FLOW Workshop Day 6: Free Running Session 2

QM Application - Monkey Wars!!

Location: Club Gymnastica

Injuries: rug burns on my hands, that annoying knee-twinge

Faceplant: not applicable?

Flags Stolen: none, hehe

Resulting Muscle Pain: hmmm, not too bad

The Verdict: I need more practice in terms of speed, focus and agility (while moving on all fours)




Last week's session was mostly a review of all our QM exercises (oh no I forgot what it stands for >.<), with a fun twist. 

We played a game called Monkey Wars, which utilizes nearly all of our QM conditioning exercises, as wall as make us of our rolls. The workshop students and trainers were divided into two groups( black team and white team), with each group assigned a 'home base' on opposite ends of the gym. Each team has a team captain as well as a main flag, which are essential to the gameplay.

The rules are as follows:

1. The teams' objective is to reduce their opponents as well as steal their flag

2. Each team member will have a flag (in our case, towels) stuck to the back of their jogging pants; to eliminate a team member, one must steal the flag from an opponent

3. Players must use only the QM moves, and no less than 3 limbs should be kept in contact with the floor at all times (that would be both feet and at least one hand, or both hands and one foot, if you're limber)

4. Players can only steal a flag when engaged with an opposing team member, or by sneakily taking it from an enemy who is not engaged.

5. Engaging an opponent means to face-off with that person in a sparring session, using various rolls, reaches and moves to both steal their flag and avoid having yours taken (think two monkeys facing off - no really, I mean it). Players usually tag each other to signify 'engagement', and being engaged makes you immune to having your flag stolen by anyone else.

6. If you feel that you are in danger of having your flag taken, you can lie flat on your back and 'play dead'; doing so would force your opponent to seek another flag. However you can only play dead for 5 seconds, and have a maximum of 3 chances to do so in a game.

7. When a player from an opposing team enters the enemy team's territory, the said enemy team is then free to converge on that player and take his/her flag without the usual rules (also known as gang-banging, ugh)

8. The team captain cannot be eliminated form the game as long as the flag is not taken from the base (which makes it a waste of time to actually engage the captain, as many of us found out last session)

9. Therefore, the team must make sure to hide and guard the flag.

10. Yes, you are allowed to make wild, monkey screeches.

This was a game that relied a lot on teamwork and strategy, and we all had to stay alert and help one another if we want to win. 

I had a knee injury at that time and initially decide to guard the base, but I couldn't resist joining in the fray as soon as the game started. The game was one of the most fun and unique activities I've been involved in, and it really exercises one's speed and agility, as well as the ability to focus on several things at once (team mates in need of assistance, enemies sneaking up behind you, etc). All that, while trying to stay on all fours for the duration of the game.

It was a little crazy though, people ripping out a piece of fabric from someone else's backside and  whipping it around to the hoots and cheers of his team mates, what a hilarious scenario XD

We had so much fun we ended up playing 3 rounds (our team lost T_T). My only regret was that I was not at my 100% when we played; I had been dying to get some serious action, and hope we get another chance at that soon :D