Crabs

When I was at school violent playground games such as British Bulldog, Jimmy Knacker and the still popular Slapsies were the order of the day, and despite the best efforts of the health and safety, cotton wool cladding, Daily Mail reading, nanny stating, fun killing, idiotic moral majority the odd one or two are still being played today. Strange Games reader Cynthia Curtainpole (possibly not her real name) sent in the delightfully brutal playground game of Crabs.

For 2 players, each holds out their hands and grasps the other's as in the photo with their finger nails held against the insides of the other person's fingers. Now both players squeeze as hard as possible (in a 'crab' like fashion) which forces their nails to dig into their opponent's fingers while all the time their opponent's nails are digging into theirs. The game is to see who can stand the pain and last the longest.
This is a game best suited for players with long (even better, sharp) fingernails. This is a game for tough people. This is a game for girls!
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If you play a similar unusual game that the world needs to know about then e-mail me (montegue_blister@hotmail.co.uk) and if you do so before 13th November then you will be entered into the competition to win a signed copy of Strange Games the book. See here for details.

New Finger Jousting Video

One of Strange Games favourite games, Finger Jousting has been well covered here many times but a newly posted You Tube video shows a marvellously acomplished and well balanced UK bout.
Note how they are using a scoring system of 3 for head, 2 for chest/neck, 2 for the back and 1 for the legs. Also note the superb jousting stances and high quality play all round by these fine sportsmen.

One of the jousters, a man by the name of Richard Gottfried has a few other strange game claims to fame in that he is a key player on the UK mini-golf scene, enters many championships and writes a superb blog (The Ham and Eggers Files) on the game. He has also appeared on the quiz show Eggheads as part of a mini-golf team -the Nutters with Putters.

Straitjacket Softball

Straitjacket Softball is another game of genius from the fertile mind of Tom Russotti. Tom is the founder of Aesthletics a movement whose aim is to combine art and sport. In his own words, "Aesthletics aims to unleash the great opportunities inherent in competitive contests for social rather than monetary capital." He has also created some mad games of which Straitjacket Softball is one of the best. Tom created the game for the 2007 Conflux Festival. Visit Aesthletics and watch a StraitJacket Softball video here.

Play as normal softball except the bases are represented by the members of the fielding team wearing straitjackets. And they are not fixed in position but can move inside a set circular zone, so when a batting player hits the ball and starts to run to first base they find that the straitjacketed base runs away from them causing much confusion and giving the fielding team extra time to gather the ball and stump the running player out. Exercise, art and fun for both the sane and insane...what more could you want from a game

Rubber Band Escapology

By playing Rubber Band Escapology you can relieve office based boredom and utilise your stationery cupboard all at the same time. All you need to play is an elastic rubber band and not be concerned with looking a little stupid.
To play, stretch a band over your head and open your mouth so that the rubber band is firmly stretched between your teeth and below your ears. Now, without using your hands at all, get the band to move down your face so that it ends up around your neck. To accomplish this you are going to have to use your tongue, lips and teeth to maximum effect followed by lots and lots of chin wriggling. If you are unfortunate enough to have quite a large chin then this game is just going to make you feel much worse about it...so best avoid.

For more rubber band Strange Game fun try Ear Lug of War as well as Human Rubber Band

Also don't forget the current Strange Games competition (see 2 posts down)...simply send in your particularly odd activity and get the chance of winning a signed copy of the book!

strange games repost: Walking Trippy

To celebrate Strange Games the book, which hits the shops this Thursday, I am going to re-post one of my favourite games of all time....the game that has come to be known as the English man's martial art: Walking Trippy.
Walking Trippy is an easy to play, hard to master , indoors game. It can be played in any room which is carpeted. For two players at a time. Each stands at either end of the room and then they start walking towards one another. They must walk so that they won't bump into each other but they will pass as close as possible. It is at this passing point that both players must try and trip their opponent up. No hands or elbows or knees are allowed to hit your opponent it is purely ankle dexterity that must do the dirty work and most importantly all without breaking step...this is a cultured tripping game. The first few times that you play it may seem impossible until the first time you position the outside of your foot over your opponent's toes, or catch their ankle and they go flying headlong to the floor. If no one falls then continue walking past till you get to the end of the room, turn around and walk past again.

