Russ's Ninja MilSim Dojo

...But it's a Beautiful Ride...

2009-07-08T13:47:00.004-04:00

One day leads to the next and from the next to another and so it goes...

For countless millenia, the days have come and gone. Interspersed within all that light-n-dark stuff, has been lives.

Yeah- RNMD has been without my bludgeoning rants and raves for a while- so much so it probably should have been mothballed at least until I could get back to it or hand it off to someone with more time, energy, whatever.

But...
No- there's a certain "Tartan Pride" I've possessed [Ninjas? Tartans? Huh?!] that I refuse to let go of anything once I've had a chance to know it.

Wasn't there something once written about "to accept a thing one must know a thing"?

Who-the-hell knows...

It's been about 4 weeks now and I suppose that same "Tartan" that expounds my "pride" also holds my tears...

Because of that despotic, Tartan tendency of mine to not let go... "Irony" has it's taciturn reflection and tenacious grip on what I do- and I have no problem laughing my own ironical spat- all the while "holding on to that thing I know".

Here's the set-up for you...

I'm not one for most country music- though the "new country" of a younger generation has grown on me to a limited extent, Gary Allen is one of those artists that I've come to respect, regardless the genre.

I'd not heard Gary's "Life Ain't Always Beautiful..." though it had been released [geez- 2005?!] some 4 years ago- but leave it to "Life" to introduce me to it's lonely steel guitar strains and the tear strewn harmonica's lowing melody.

In the last 7-to-10 days, we've seen the loss of at least 4 pop culture icons.

A few were memories to the 70s and 80s- others vastly too close to the here-n-now for comfort.

I have no deign one way or the other for people I've only known through song or video- it seems rather demeaning to that life to presume "loss" in the greater sense of the word, seeing as they knew me no greater than I supposedly knew them.

No- the type of death I'm referring to is much closer, much more personal. Friends, family, close colleagues you'd trust your life to in a firefight- even the family pet on many occassion. These are losses we all [if not yet, then inevitably] must face.

So... "Life's Beautiful Irony, Russ- what is it?" you ask- those who've opted to read this far... ah, stay with me only a moment or two longer dear readers, "The journey of a 1000 miles"...

Right now I'm searching for another career. Yep- lost my job to a fairly big lay-off back in March of this year. 18 years loyalty replaced with the metaphorical, financial and moral equivalency of "death".

Oh- that's not the irony, though. Irony comes with teeth- remember?

Up comes June 12. Just another day like any other, right? Been on my ass, low money, low time, low prospects and low self esteem. Well, while I may have been "making other plans" Life had started to pay attention, so synch up the ole seatbelt and get ready, Russ..."

There's a good, dear colleague of mine- and on a humid, hot day in June, he finished his 3rd shift as a facility management monitor...

He's a good man- a hard working and hard playing chap. I met him when he was introduced to me by his brother and bestest buddy of mine, Theron.

He and the rest of his family along with "your's truly" soon made up the team known as The Shadow Warriors" [catchy- given the blog and all!] the picture above features us back in our "early" years [all what... 2?!] incidentally, "yes" I'm the tub-o-guts dumb-ass dressed in Urban Grey camoflage for a days' worth of woodland games... The chap who's arm I've slung over?

That's Jarrod- the fellow I'm talking about.

Well- Jarrod took some time that day back in June and cleared up some last minute paperwork, chewed a few words with the "daylight lads" to be sure they were in-the-know, hopped in his car...

Flipped at least 4 times down the enbankment of the interstate off-ramp.

The good news was, he was alive. The bad news was, it wouldn't be for long.

Not working where I was any longer, it took my best friend [who had to travel from Hong Kong to be by his ailing brother's side] calling me a week later to tell the tale of sorry news...

Theron's the Amigo in the boonie hat on what would be your left, my right.

Friendships run deep though- regardless of the time, he called as soon as he could. Even then, it was a week after the fact... Me- late for a good friend's accident- go figure.

And no- that's not irony just yet...

Theron [me Amigo] called, checking to see if I was okay- "had he woken me too early" and then dropped the bombshell concerning poor Jarrod. But shoes come in twos- and #2 landed with a thud...

