How to Play Myachi Fu

by Crazy Ivan


As many of you have heard before, I'm working on a detailed explanation of all the Myachi games including official tournament rules, but it's a long project and it keeps finding its way onto the back burner. So between now and the completion of this behemoth project, I'm going to add a few entries that explain the basics of some of our favorite Myachi games.

Myachi Fu is a martial arts based competition that tests a number of different aspects of your Myachi game. It will also test your balance, speed, reaction time and general coordination so it makes it an ideal game for an aspiring athlete.  Or for a clumsy person who is getting sick of being clumsy.

The game is pretty simple but there are some really important rules.  You can play with 2 or more players.  When you have more than 2 players you can play on teams or you can play a free for all where everyone faces off against everyone else.

Each player starts with a Myachi on their hand. The object is to knock the Myachi off your opponents hand without letting them knock yours off.  It's as simple as that.  For a great demonstration, check out this video our good friend (and apprentice Myachi Master) put together:



Even without sound you can get a really clear idea of how the game works.  It's usually played "best of 5" though for time purposes the video does best of 3.

You'll notice that both players use a lot of hand switches and centrifugal moves to keep the Myachi in play.  You can also see a variety of attack types and defensive maneuvers in the video.  Now that you've seen the game in action there are only two more things you need before you start playing: The Rules and the Strategy.

The Rules:

(Because this game requires a lot of open space, it should not be played indoors.  It is dangerous for the players and for all the other stuff that you keep indoors.)

• No Palms Allowed! (1st rule of any Myachi game)
• Trap moves are not allowed.  Tricks where the Myachi is trapped between two body parts such as Hulk, Lotus or Slingshot are not allowed.  The Myachi must remain stalled ad uncovered.
• You can stall on any surface of the body (other than the palms) but you cannot leave the Myachi on a surface other than the back of your hand for an extended period.  Stalls on the lower body, arms, wrists, head, neck, shoulders and body must be returned to the hand within 2 seconds of stalling.
• You cannot strike the other players Myachi.  You earn points by knocking the Myachi to the ground, but it is against the rules to attack the Myachi directly.  You must strike the palm of the hand or manipulate the other player's balance in order to earn a point.
• Strikes can be directed only to the palm and must be done with an open hand.  This is not combat, it's a game.  You'll note that there's a bit of pushing and shoving in the video but strikes are always directed at the other players hand.
• If both Myachis are knocked away together, the player whose Myachi hits the ground last wins the point.  If both Myachis hit simultaneously, no point is awarded.
• If you knock the opponents Myachi off their hand and into the air you must allow them a chance to catch it.  You cannot impede their progress toward the Myachi and you can't knock it out of the air or block their hand as they reach for it.

The Strategy:

(As you can see in the game, height and reach aren't always going to win battles in this game.  There are advantages to being smaller and having the low center of gravity just as there are advantages to being taller and having the greater reach.  Assess your opponent to decide the best strategy for you.)

• Use hand switches so that your leading hand is empty as often as possible.  You never want to lead with the hand that has the Myachi on it.
• Use centrifugal moves such as Verts, Cradles and Half-Pipes to keep the Myachi centered on your hand and to keep it ready for a quick movement.  Drops often the result of an opponent striking your hand, but just as common are drops that arrise when a player moves their hand out of the way of a strike too quickly to keep the Myachi under control.
• Use body spins when your opponent is aggressive.  If a flurry of attacks come your way, the easy way to get out without leaving yourself open is to hand switch while doing a 180 away from your opponent.
• Don't overcommit to a strike.  The way to master this game is to watch for errors from your opponent and take advantage of them.  If you commit fully to a strike that means that your momentum is going to knock your own Myachi off.  This is fine if you can knock your opponents Myachi away before hand, but if you miss your attack you've lost a point.  It's better to make measured pokes until your opponent leaves you an opening.
• Use your whole body.  You'll see a great example at 0:23 of the video above where Monk uses a chest stall (a Neo) to keep his Myachi out of Rush's reach.  The rules demand that he returns it to his hand quickly, but for a brief second he has great defense and two empty hands to attack and defend with.
• Never give up.  Even once your Myachi is knocked away the round isn't over.  A leaping stretch or a kick save has thwarted many points in the past.  Again, you can see a great example of this in the video at 1:53.  Mantis has his Myachi knocked away but manages to regain it, bring it under control and continue the battle.
• Use high tosses for quick strikes.  This is a risky strategy to be sure and it's a perfect example of "over-committing", which I just warned you not to do, but it's a good last ditch possibility to have in your bag.  If you toss your Myachi high enough in the air you'll can get a few seconds free to attack in whatever way you choose.  If the attack is successful, the opponent's Myachi will drop before yours hits the ground.  If the attack fails you may still have a chance to catch your big air toss and keep things going.  Again, this is a really risky strategy so I don't recommend using it very often.

A lot more could certainly be written under the "Strategy" heading, but I think that's plenty to start you off.  Look for complete tournament rules coming in the near future and remember:

This is a contact game and like any other contact game there are inherent risks.  Play smart and safe.  Don't let strikes get too close to the body or head of your opponent, be cautious, know your environment and play by the rules.  And if you don't, I'm telling...

-----

By the way, for another good video example of the game, check out the video below.  The Fu battle starts around 4:29, but trust me, the whole video is worth a look.