Athletics Festival Part Deux
This was my absolute favorite part of the day. This event was called Kibasen, and its essentially the Japanese version of a chicken fight. The only difference is that there are three people who lift someone in the air, making for a much more exciting, more intense spectacle. Its the only time during the year that students get the chance to seriously injure a classmate and get praised by the teachers for doing so. For one hour, the laws of primordial nature were restored and it led to one simple truth: only the strong survive. It was a brutal sight, and as for the students, they quickly understood the meaning of this cruel game of survival of the fittest. The word of the day was vengeance.
Hoisted onto the shoulders of their comrades, the teams methodically scour the battlefield for any glimpse of what could be an opponent's weakness. Like a lioness crouched in the grass on the serengeti, waiting for the sick and the old to straggle away from the herd, like ancient generals of war, their decision to attack depends on certain factors. It all comes down to whether or not the opponent is nestled securely on the shoulders of his team, whether or not the mounted warrior appears to possess any raw physical ability, or the mobility--or lack thereof--of the unit as a whole. The smart ones adhere to the philosophy
of strength in numbers, and arrange themselves in a Greek/Roman phalanx formation, a wall of overlapping bodies and arms meant to decrease the vulnerability of each attack unit had they been separate entities. They huddle together forming an impenetrable blockade, whose strength lies in the discipline and the focus of all of the members in the group. They wait patiently until stragglers emerge, and then launch viscious tag-team assaults on their opponents.
Getting ready for the attack.
CHAARRRRGE!!!It begins as the two sides suddenly charge and meet face to face in the center of the battlefield.
The scene is chaotic and the carnage intoxicating.
3 units gang up on and deliver the fatal knockdown blow to one of the stragglers.
Watch as this tenacious warrior quickly and fiercly subdues his opponent, successfully and brutally knocking him to the ground.
Bloody-nosed, bruise-ridden, and semi-concussed, they shake hands and slap high fives after the battle is over.
Hoisted onto the shoulders of their comrades, the teams methodically scour the battlefield for any glimpse of what could be an opponent's weakness. Like a lioness crouched in the grass on the serengeti, waiting for the sick and the old to straggle away from the herd, like ancient generals of war, their decision to attack depends on certain factors. It all comes down to whether or not the opponent is nestled securely on the shoulders of his team, whether or not the mounted warrior appears to possess any raw physical ability, or the mobility--or lack thereof--of the unit as a whole. The smart ones adhere to the philosophy
of strength in numbers, and arrange themselves in a Greek/Roman phalanx formation, a wall of overlapping bodies and arms meant to decrease the vulnerability of each attack unit had they been separate entities. They huddle together forming an impenetrable blockade, whose strength lies in the discipline and the focus of all of the members in the group. They wait patiently until stragglers emerge, and then launch viscious tag-team assaults on their opponents.
Getting ready for the attack.
CHAARRRRGE!!!It begins as the two sides suddenly charge and meet face to face in the center of the battlefield.
The scene is chaotic and the carnage intoxicating.
3 units gang up on and deliver the fatal knockdown blow to one of the stragglers.
Watch as this tenacious warrior quickly and fiercly subdues his opponent, successfully and brutally knocking him to the ground.
Bloody-nosed, bruise-ridden, and semi-concussed, they shake hands and slap high fives after the battle is over.
posted by Alex Cruz at
9:18 PM
2 Comments:
I wish we did that at my school.
dont we all. i can think of plenty of kids i would've taken sweet revenge out on.
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