Jarrod was little more than brain dead- with no chance of coming back.

And that he'd come off of life-support that day.

That damned, "nothing out of the ordinary" solicious day.

Though my day was idle at best, given my unemployment "opportunity"- time truly had stopped.

And even now, 4 weeks after the fact, I wonder if it'll ever start back up.

I've yet to hear back from the family- and given I'm mearly a friend, I'd understand if their grief were still too great to allow me into their lives- even for this one moment...

But all the same, it's as if one more element of my former [business/career] "life" is closed off to the rest of the world.

In my own anguish, looking to vent my feeling with some word or deed that could, if not help this world, at least not hinder it, I literally stumbled into Gary Allen's song...

Hmph- only took me 4 or 5 years to "get there" I suppose...

I only wish I could have "got there" when it might have counted the most.

Irony? I choose to believe so.

There won't be absenses of posts here any longer than 2 weeks if I can help it.

Not now.

As readers, you ask so little of me- something to read, converse and even argue about at times.

My colleagues, family, brothers- ask little of me as well... How many games had I missed when they suited up, balled-out, gassed up and hit the field- my absense, though conspicuous, was simply "until the next one Amigo!"..?

How many games will be played where Jarrod's family and I miss him now?

"It's all fun-n-games..."

Until you miss that someone- who's left to play.

And i can't let go of what I know...

I continue to be...

RusS

Crappaw!

2007-04-25T11:59:00.000-04:00

It’s times like these in life when I’m often reminded of the cottage gospel industries acronymic moniker “WWJD- What Would Jesus Do?”

My guess is that he would be laughing, praising All Mighty God and welcoming Russell Woodrow Rose into his arms. In that same breath, I would think that with a morose and empathetic nature, his hand would also touch the hearts of those who have awakened and begin to mourn Woodrow’s passing this morning.

Most people called Woodrow “Russell”- it was, after all, his first name. Having been named after the 28th president of the United States and arguably one of the greatest presidents of his time, perhaps it would have led to another form of greatness within the Rose clan- one will now have to leave that notion to both histrionics and to his son’s and grandson’s verbal legacy...

If I reach to the furthest reaches of my memories- pushing past birthdays, holidays, school-times and those “fertile years” when the conquest of women was more the stuff of self gratification than fulfillment, I remember my grandfather by his blessed moniker. A name he refused to let go of for all his days once uttered by his cherubic twin grandsons- a name he wore with the tartan pride of a Midwesterner who’d just been knighted- certainly “Woodrow” being that of “lesser stuff”...

Crappaw!

My mother was incredibly embarrassed by our inability to call him “GRAND” pa. My grandmother was quoted as saying, “Yeah- those two are definitely your grandbabies!” and Woodrow/Crappaw? He wouldn’t have it any other way.

The name stuck to him like the excremental element that his nickname developed from and he absolutely relished the aroma of it!

The coal miners whom he worked with absolutely roared when they learned of his grandbabies bestowal to his already lengthy name- but as they’d chide Crappaw, they were also inwardly jealous as hell that their grandkids weren’t as ‘inadvertently clever’ as Woodrow’s...

As of this writing, he’ll have been “gone” no more than 12 hours ago; though it could be said that in the week of his declining health, perhaps he’d left all of us much earlier than my self imposed timeline would suggest.

Russell “Crappaw” Rose worked for 60 years [yes, I said “sixty”- no stuttering here] in the coal mines of Illinois. He was the only boy in a gaggle of 8 children and by the tender age of 13. His mother having died far long ago, his father was both sole provider and ‘mother hen’ to 7 girls and one boy in the foothills of the Ozarks. With the Great Depression looming over most everyone at that impressionable time in my grand-pa’s life; the best way to keep a single parent house warm in the winter was to either pick up coal off the railroad tracks, or go to work for the coal company. He chose what made the most sense even though that meant missing out on a high school education.

Never shirking responsibility, inevitably he would go on one day to get his high school diploma- at 40 years of age he was the first man to do so in the nation. He didn’t stop there though- he went on to attempt his doctorate only to miss it by one thesis paper. His “failure” was not because of lax time, attitude or ability... Crappaw’s professor, who would have inevitably [and by his own admission] aced the paper, pleaded that Crappaw simply “slap the damn bibliography on this thing and get your diploma!” The paper wasn’t good enough for Crappaw though- invariably it was never ‘finished’ in his eyes.

