Knights on horses

Number of participants: the whole class, in pairs

Necessary equipment: tatami or carpets, stopwatch

Skills: body combat, balance, collisions, strength

Pairs should be made up of participants of similar weight. One of them goes down to 4-point kneeling – s/he is the horse. His/her partner sits on his/her back – s/he is the rider. The rider holds on to the horse with his/her legs. The pairs go against each other within a designated area.

Aim: to get the opponent off the horse. If the rider falls, the pair is out. Then horse and rider switch roles and come back into the game.

Rules:

1. The rider’s feet must not touch the ground. If the rider tries to stabilize his/her position by putting one or two feet down, the pair is out.
2. It is forbidden to pull the rider suddenly or too strongly.
3. One rider can be attacked by maximum two opponents.
4. It is forbidden to attack the horse.

Variations:

1. With advanced participants, the game can be played with the horses standing upright. The riders jump on their backs. It is important that they all know falling techniques for this variant.
2. This game can be played in water, too.