When did tug of war begin to commonly refer to an athletic contest between two teams who haul at the opposite ends of a rope ?
According to a Tang dynasty book , The Notes of Feng , tug of war , under the name " hook pulling " ( 牵钩 ) , was used by the military commander of the State of Chu during the Spring and Autumn Period ( 8th century BC to 5th century BC ) to train warriors .