With this notion of “business left unfinished” perhaps that sums up the passing of Crappaw. He planned well in advance for his own demise- no illusions of immortality or some fantasized Fountain of Youth. But there’s the most troubling for me personally his written [and verbal- as he’d told me more than once some time before] that he have no funeral. He wanted no words spoken on his behalf and he refused any manner of wake or memorial. One could chalk up this requirement to his generation- practical, pragmatic and matter-of-fact. Or perhaps there’s some martyrdom left untapped.

Perhaps his refusal to all the trappings of death was his last life lesson to teach not only his son, but his grandkids as well...

He had come into this world unknown- one day his mother only a scant few years gone and his father remarrying not once but twice. With such historic events as The Great Depression, WW II, Vietnam and man landing on the moon, the only thing he ever mentioned that he felt newsworthy was his grandsons coming into this world.

Now, with his time spent, his job long since done and his grandchildren safely and competently fending for themselves- like the robin of spring one day falls to the earth, it’s soliloquy that of his progeny taking flight; he passes on from this mortal coil, his legend more than satisfactorily secure on the wings and song of his children.

“What Would Jesus Do?”

Most likely Jesus would ask in return:

“What Would Woodrow Do?”

I have missed my time with Crappaw. I’ve missed him based simply on homesickness- now I have moment to pause and realize that truly there is no going home anymore.

Though Heartbroken today, I continue to be...

Russ

How Much Paint is "Enough"?

2007-02-21T08:11:00.000-05:00

An interesting thread on one of my favorite forums came up concerning paint...

How much does a player need to satiate his/her appetite for paintball justice?

Personally- I'll usually wind up using somewhere in the 800 to 1000 rounds after a 8 to 10 hour day of woodsball...

I've noticed that most players have mentioned the ubiquitous line "It depends on the day..." and that's pretty much a true realization- I've got a buddy or two that for them "too much is never enough" but they're highly aggressive go-getters and it's perfectly understandable.

Think of this as the "thought post of the day"- for you- how much is "enough" in a day of paint?

I continue to be:

Russ

Ninja Burgers for Everybody!

2006-12-11T12:37:00.000-05:00

Just because I love Ninja Burger.com so much!

Choose a Ninja Burger Career at the
Ninja Burger website.

These guys are so much fun! You can tell they take the idea of 'Fun' very seriously!

Think of this as my shameless plug to be included in their web ring!

I continue to be...

Russ

Zen & The Art of The Paintball

2006-09-26T13:30:00.000-04:00

Many if not most people would look at simple Zen riddles as ethereal cadences delving into dissimilar ideas/notions created in an Asian cultural attempt to confound or intimate some form of higher plain of thought/consciousness. The more daft of Western ideology may pass off Zen as nothing more than cliche' "fortune cookie" logic more akin to our own parables and 'old sayings'.

In it's own essence, Zen parables and 'Kung Fu coloquialisms" have a ring of truth- if only one is willing to listen!

"The Journey of a thousand miles, begins with the first step" is no less true now than when some Confusian or Bhuddist monk said them 2000+ years ago.

So what of this Zen and the Art of The PaintBall?

What if we applied some of the more known coloquialisms [tongue-in-cheek, loosely, if not all together firmly] to paintball- MilSim specifically?

Here's a list of rambling thoughts from your sagely Dojo Master for one to drink in...

