Remember jumping rope on the playground as a kid? The Kings Firecrackers of Ohio have taken the schoolyard practice into Hollywood epic proportions- literally. The talented 4th-8th graders have inspired a movie in the works. (Bring it on, Bring It On.)
Usually there's something semi-dissatisfying about greatest hits compilations on YouTube, but People Are Awesome is pretty amazing. And being this is WonderHowTo, we are all about celebrating people doing amazing things. (*In fact, if you're continual reader, you will see many familiar faces below.)
Why role play online with an avatar when you can live out your princess-rescuing and spellcasting fantasies in real life? Amtgard is a real life, live action RPG in which people roleplay in set up situations.
The Lying Down Game doesn't require the skill parkour does. In fact, it doesn't require any skill at all, which means anyone and their grandma can do it. Founded in the UK, The Lying Down Game is described as "Parkour...for those who cant be arsed". The rules are simple:
Oh, no! A phalanx is approaching! How can you defeat their shield wall? Answer: a spear! Even if you're not going up against a shield wall, spears are still useful weapons to use in a boffer live action roleplay game because of the advantage that reach gives you. This introductory video shows what makes a spear, how to hold it and footwork.
Spear fighters can be intimidating, especially if you have built up a reputation as being good. This tutorial shows you how to best help your side if you're a spear fighter, as well as how to go up against someone else who is also fighting with a spear.
If you're fighting with a spear at a boffer larp, you'll eventually need to stage a retreat. This video shows you how to pull off a retreat that will hinder your opponent - make sure you have a sidearm or dagger to protect yourself.
Want to be the best spear fighter you can be? This tutorial show you two basic shots you can make when wielding a foam spear on the fields of battle at your next boffer larp. You're also shown how you can thwart a javelin shot with a spear.
Here's how you can fight against a shield wall if you're wielding a spear when playing in a boffer larp (live action roleplay). And after those strategy tips, here is some advice on how you can team up with a shield fighter for a deadly tag team.
If you're just getting started in the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) and are looking for some good ideas on how to get a set of armor for cheap to let you engage in heavy combat, this video, of an SCA class deaing with armor, is for you!
This tutorial is for those who want to become better boffer fighters, and shows you how to employ both feints and baits when on the battlefield. This is specially aimed at those who prefer to fight with two weapons, or Florentine style.
This video covers how you can be more effective with boffer tactics that teach you how to use a polearm against a line of players wielding swords and shields. This tactic is even better if you have a swordsman to back you up.
Just starting to get into the Society for Creative Anachronism? This tutorial shows you some basic footwork and few useful strategies when you're fighting with just a basic buckler (punch shield) and a sword. Though aimed at the SCA, this tutorial will work for anyone into theatre combat, boffer larps or other reenactment organizations.
Want to get started with the heavy combat in the Society for Creative Anachronism? First, you'll want to be protected by armor. Secondly, you'll want to be armed with a rattan sword. Thirdly, you'll want to know how to use your sword. And this video covers all these basics for you.
A lock-up is when you and your opponent both have your weapons pressing against each other to the point where neither of you can move. How to deal with a lock up in larp combat? This video shows you all the ins and outs of dealing with lockups in a boffer larp.
This tutorial shows you firstly what a boffer spear is (and is not), and then goes over the basic stances and techniques you can use when you're on the battlefield and fighting with a foam spear. Learn how to overcome an entire phalanx with a ranged weapon!
If shield kicking is legal in your game, here's how you can safely and effectively kick your opponents shield (and perhaps even knock them down). Know what's a good target, and a good way to deliver the kick without exposing your leg to be hit in turn.
This tutorial starts off by demonstrating the proper way to hold a boffer sword for greatest control. Once you've gotten that down, you're shown how you can go up against an opponent with a shield and still win, even if you only have a sword.
Footwork is an important aspect of waging effective boffer combat. If you want to get better at boffer fighting, work on your footwork. No matter what weapon you're wielding, you'll be able to effectively and quickly maneuver on the battlefield to get an advantage at your next game or fighter practice.
A shield makes a fantastic defense in boffer combat. If your character uses a shield, you're going to want to make sure to get the most out of it. This video shows you a variety of shield techniques you can use to protect yourself in boffer combat or fighter practice.
"There is something you should know... I am not left-handed!" What to do when you're coming up against an opponent who's actually a lefty? This boffer combat tutorial shows you a few good strategies you can use when going up against lefties, especially when you both have shields.
A shield isn't just for defensive maneuvers - you can also use a shield in several different ways to augment your weapon attacks. This tutorial shows you how you can use a shield effecitvely in boffer combat or at a fighter practice.
So you've mastered the basics of using a shield and going up against an opponent who also wields a sword and shield. This tutorial shows you how to both stage an effective side attack, and how to defend against an opponent making the same attack on you.
Becoming better at boffer combat is not a matter of mastering fancy sword moves, it's about being able to force an opening in your opponent's defenses and taking advantage of it without leaving yourself open for a counter-attack. This tutorial shows you precisely how to create these situations and take the most advantage of them.
This is an advanced boffer fighting tutorial which focuses on the shield, and how you can improve your shield technique as a boffer fighter. Learn several good tips on how to become better at both offensive and defensive boffer shield fighting. Keep yourself protected with a shield block!
This video focuses on the tower shield techniques. First you're shown how you can get a hit in on an opponent who is fighting with a tower shield. At the same time, you learn ways to become better at boffer fighting with a tower shield yourself.
