One on One Challenges

ARM WRESTLING

Easy enough; it can be done lying on the floor, so you don't need a table. You're supposed to keep your elbows together and hold hands so that your thumb muscle is in the other person's palm.

TRACTORS/TANKS

Here the pair is working together to get from one end of the hall to the other in the shortest time. Alan lies on the floor on his back. Bertie stands facing him with his feet either side of the first person's head; Alan grasps Bertie's feet around the ankles. Alan then lifts his legs up in the air, and Berties grasps Alan's ankles in much the same way.

It should now be possible for Bertie to dive forward, tucking his head in, and end up with his back on the floor beyond Alan thus reversing their positions. Repeat until you reach the finishing line. And you know the best part is that is really doesn't hurt if you do it right. It requires a little faith and tuition, but do dive properly, never let go of the other guy's ankles and tuck your head in!

ARM KNOCKOUT

Alan and Bertie face each other on the floor, press up style. Feet should be together and bodies should not be bent. The object is to knock out the other guy's arms and thus make him collapse - you may not grab the other guys arm with an open hand. Clearly the best way to do this is to fake him out and knock his one arm out when his other arms is trying to knock your wrong arm out of the way. Got that? Terrific. This is particularly painful with short sleeves.

BACKLIFT

Anne and Brian (variety...) stand back to back and interlock arms at the elbows. On the word `Go', each has to attempt, by leaning forward, to be the first to lift the other clear of the ground. You'll want to try to match heights quite well for this one.

LEG PULL

I would organise this one with all the pairs of boys down the long axis of the hall; Alans will have their backs to one long wall, Berties with have their backs to the other long wall. OK. Good.

Now each person lifts his left leg in the air and holds onto his partners left leg. Upon a suitable command, each player has to hop backwards trying to pull his partner with him. The one to touch his back on his own wall (or to cross a line - safer) wins.

SLAPS

This one comes from the playground and you may be a little wary to encourage your little angels into such violence, but here we go. You should probably slip a coin in each case to see who goes first, but we shall assume Alan goes first.

Each player holds his hands together in a prayer position, such that his fingers are pointing at the other player in front of him and his hands are at chest height. Some suggest that the two players hands should be close enough that fingertips are touching and this can be enforced. Since Alan is going first, he will be attacking. (:-) This involves his moving one of his hands and swinging it so as the slap Berties hand, for example Alan may decide to use his right hand, in which case he would slap Bertie's left hand.

Bertie's role in this is to try to remove his hands, and so foil Alan's swipe. Bertie however may not move his hands until Alan's fingertips have broken apart; if Alan successfully fakes Bertie into doing so, then Bertie is required to hold his hands in place while Alan exercises his right to a free slap. This can inevitably be somewhat harder than combat slaps as preparation time is available. It is observed that players wishing to retain friendship with their opposition do not necessarily slap any harder here than at any other time.

So far Bertie has done rather badly out of the arrangement. However a further important rule is thus; if Bertie successfully removes his hands entirely and Alan thus misses, play changes over such that Bertie is now attacking Alan.

The game finishes when one of the players submits to the other and admits defeat. This is or course subjective.

Slaps is an excellent spectator sport, particularly in watching the colour of their hands. My campers and PFC Summer camp picked this game up rather slowly at first (I noted this softness in general in American kids), but enjoyed in immensely once taught.

CHINESE LADDERS

This games only belongs here insofar as the boys are likely already arranged in the right format to play it. The should sit down the length of the hall facing their partners, with their feet touching those of their partners.

+-------------+
|             |
|   O== ==O   |
|   O== ==O   |
|   O== ==O   |
|   O== ==O   |
|   O== ==O   |
|   O== ==O   |
|             |
+-------------+

...like so. Starting at the top end of the diagram, upon command, the boys jump up, and run down the hall over the legs of their team (who may not move those legs!) and then touch the end of the hall. They run back around the outside, touch the top wall, and then make their way over any legs back to their place, whence the next boy may do the same. It's a race.

Note the way I have described it so that each boy must sit down beyond the next person in his team; this helps prevent cheating by starting early.

This game can be made more interesting by providing simple obstacles around the two outside edges of the hall, e.g. car tyres to get through, turned gym benches to walk along, or chairs to go under.

INDIAN LEG WRESTLING

Picture first: (laying on the floor)
Person A (Jim)
]==<>O ( [] = feet, == = legs)
O<>==[ ( <> = body O = head)
Person B (Tom)

Jim and Tom (with the inside hand) grab the other persons forearm. This will cause the (roughly) pivot point. A count of 1, 2 is given, and on each number the inside leg is raised to the vertical position. On the count of 3, the legs are interlocked at the knees.

The Objective is to get you opponent to turn from the original starting position. It is kind of hard to explain, but if you get a partner and try it, you will see what I mean.