The life of a paintball warrior is that of a 'quiet' hero...
When you know what to do & how to do it- you make the impossible seem commonplace.
In the Spirit of Paintball, in order to master The Art of Paint you must- Be Strong, Be knowledgable, Be willing To Dare!
Invisibility, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder: A tree falling in the forest without a MilSim'r to hear it, falls none-the-less. A sniper pasting a N00b is invisible, but he's attacking none-the-less.
It is not the weapon that is dangerous- it is the dweeb who weilds it.
What will happen to you on the Field of Paint may already be written- still, you must choose to be in the game!
No one hates bonus balling more than the professional MilSim'r.
Know Yourself.
Paint is yours; consequences are up to the Ref.
The only thing standing between you and the flag is a newb just begging to be lit up.
You will never be 'old' playing The Game until your regrets take the place of your dreams. No matter how long you live; play hard- die young.
Whether the best of times or the worst of times, it's the only time you've got.
Every noble game played is at first impossible.
Wimps are everywhere- 'courage' is being afraid of getting peppered and gearing up anyway.
In a team full of wusses, One with courage makes a majority!
Speedball has its place: learn from them by training in their ways, wear their colors if you wish, collect their tools if you must but never become reliant on them.

Thus is your first lesson of Zen and The Art of The Paintball.

I continue to be,
Russ

InComing!!!

2006-09-01T13:27:00.000-04:00

How far is "too far" when it comes to immersing yourself into the world of MilSim?

For some- especially those who have been in the Military or Law Enforcement- anything that would remotely set a person into question is too much. A button, pin or unit insignia on a set of camoflaged BDUs is enough to rile this particualr group and I would go so far as to say "rightfully so"...

Up to a point.

Then there's the other side of the coin that would have us believe in "anything goes".

This is a group [or person] that most likely would toss 20 different patches up and down the length of their camoflaged jacket arm. Understand of course that not one of them matching even the branch of service let alone a particular MOS...

This is a group of thinkers and doers that just like the flash and color and think nothing of the representation and simply see things as "cool colors" or "this'll scare the n00bs". Predominanlty, I'd say this was a "no harm no foul" type of player/wearer.

The more insidious type is the one that is pawning himself off as an "original"- not only does everything match but the patches and accoutremonts are meticulously crafted to not only have the casual or new player suspect authority- but believe it almost without question.

The Poser.

Some posers are simply doing it for the immerssion of the game- when it's over the suit goes in the trunk and it's pretty much over for the day. But the ones that try to pawn of a war record or try to recieve favor by way of coercsion- that's just wrong.

It's no different that trying to convince a person that they hold some mystique, flair or special authority in order to gain status or preferential treatment.

If a group of guys were to dress the part of a Navy SEAL team- all be it for paintball; perhaps with some form of made-up Trident for their uniforms, conducting their game-play with similar tactics; who's to say that was wrong?

If after a match, this same theoretical group was to even "conduct themselves in a manor respective" of the men they so admired, would that be so wrong?

I think where the line would certainly be drawn is at the point they would begin to pass themselves off as "authorites" on the subject of The TEAMS or at worst, tried to pawn themselves off as members of the elite unit.

Someone once told me something that helps to put MilSim in perspective for those who really enjoy the make-believe of the event and it went something like this:

"Study the art and move as they once did- for this is the sincerest form of flattery."
"Live to the highest standards and honor their kind as this honors their legend."
"Collect the trappings if you will and use them if you must, but never consider that you are one until they have accepted you as such."

This was in regards to the Ninja and Samurai- something that was all the rage in the 1980s- perhaps not so much anymore...

But here in the Ninja MilSim Dojo, such words ring as true as any other place of practice and enlightenment!

I continue to be...

Russ

Honor & Respect in the Dojo

2006-06-23T07:08:00.000-04:00

Taylor Hicks - Do I Make You Proud

Just an incredibly well put together slideshow that deserves to be showcased!

To say much else would detract from something that needs little said in its defense!

Truly Zen in motion- even in stills.

I continue to be:

Russ

Speedball- It's Not Just for Breakfast Anymore!

2006-06-14T12:08:00.000-04:00

I suppose there'll always be the eternal, moronic delineation of whether Speedball, Tournament, AirBall or X-ball are considered "pure" sports when compared to the MilSim community.

So, I suppose it's up to me to at least draw my line in the sand and pound my chest to explain what I feel best makes a debarcation line from Tourny play and Woodsball play. Here's how I see it...

Speedball, Tourny, AirBall, X-ball and any other "ball" that can and will be dreamt of in the future are certainly sports. The nimbleness of the players; the use of team coordinated moves and the spiffy shirts/uniforms all make for a type of gameplay that I'd have no problem calling a sport.