Combat is a fundamental part of many boffer larps, and you'll need to know how to fight well in order to have a successful PC for most games. This tutorial starts with the very basics of weapon grip, and shows you other important boffer combat techniques, like footwork and how to attack without leaving yourself open for a counterattack.
This tutorial shows you how to fight with a knife, dagger or other sort of short sword if you're engaging in boffer combat. You aren't totally helpless if someone comes at you with a longer weapon, and this video demonstrates what you can do!
In this tutorial, we learn how to whistle with your fingers in your mouth. First, you will grab your two pinkie fingers and place them inside your mouth on either side. Seal them with your tongue and blow across the remaining hole that is in your mouth. From the side, you should be able to see just one area where the air is coming out of from your mouth. The air should blow across the top and will control the pitch of the note that you are playing. From here, you can learn how to play songs and...
Straw Bale mazes are fun for children and adults a like and are a great way of having fun with the whole family! In this video you'll learn how to put create the maze, pull together volunteers, and get the sponsors you need!
In this video, we learn how to perform a wolf whistle with your fingers. First, you will place two fingers straight out so there is a dip in them. Then, place these in your mouth and start to blow air out of your mouth. Make sure the fingers are all touching each other while inside of the mouth. Also make sure that the fingers are pushing the tongue back. When you learn to do this, it may sound rough in the beginning, but with practice, it will sound much better! This is a handy tool to learn...
It's the newest craze to hit the web and it's called "tarp surfing". Somehow it is out and out ingenious. Simple and infectiously fun (for some reason, the resourceful silliness of it is right on par with CD-R bubble blowing).
Man, I can't tell you how sorry I am that I missed this year's 14th Annual Summer Redneck Games, a competition held yearly in East Dublin, Georgia. Fiercely proud hillbillies from across the deep South compete in the following contests: the Armpit Serenade, Bobbin' for Pigs Feet, the Mud Pit Belly Flo, and Watermelon Seed Spitting.
In this tutorial, we see how to whistle loudly by putting your fingers in your mouth. First, place your two fingers from each hand into your mouth. You will use the middle and pointing fingers from each hand. Place your fingers underneath your tongue and hold the tongue back while you whistle. Push the tongue to the back of your mouth making a seal around your lips. Push air out of your mouth going out into the middle. This is the easiest way to make a loud whistle sound while just using a...
This video demonstrates us the method to throw a boomerang. Firstly, hold the boomerang properly. It should be done by holding it in your hand from one of its arms. Hold it vertically at an angle to the ground. The hand, while releasing it, must be slight above your head. See the wind by dropping the grass. It can also be felt on one side of the face. Throw the boomerang at forty five degree angle into the wind. Safety of the people around must be taken care of as they might get hurt with the...
Learn how to whistle very loud with your fingers inside your mouth in simple steps. 1. First fold the front part of your tongue backwards and insert any two fingers from both hands, then blow the air out. 2. You can use your two small fingers, index fingers, middle finger and; others to blow out the whistle. 3. The most difficult part is using your thumb and index finger together to blow a whistle. 4. You can also use any two fingers together and also your thumbs by practicing with them...
When John Ivers grew tired of the long lines at amusement parks, he decided to build his very own roller coaster - in his backyard. Called the Blue Flash, the roller coaster is said to have the same safety standards as official park coasters, and even has a 360 degree loop.
More than 1,200 students and staff from the University of Alberta set a Guinness World Record for the world's largest dodgeball game in early February. The group nearly tripled the former record of a 450-person game. Awesome aerial footage of the event below.
Regardless of what you might have seen on tv or movies, you should never throw a boomerang side-arm. The only proper method for throwing a boomerang is to throw it overhand just like you would with a baseball. There are two ways to grip a boomerang: either pinch it or cradle it. You can do whichever one is more comfortable to you. This video will show you how to throw a boomerang.
We have seen it before (previous post: Human Powered Ferris Wheel), but it never gets any less amazing. Talk about resourcefulness. No need for electricity. Use humans to power your ferris wheel (if you had one sitting around... I wish I had one).
Getting an outdoor itch to start something new? How about the ever-so-fun game of shuffleboard? Begun more than 500 years ago as a game for European royalty, shuffleboard is becoming more popular with Americans who see it as a less expensive alternative to golf.
This is a short but thorough guide to how to throw and catch a boomerang. We focus on boomerang grip, throwing technique, and more. The presentation is no-frills but informative, featuring a lot of diagrams and a brief demonstration at the end.
In this segment from Lonely Planet, we learn how to throw a boomerang. It's not just a question of getting the boomerang to come back to you. Throw the boomerang the wrong way, and it just might come back to you like a heat-seeking missle! The host in this clip has trouble getting the boomerang to return, calling to mind the old joke: "What do you call a boomerang that won't come back? A stick."
In this tutorial, you're introduced to Geocaching, the high tech treasure hunt. This is a pretty thorough intro, presented without a lot of flash but with some solid info. By the time you're done, you'll be ready to go out there into the wild, seeking those hidden goodies.
Well, maybe these folks aren't redneck. That is a pretty nice house, and that slingshot doesn't look too jery rigged. But the idea of a human slingshot is certainly redneck (and lotsa fun).
Who is hula hoop boy? I'm dying to find out more information about this kid. According to YouTube, he is thirteen years old and managed to keep 30 hula hoops going. Whoever he is, he's incredible.