I’m going to assume that the majority of those reading this have played Rock Paper Scissors at some point in their lives. You may not be aware that there is a full body variation of this timeless game called Bear Ninja Cowboy.
The rules are relatively the same between the two games except that in BNC you have your back turned to your opponent and on the predetermined count you turn quickly and pantomime one of the three characters.
If you choose bear, you stand tall with your arms above your head with your hands making claws. Simulating a bear on its high legs about to pounce.
If you choose ninja, when you turn crouch a little and put your hands in front of you, one farther from the other, to simulate a fighters stance.
If you choose cowboy, when you turn around you “draw two six shooters” and point them forward. The six shooters of course being finger guns.
In Rock Paper Scissor fashion each one of these choices beats another and loses to the other.
Ninja disarms and beats cowboy.
Cowboy shoots bear.
And bear eats ninja…
I recently came across a most phenomenal story in which a Japanese fisherman who happens to be a black belt in Karate (yes I know, not a ninja but still) fought off a Asiatic black bear with his bare hands.
63-year-old Atsushi Aoki was fishing in a mountain stream in the Gunma prefecture of rural Japan when the black bear, measuring over 6′ 2″ to Aoki’s 5′ 6″ stature attacked.
The bear surprised Aoki with the unprovoked attack, knocking him down and biting his leg. Aoki seperated himself from the attack and let his karate training take over as he settled into his fighters stance. The bear continued its attack and Aoki leveled a series of jabs to the eyes while deflecting the bears bites and swipes of its claws. The bear, after the deluge of shots to the eyes turned tail and scurried back into the woods.
Aoki then drove himself to the nearest hospital where he was treated for his wounds. Aoki suffered a scratched-up face and bites on the head, forehead, right arm and right thigh.
Aoki after the attack giving an interview to the Japanese media
Bear attacks are not terribly unusual in Japan and some in recent times have turned out much worse for the victims. Last Monday two men in Fukushima were attacked and received serious face and head injuries, and during midsummer in June, four people were killed by bears in the mountains of Akita.
Of course given animals a wide berth is the best deterrent from being attacked but sometimes animals just attack. Personally, I’ll stick with the gun in those cases but a tip of the hat to sexagenarian Atsushi Aoki for taking his karate skills and beating a bear with nothing but his hands.
Aoki also killed the game Bear Ninja Cowboy in my mind as well. Oh well, the story is worth it.
Send this to friend