Let's be honest- some of those sliding bunker maneuvers I've seen performed leads me to believe that if they can do it and I can't- it's a sport...

Still- I see no reason to detract or dispel tournament players as being lesser creatures. Theirs is a paintball game steeped in showmanship, craft and team play that certainly demands the "sport" term be defined in their image.

Is MilSim a sport?

One could look to the game holisticly and probably say "yes"- the precursory outside view has some of the same elements of a Tourny style game. Teams form up and take to the ground similarly to their Tourny brethren- but the rules of engagement tend to be slightly different- and most often triangulated plays are more or less in small 2, 3 or 4 manned groups and not the entire concentrated firepower of the whole team.

It would seem that with the MilSim community, more often than not the competing teams are wearing camouflage- opting for concealment and shunning notoriety. Also both sides may look far too glaringly alike for the casual outsider who might be viewing. Unlike being able to watch a Basketball, Football- or, yes, a Tourny match- the uninitiated is left bewildered as to what side they would root for let alone join.

Certainly one must also consider the motivated player known as The Sniper. An often lone [or in pairs] player who wanders into the brush and lays in wait for hapless competitors to stumble across his/her path. One might see their strategy as less sport in the athletic prowess sense of the word- except if we were to concede that as "hunter and hunted" one could see the "sport" in that precursory notion of the definition!

So, is MilSim a sport in the same league as a Tourny event?

No.

Is MilSim a "sport" in any sense of the word?

Again- I'd have to say "no".

But, is Tourny play "sporting"?

No.

The most raucous natured of the Tourny players that I witness on internet sites and on the field tend to be of the "small dick" variety- Usually trying to assert themselves in the psyche of the Woods player by appearing as big and grandiose as his neon colored shirt will make him.

No- not all Tourny players are like that. I'm talking about the fringe element here.

Most raucous natured MilSim or Woodsballers tend to suffer from the same "small man's" malady as well. They're more than willing to get in the face of a Tourny player to "explain to them how it is".

Just to reiterate a point that will still go unnoticed by the fringe cook element reading this blog...

Extremes people, extremes- if you feel like I'm talking about you, might I suggest a "strap on" attachment that can be purchased from any pornographic magazine of ill repute and look inward to yourself to find why you feel like I've singled you out personally when this blog makes no mention of anyone, at any time, at any place in the known universe.

The Tourny style of play is for that segment of the paintball community looking for excitement that is more readily tangible. I would mention the "instant gratification" crowd- but that's not to whom I'd be referring. No, this is more like the like minded group of individuals who do not like playing baseball- relegated to an outfield position. Get in the mix, see what happens, be ready for an entirely new game in a few minutes.

The MilSim is often for the calculated hunter types. There's still your Fast and Furious bunch that'll attack a bunker, but there's also your gatlin' gun types who like to see how far off from a target they can pop a round and mark a man out. Slow movers have just as much chance of wonderful play as does the gazelle.

No- in closing dear readers, as I see it- MilSim is sporting- but from an athletic sense, it doesn't meet what we in today's culture consider the requirements for a sport to be. One-shot-one-kill, tactics, breeching, things that are more indicative to militaria tend to be the realm of MilSim.

tournament play is a sport- but not sporting- the outcome is generated by the number of balls in the air and how well each man plays off the other to reach a goal.

There are those retailers, promoters and marketers out there trying to reach a level of legitimacy for MilSim to be a sport- with the game being structured to time limits, "positions" of the team players, specifically structured bunkers and objectives that allow for a calculated effect and end. To those groups; I hope they're able to create a whole new level of game/sport- only time will tell how successful they will be.

Many people would like to site examples of players that fit the negative mold of what they perceive as the "bad" image of their rival side of a collective community- the sad part is that they seldom notice that the vitriol is equal parts their own fault as that of the "opposing" group.

For paintball to survive, one needs to remember the better aspects of either game we play. If we lose one- we lose all.

For the Ninja MilSim Dojo- truly one can see the balance of Yin and Yang in this!

I continue to be
RusS

Far too Long...

2006-04-19T22:44:00.000-04:00

To say I haven't made an entry worthy of recognition would be an understatement...

