Martial Play is what I call a collection of games that are essentially roughhousing with some very simple rules and objectives. Different games have different rules and objectives.

It can be a high-intensity workout or graceful and slow, depending on the movement energy both partners bring to it (throughout a session, you frequently switch partners and different qualities of movement emerge).

⚡️ Benefits for Everyone

• Roughhousing activities are really important developmentally (for becoming more skillful movers and for socio-emotional development), particularly when done within this game framework.
  • The games are designed in a scalable way to make them fun, safe, and accessible to people of all ages, no matter their roughhousing interest or physical abilities.
  • As people develop their physical skills, the games can be easily scaled up to introduce new challenges into the mix.
  • One of the beauties of these games is that participants will learn to meet their partners where they are, so that everyone is having fun.
• These games are an incredible vehicle for connecting with people. We tend to think of verbal communication as being the only vehicle for social connection – wait until you give these games a try!

🗺️ Game Example

The Shoulder Game

• Objective: Touch either of their shoulders without them touching yours.
• Reminder: Make sure your partner is having fun too (e.g., they should sometimes get your shoulder too).

That’s all people are told when getting started. We don’t get into a bunch of rules to allow for different ways of playing the game to emerge. For some people this game will look like a sparring session. For others it might look like an improvised dance.

Other games have a similar feel to this and involve objectives like trying to move your partner or keeping an object (e.g., ball) away from them.

🎯 Game Focus: Skillful Movement & Object Manipulation

The games have two overarching themes: skillful movement and object manipulation.

• Skillful movement refers to the ability to move in a fluid, functional, and adaptive manner, whether standing or on the ground.
• Object manipulation is skillful movement applied to objects: the ability to move and manipulate objects in a fluid, functional, and adaptive manner. Objects used in our games include balls, rings, sticks, and rope.