note: the accompanying photo shows Fidel Castro playing the game

Strange Games Competition...Win the Book of the Blog

Strange Games the book (a perfect Christmas gift if ever there was one!) is due to hit the shops in 9 days time. So, to celebrate and promote, etc.. we are having a competition.
The Question: What is the best Strange Game you have ever played...
What bizarre play activity do you indulge in that the world needs to know about?
How to Enter: Drop me just a few lines by e-mail (montegue_blister@hotmail.co.uk) detailing how to play your favourite odd game/activity/unusual invented sport and you will be entered into the competition.
All entrants will be read and judged by myself and Mrs Blister. And the 2 entries that we consider the most original and odd and make us smile the most will win a prize:
The Prize: A personally dedicated and signed first edition of Strange Games...and other odd things to do with your time..plus your winning game to be featured in a future post of this blog!
There are 2 to give away so why not have a go!
Tips: We are not looking for an odd sport that exists and is well documented already such as Bog Snorkelling, Unicycle Polo or Cow Poo Throwing...we are more interested in the sorts of really odd/stupid/violent/pointless games you've played in the schoolyard or the privacy of your own home or in college. Something just a little unusual.
Good luck!
Send entries to: montegue_blister@hotmail.co.uk
Small Print: Entries are allowed from anywhere in the world. More than one entry per person is allowed. The judges (Montegue Blister & Mrs Blister) decision is final. The competition closing date is 13th November 2009. Results announced on this blog by 16th November 2009.
ThePrizeFinder - UK Competitions

Bicycle Jousting @ the Chap Olympiad

The Chap magazine, a journal for the modern gentleman, has been publishing sartorial advice and articles on pipe smoking, tweed, and indeed everything else a chap needs to know, for ten years now. For six of those years they have also held the Chap Olympiad, a gathering of the nation's finest suited, booted and moustach-wearing chaps... not forgetting the chappettes. This year it was held in July in Bedford Square Gardens and was well attended by over a thousand dandies.
Various sporting events are held from piggy back racing to moustache tug-of war but possibly the highlight of the event was Bicycle Jousting. To play you are going to need a couple of cycles, umbrellas for lances and cardboard shields. In keeping with the ideals of Chappism the front of the shield is pasted with the front page of the Financial Times. Players mount their cycles with the shield on one arm, the umbrella held forward in the other and gallantly cycle towards each other and certain injury. Umbrellas can be used in traditional jousting fashion or the hooked handle can be used to try to pull the opponent over.
The jousting fence, which forms the barrier between each jousters course, is created by stretching a rope between two old-fashioned wooden hat stands.
Most sports require specialised clothing and Bicycle Jousting is no different with blazers, waistcoats and a nice pair of flannel trousers being de-rigeur but definately no man-made fibres. Most gentleman jousters favour the bowler as the perfect head wear as it has the ultimate combination of authoritative style and protection should you fall.

Opener

Opener is a game devised by Tom Russotti. Tom has created The Institute for Aesthletics ( an organization dedicated to the playing of sports as an artistic practice)....check out his website here
His new game of Opener (seen in the video below) is a team game where each player wears a helmet with a hula hoop attached (easily achieved with a cycling helmet and some gaffer tape) that makes them look a little like a giant bottle opener..hence the game's name.
Teams pass a ball between themselves by throwing or kicking with the aim being to get into the opponent's end zone and once there throw it through one of their own team's helmet hoops. If they do this then a point is scored. Obviously the other team constantly try to intercept and get the ball down to the other end and do likewise.
Full contact is allowed.

Opener from Aesthletics on Vimeo.