To those loyal to the 'Dojo' let me appologize for the lack of insite and writing reparte' since February- things have led from one instance in this thing we call "life" to another and now I have a new baby girl that demands a certain amount of attention- nothing to keep me from my active duties within this realm- certainly my inability to see my Feedburner link [I wonder if it gets shut down if there's no entries after a couple of months?] in some of my frequented forums managed to jog me to some sensibility and at least offer that I've not forgotten anyone, just that I haven't been as diligent as I should.

Expect things to expand as I make my way past the minefield of parenting an infant and once the house is settled, you'll see my writing take a decidedly more agressive stance.

Until then, accept this as an apology for my lack of dutiful entry- and a stalwart acknowledgement that things to come will be worth the wait!

Russ

Just What IS MilSim?

2006-02-27T13:01:00.000-05:00

Many people have asked me just what MilSim is...

Often times it's just the precursory to some other question surrounding the mechanics of the game- but usually it's a simple question want of an equally simple answer.

MilSim- in its most base terms is Military Simulation- or as some might coin the term "guys dressed up like Army- shooting one another with paintballs from guns that look like the real thing."

For children and the fire-arm intollerant, usually that's enough of an answer. Such a one sentence responce solidifies no further need for comment either for its simplicity in the eyes of a child- or for the most based relevency in the eyes of the anti-gun establishment and their equally naive view of anything "gun-esque".

For the esoteric though, the term MilSim may be a much more in-depth in its reach for a more direct 'truism'; more so than just a stock, general meaning.

One could site the feelings and images conjured during play- the adrenaline rush of excitement being both the hunter and the hunted.

For quite a few others, it would be a form of 'glory days' by which their time in the military can be used not only in recreation but as a reflection of past service, long ago set aside for the want of 'normal' life in a 9 to 5 world.

The truistic fortune of the question would have us remember that the answer to such a question is just as varied and just as true as the individuals you would have the question asked.

What is MilSim?

Perhaps the Zen answer to that question is The Question itself...

"What do you want MilSim to be?"

I continue to be
Russ

Paintball In The Movies!

2005-12-07T12:49:00.000-05:00

I've noticed many people on other sites and forums asking about movies concerning paintball.

Now, I don't know if this question is in regards to a sports venue or if there's an actual interest in paintball as the "vehicle" that propells a particular story, so it's difficult for me to evaluate as broad a question as "Paintball Movie" there is buzz though on the internet about one particular film centering around paintball [woodsball from the looks of their preview site!] called Court Jesters- it does look to be promising!

http://www.courtjestersmovie.com/

For this column though- seeing as I am a "starving" film maker, I haven't an interest on focussing exclusively on Court Jesters, other than to give them a plug and wish them well- if their film does well, then there's hope for a project I'm trying to work up!

No, in this instance it's film as a production business and the use of paintball there-in!

For those readers that have the DVD, take a look at Blackhawk Down and the extended features- one of which is the "making of" segments- you'll see paintball guns being used to provide "Zirc Hits" to the drive-by HumVees to simulate bullet richochets!

The original devise that provided such "hits" was developed by Matt Sweeney back in 1984 for just the application we're noting here- most often it could be seen [well, the effect anyway!] in such films as Running Scared with Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines- and even TV shows like Airwolf... Here's a photo of the devise:

As you can see it's double barreled and the feed and magazine for it is side mounted- that's because the devise was firing capsules more than "balls"- it was easier back in the 80s to get "horse pill" shaped caplets and load them accordingly!

The rate of fire was around 10 or so pellets per second, which was plenty for a "machine gun" richochette look- especially when you consider that film running at 24 frames per second might not catch the "flash" if it were much faster.

While filming Storm of The DEAD, I used my Ariakon Sim4 RIS-E, loaded with 'dust loads' produced by Dead Fish Productions [thanks Kip! couldn't have gottenthrough it without you!]- so the effect, though similar has been upgraded to the present with 68 calibre bliss!

Ah, how much more can I call this living? Paintball, explosives, monsters and machine guns! All wrapped up in a motion picture shell!

Until Next time!

Russ

What are the Troops Packing?

