Video Transcript for Ro Sham Bo
presented by Mark Collard
So we’re moving on now. You’d be familiar with the standard what you know as ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’, I know as Ro Sham Bo, and that is you have a clenched fist, you bounce it up and down three times, but on three you shoot.
Okay, so it goes one, two, and you either shoot with a scissors, a paper, or a rock.
Anyone not familiar with this? Okay, great.
So it goes one, two, three (scissors) or one, two, three (rock) or one, two, three (paper). Just practice that to yourself for a moment in front of you. Try not to lose. Alright.
Okay. So ordinarily you’d be facing off with one other person. Now unlike what was played at Coatesville Primary School, there is only a rock, paper, or scissors. There’s no bombs, there’s no fire, there’s no rain. It’s just those three things.
So you face off… so Stephen and I are facing off, and again it’s on three. Let’s just see what happens. Are you ready?
One, two, three. Now if it’s the same you just play the next round. One, two, three. Okay, nothing happens here either. One, two, three. One, two, three. Okay, who wins here?
(Stephen.)
Okay, I don’t quite understand it either, but it actually covers the rock. I don’t know how that actually beats it, but one thing always beats another. So if I’m rock and he’s scissors who wins?
(Rock.)
I do. And if he was scissors and I was paper who would win?
(Scissors.)
Great. So there’s always one that beats another. So let’s do it one more time see what happens. One, two, three. Great. So in this case, poor Stephen dives into a pit of despair because he lost, except in this version of the game in fact he now wins.
He now becomes part of my winning team by coming directly behind me. He places his hands gently on my shoulders and forms the start of a conga-line. So he doesn’t actually lose. He forms part of my winning team.
I’m now at the front of the line. I keep moving until I find someone else at the front of their line, bounce off, whoever wins, wins that team for them, then they go to the back of that line. The line keeps on building and building.
I have more to add to this but for now you get the basic concept that if you should win, you win that side for your side. Got the idea? GO!
(people playing Ro Sham Bo)
Same again, but this time a slight change. GO!
Rather than forming a conga-line, is that you now become the person who beats you, that is you become part of the winning team, you are now their biggest supporter. You can make all the noise and whatever else you need to do, it’s like the championship round.
So for example if Steve won, like he happened to beat me just as he did there, I’d be like I’d change allegiance and suddenly I stand behind him, everyone that’s on his team is somewhere behind him not necessarily in line and going “Go, Steve! Go, Steve!” whatever you need to do to really enforce the fact that Steve is the winning team.
Of course when he loses, you suddenly switch to the other side and go, “Go, Susan! Go, Susan” or whatever you need to do. Got the idea? Go!
(people playing Ro Sham Bo)
Old becomes new with just one simple addition.
First, establish your Rock-Paper-Scissors protocol, because over the years I have found that not everyone plays the same way as I do.
Me? I like the standard thrashing of clenched fists into the open palm of my other hand as I call “ONE, TWO, THREE.” And on “THREE” I shoot with either a rock (fist remains clenched), paper (hand out flat) or scissors (side-angled peace sign.)
Truly, it does not matter what you go with in terms of the count, just as long as everyone knows what’s cool today.
Although I accept that the arguments for the orthodox results are kinda flimsy, for those among us who are not familiar with the typical consequences, rock beats scissors (blunts them,) scissors beats paper (obviously) and paper beats rock (yeah, I know, this is hard to grasp, but it just is, okay!)
Ideally, use a demonstration (with a willing volunteer) to introduce the basic set-up. Two people lock eyes, they approach one another and then exchange the standard “ONE, TWO, THREE” thrashing of clenched fists in front of one another. At some point, one of them wins. A tie means play again.
However, the loser does not in fact ‘lose.’
He or she joins in the celebrations by following directly behind the ‘winner’ with their hands on the winner’s shoulders (or hips,) a la conga-line style. The game continues unabated, with winners winning and losers joining the tail-end of the winning conga-line until there are two giant conga-lines facing off.
Upon ushering in the grand winner, wait a few moments for the victors to lick their spoils, and then shout an emphatic “GO,” to start it all anew.
There’s normally enough interest to conduct two or three rounds, and/or then play a variation (see Variations tab.)
If you’re working with groups of 30 or more people, split the group into two or more smaller groups, of say 20 people each. Much more than 30 and it gets hard to know where the end of the line is. Besides, a quick game is a good game, and the more people you have to beat and absorb into your conga-line, the more the energy of your group may wane.
If you sense that people are not yet comfortable to place their hands on the shoulders (or hips) of the person in front of them (aka conga-line style,) ask people to simply stand directly behind the last person in line.
It’s hard to believe, but there are some people who have not played ‘Rock-Paper-Scissors’ – crazy, I know! So, it is always useful to check that everyone in your group understand the basic game.
Great activity, some may also know this as “Rock, Paper, Scissors, Cheerleader” again lots of energy and everyone can continue to participate. Be aware of the quieter participants who might not be to comfortable with the volume that can result from the activity.
You make a good point re being sensitive to the need of different participants. As discussed throughout playmeo, our recommended approach is to adopt a sequential framework that builds and strengthens one’s Comfort zone before inviting them to ‘stretch’ a little.