NECESSARY REQUIREMENTS FOR PRACTITIONERS OF SHI-TAMAJUTSU

As I have said, you have to be a good player for the concepts of Shit-Tamajutsu to apply to you. (Notice I didn't say "experienced" player). To this end, I have identified ten hitsuyoujoukan as goals you should be already practicing. These hitsuyoujoukan are the "yardstick" to determining whether or not you are a good player.

1 -- PRACTICES AND ENFORCES SAFETY
Safety is your prime concern. Not only your safety, but the safety of others. The experienced player ensures that they, and everyone around them, is playing and acting in a safe manner.

2 -- PERFORMS WELL UNDER PRESSURE
This is the earmark of the good player. They do not become "flustered". They are not intimidated by other players. They do not "freeze up" when faced with seemingly hopeless tactical situations.

3 -- SETS THE EXAMPLE
Good players are sportsmanlike players. They are polite to field staff, other players and try to help players with less experience than themselves. They do not strut or act as if they have the corner market on skill and determination. (This is because they know that they do not.)

4 -- CONTINUALLY LEARNS AND IMPROVES
The learning process never stops. There are far too many permutations in the game to allow a player to know it all. They work on their skills every time they play. They spend time on the target range, every game day. The good player looks for new learning opportunities and is capable of effective self-analysis.

5 -- BALANCES ACTION AND THOUGHT
Playing has allowed your mind and body to become used to performing without conscious thought. Paintball is a game of action, an adversarial situation where opponents can remove you from the game in milliseconds. However, sometimes, it is the thinking player who will be the better player. An analytical mind is perfect for forming strategies and analyzing the outcome of situations.

6 -- A TEAM PLAYER AND POSSESSES INDIVIDUAL INITIATIVE
A good player is a team player. They do their best for the team's objectives. Paintball is a team sport and only with teamwork will any team be successful. However, there are times when players must "seize the moment" and act on opportunities that arise during the game.

7 -- NO DEPENDENCE ON TECHNOLOGY OR EQUIPMENT
A good player will play with a pump or a stock class marker with no reluctance, when given the opportunity. When using a semiautomatic marker the experienced player still relies on their own practiced accuracy, rather than relying on volume of paint. Simply put, they use technology as a tool -- not a crutch.

8 -- COMMUNICATION
This goes hand-in-hand with teamwork. Constant communication with teammates is crucial so that the whole team can act on opportunities and react to the changing situations in the game.

9 -- FAMILIAR WITH EQUIPMENT
The marker should be an extension of your body. You should load, change 12 grams, squeegee and other actions, without conscious thought. This should be second nature.

10 -- ADAPTIVE
You must be able to play well in dense brush, open field, speedball arenas, villages and forts, at close quarters and any other environment paintball is played in.

CONCLUSION
While some may not agree with some of my CRs, you will come to realize that how many games you have played, how many eliminations you have, or how many flags you have captured really doesn't provide an indication of your experience level. There is more to being a good player than numbers.