2005-11-22T13:19:00.000-05:00

This story made it around the net and in various e-mails over the last 5 days and I just couldn't let Thanksgiving come without thinking of our troops and what they contend with over in Afghanistan and Iraq.

I simply can't take credit for this particular item, so I would rather send you to the specific site that generated the information. Since I'm a big Star Wars fan as well- the blog name is most apprapo!

Realize of course that most likely it's chocked full of erroneous information- especially nomenclature and calibers of the weapons mentioned- but it's an interesting study in what people think, know and otherwise feel about our troops here and abroud.

http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/133585.php#weapons

God bless the troops- here's hoping that their Thanksgiving is blissfully boring and uneventful!

You Mean, You SHOOT One Another?!

2005-11-15T08:14:00.000-05:00

Depending on how long you've been into the game of paintball, can you hearken back to that time when you first hefted that rental gun into your hands and had the first inkling twinges of "What the hell am I doing here?!"

For me- and let's be honest PB Fans, I can only go on what I've personally experienced; The Twinge came as I stood with my assembled team- there was only one person whom I knew, the others were his friends; the rest out there in the woods could have all been pirates and cut-throats for all I knew...

The Twinge was my concept of that metaphorical little man at the back seat of the auditorium in your brain that wants everybody in your grey matter to understand that "YOU ARE GOING TO DIE!!!!"

Now- anyone that's even watched a game of paintball realizes that outside of something catastrophic, once somebody's tagged- that person walks off the field. Under their own power. More often than not laughing or mumbling about how dumb a move they made to land getting tagged.

Of course, we have to be equally honest and note that if an evil player out there decides to pull the trigger at 2 inches away, or is running hot enough you'd think he/she was firing a modified particle accelerator there might be a slightly different outcome- not excluding a halt of the game and a precursory trip to the back steps of an ambulance for a few minutes.

But, for the most part, paintball's charm, if you will, is that first time rush of "ooooo I can feel the pain coming- I hope I don't get caught..." There's a totally new realm in the anticipation department for the first time player.

Sadly, over time the first time rush begins to wane [or, it did for me at any rate] and I'll admit that it never completely goes away- but for me the game became a thinking man's game. Tactics, flanking maneuvers, step advances and modified wedge formation retreats- these became the part and parcel of the game. The feeling of exhilaration is still with me, but the game has taken on a different meaning. Perhaps there's a metaphorical example I could give, but it escapes me at the moment.

Here's my question to you my MilSim Brethren and Sisters- What was your first experience behind a marker like- what was the one outstanding feeling/thought that went through your grey matter with the "little man" screaming?

Comments that merit, I'll include in the next posting I make- often times it's that first experience that makes us stay- for some it was the only taste they ever needed of the game.

I'd really like to know and understand your motivations for MilSim or PB in general.

I continue to be: Russ

Welcome to us all!

2005-11-11T13:06:00.000-05:00

I figured; since I can create more than one facet of blog to meet the needs of my writing desires, and at the same time keep from totally confusing you, my wonderful readers because of my jumbled mindset, why not create something to discuss the needs of the paintball community- and here you have it!

Before I get the most obvious question, let me see if I can answer it for you...

"Why Ninja MilSim Dojo?"

I could answer it much like the ubiquitous and often Zen-like manner that I so enjoy...

"Why not?"

But that'd just cheat all of you out of a good, opening story.

It turns out on two of my favorite forums, MilsimOG and Ariakon, I have a special set of friends who helped perpetuate and otherwise antagonize this notion of "What's better, Ninjas or Pirates?".

I can't help adding my own two cents worth of silliness to such a thread- as long as things are cheerful all of the time [and perhaps just on the side of naughty some of the time] I helped poke the proverbial stick at this bear of a question...

Well- if you can't guess what side I voted for, perhaps you'll need more information than what I'll be able to bring to the table.

Suffice it to say, it's a fun romp that still continues every once in a while as we continue the debate and somebody digs up the old thread!

This post is simply the start- something to have so that things can be refined and I'll hopefully make this a fun stopping point on people's surf for more, better, what ever it is we all look for in the field of paintball, AirSoft, or any particular form of Military Simulation!

I continue to be: Russ