica Universe Atlas / Universes / Rireinuverse / Rireinu: the flowering worlds / An Overview of Rireinu Culture / Pole Dancing
The number one sport in Rireinu is the traditional martial art, tañoyora. It is very similar to quarterstaff with a steel pipe. It has a thousand years of tradition behind it. Children learn it in school. Cities close down for championship games. Professional practitioners are very highly regarded; more than one champion has parlayed her popularity into a successful political career. No major gathering is complete without a tañoyora demonstration.
Unfortunately, the literal translation of its name, tañoyora, is 'pole dancing'. This seems to give weird ideas to most galactics.
The goal of pole dancing is to teach the student self-discipline. This is achieved through learning to wield the dancing pole in a graceful and efficient manner.
The taño, or dancing pole, is a length of steel pipe 134 cm long and 25mm/19mm in diameter. It is used to strike your opponent in one of the legal target zones or to disarm her. Before you will be allowed to practise full speed with a partner, you must master the basic saya and demonstrate to the satisfaction of the herenari that you are not a danger to yourself or to others.
The ring is packed earth, marked with a 4 m diameter circle. Where packed earth is impracticable, such as on board a spaceship or in a convention centre, thin mats of approximately similar softness are used instead.
The scoring system in pole dancing is perfectly straightforward:
Clean strike on your opponent's body in a legal target zone: 1 point.
Forcing your opponent out of the ring: 1 point.
Forcing your opponent to the ground (touching the ground at three points or more): 3 points.
Disarming your opponent: 10 points, or victory.
In a competition, the athletes will wear an either red or white headband.
In the year 1721ye. Remesena, an ascetic living in the forest near the city of Vanasova, developed the art of pole dancing after defeating a band of brigands with her walking staff. The last brigand managed to cut Remesena's staff in half with her sword, but Remesena smashed her skull between the two halves of her staff. Looking for a replacement staff that wouldn't be as easy to break, Remesena thought of her sister who owned a steel rolling mill in the city.
With a sample pole from her sister's stock the length of her old walking staff, Remesena then invented the art of tañoyora or pole dancing, as an aid to self-discipline and incidentally also an efficient form of self-defense. Ever since her death in 1779ye., Remesena herenari is venerated in Vanasova as Tañoyorano Hase, the goddess or patron saint of pole dancing.
Temple of Remesena, the inventor of pole dancing. Vanasova, Vanasova Province. Attached to the temple is the worlds' leading pole dancing school or sari. The students and masters lead a monastic lifestyle; appropriate for a martial art invented by an ascetic. Visitors may watch students sparring every day. On most anopayu (Sundays), there is a demonstration match by the masters. The eraemo of Remesenasari is Ruvohase herenari (since 2751ye.). Some other notable masters: Uterinu herenari, Sekepura herenari.
Pole dancing is perfectly safe. Well, mostly. Most years, there's no more than four or five deaths in the pole dancing ring. Usually novices killing each other. But back in 2712ye., so about 50 years ago, there was a famous incident. It was in the Teroyire Provincial Championships finals, Hahatiñu had just pulled a flawless Sleeping Crane, and Keriñana tried to counter with a Double Butterfly. But she lost her balance, fell straight on Hahatiñu with her dancing pole level forward, crushed her windpipe and broke her neck.
Unfortunately, the literal translation of its name, tañoyora, is 'pole dancing'. This seems to give weird ideas to most galactics.
Brief Description
The goal of pole dancing is to teach the student self-discipline. This is achieved through learning to wield the dancing pole in a graceful and efficient manner.
The taño, or dancing pole, is a length of steel pipe 134 cm long and 25mm/19mm in diameter. It is used to strike your opponent in one of the legal target zones or to disarm her. Before you will be allowed to practise full speed with a partner, you must master the basic saya and demonstrate to the satisfaction of the herenari that you are not a danger to yourself or to others.
The ring is packed earth, marked with a 4 m diameter circle. Where packed earth is impracticable, such as on board a spaceship or in a convention centre, thin mats of approximately similar softness are used instead.
The scoring system in pole dancing is perfectly straightforward:
Clean strike on your opponent's body in a legal target zone: 1 point.
Forcing your opponent out of the ring: 1 point.
Forcing your opponent to the ground (touching the ground at three points or more): 3 points.
Disarming your opponent: 10 points, or victory.
In a competition, the athletes will wear an either red or white headband.
History
In the year 1721ye. Remesena, an ascetic living in the forest near the city of Vanasova, developed the art of pole dancing after defeating a band of brigands with her walking staff. The last brigand managed to cut Remesena's staff in half with her sword, but Remesena smashed her skull between the two halves of her staff. Looking for a replacement staff that wouldn't be as easy to break, Remesena thought of her sister who owned a steel rolling mill in the city.
With a sample pole from her sister's stock the length of her old walking staff, Remesena then invented the art of tañoyora or pole dancing, as an aid to self-discipline and incidentally also an efficient form of self-defense. Ever since her death in 1779ye., Remesena herenari is venerated in Vanasova as Tañoyorano Hase, the goddess or patron saint of pole dancing.
The Home of Pole Dancing
Temple of Remesena, the inventor of pole dancing. Vanasova, Vanasova Province. Attached to the temple is the worlds' leading pole dancing school or sari. The students and masters lead a monastic lifestyle; appropriate for a martial art invented by an ascetic. Visitors may watch students sparring every day. On most anopayu (Sundays), there is a demonstration match by the masters. The eraemo of Remesenasari is Ruvohase herenari (since 2751ye.). Some other notable masters: Uterinu herenari, Sekepura herenari.
Safety Record
Pole dancing is perfectly safe. Well, mostly. Most years, there's no more than four or five deaths in the pole dancing ring. Usually novices killing each other. But back in 2712ye., so about 50 years ago, there was a famous incident. It was in the Teroyire Provincial Championships finals, Hahatiñu had just pulled a flawless Sleeping Crane, and Keriñana tried to counter with a Double Butterfly. But she lost her balance, fell straight on Hahatiñu with her dancing pole level forward, crushed her windpipe and broke her neck.