SENJUTSU -- TACTICS

Please note that in Shi-Tamajutsu, tactics are defined as an individual's movements and reactions. Strategies are concerned with the team as a whole.

In any paintball game, you will be given options. It is how you react to these options that will determine the outcome of your game. There is really nothing simpler than that. At any given time you will be exercising one of these options and either trying to advance to a superior position, be forced to digress to an inferior one or chose to digress to an inferior option.

YOUR OPTIONS

You have four options:

1. Raishuu -- Attack;

2. Benkai -- Defend;

3. Hikiageru -- Withdrawal; and

4. Kaihi -- Evade.

Raishuu -- Attack

This is the only way you are going to get done any of the things that need getting done. The attack means that you have the advantage and the opponent must react to your moves before they can enact any of their own.

Benkai -- Defend

This is the second most superior option. When defending you must take effective cover. You either cannot, or have decided not to, move forward and attack. You are still trying to maintain the advantage but your lack of movement will not allow you to.

Hikiageru -- Withdrawal

This is the third superior option. When you do not have a defensible position and you do not have the advantage, moving forwards is usually a mistake. Also, when you do Withdraw it is not a simple matter of turning tail and running. You Withdraw the same was you Attack, the only difference is you are moving away from the opposition.

Kaihi -- Evade

This tactic will only work if you have somewhere to Evade to. Many fields do not allow Evading due to the fact that they are too small. A successful Evasion is when you completely remove yourself from your opposition's field of view. This can be as simple as ducking down behind the bunker.

The important thing to remember is that you constantly move from one Tactical Option to another IN THE ORDER THE APPEAR IN THE LIST. If you go from Defending to Evading, without a proper Withdrawal, it will not work as well as if you had taken all three "steps" in order.

Therefore: They should be enacted in order. When you cannot Attack -- Defend. This way you can step up to attack as soon as possible. When you cannot Defend -- Withdraw. The best way to handle overwhelming numbers is to withdraw. When you cannot withdraw -- Evade. Evading is your very last option.

KEEP THIS IN MIND

• When you are Evading -- try to Withdraw.

• When you are Withdrawing -- try to Defend.

• When you are Defending -- try to Attack.