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From the beginning of time, the children of Klingon warriors were
required to train for battle. Knowledge in the use of weapons, both
offensive and defensive, was paramount for survival and training was
started at an early age. Straight competition in the use of hand
weapons--one against one, or basic target practice--was adequate. but it
did not teach young warriors how to fight for greater good of the clan.
For this type of training, games were often used to teach not only skill
with weapons, but also how to work together as a fighting unit. One such
game was called naghqet, which literally translated means Rock Run.
For this competition, two teams of seven to ten players would take the
field. (The numbers of players and the size of the field would vary,
depending on the age of the players and the level of competition). All
members but one of each team would be armed. The last member, usually
the smallest, quickest and most agile of the team, called the Runner,
would be unarmed and thus basically defenseless, except for his or her
own skill at avoiding blows from the opposition team members.
A round rock, the size of a full grown warrior"s head and weighing
between 12 and 18 pounds (again, depending on the age of the players and
the level of competition) would be placed in the middle of the field.
(Legend has it that when this game was first played, thousands of years
ago, the actual head of an enemy warrior was used as the game token and
thus the rock is still the size and shape of a warrior's head). The
object of the games is for the runner of one team to carry the rock
across the field and deposit it in a hole at the opponent's end of the
field. Meanwhile, the runner of the other team is trying to stop the
runner with the rock, take it away from him and take it down the field
to place it in the opposite hole. (This is where the term "Stuff it in
your hole", or simply "Stuff it" originated).
The armed members of the game try to protect their own runner, while at
the same time trying to stop the opponents runner from scoring, as well
as eliminate as many of the opponents armed members as possible and are
thus in constant battle from the start of the game, until the very end.
The runners, while unarmed, may use any forceable means available to
stop the opponents runner and place the rock in the other team's hole.
Once the rock has been successfully placed in the opponents hole, the
game is over.
While this may sound like a simple activity, games sometimes go on for
hours before a winner is declared. Timeouts are taken only if a runner
is so badly injured that he, or she can no longer negotiate the field.
The team is then given about 30 minutes to repair the damage to their
runner and if the runner can not take the field at the end of the
timeout, the game is forfeit. Consequently, members of each team must
take great pains to work together in an effort to protect their own
runner. In a usual game, about half of each team--usually the front
three, called Warders--are armed with swords and shields. Behind them is
the second line of defense, usually two warriors called Staffers, armed
with 6 foot long spears, or staves. The final member of the team--the
final line of defense, the Guard--is frequently the largest and/or
strongest member and as his name implies, guards the hole.
His weapon is usually a long staff with either several weighted lengths
of thick rawhide or chain at one end (again depending on the level of
competition). By swinging this weapon, he can trip up the oncoming
runner from a distance if need be, to keep him from scoring and give his
own runner a chance to come in and retrive the rock. While the guard
will usually aim for the runners legs, to trip him up before he reaches
the goal, in games at a higher level of competition, the flailing chains
will sometimes be aimed at the runners head or neck, especially if the
game has become intense.
A typical game of naghqet is played in this fashion. The players take
the field that is split down the middle and has a hole at each end. The
rock is placed in the center of the field and the teams line up on their
own sides, with the runners facing off on either side of the rock. Only
the runners are allowed to touch the rock during the game. When the game
begins, the runners attack each other, each trying to knock the other
runner out of the way, or preferably out of the game and thus obtain
possession of the rock.
The warders of both teams also attack each other, in an attempt to
eliminate them from play and give their own runner more room in which to
work. The staffers move up in defensive positions, to protect their
runner if he should come up with the rock and make a break for the
opponents goal and to block the other team's runner, if he should move
toward their goal with the rock. As the runner with the rock weaves
through the opponents playing field heading for the goal, the other
runner, as well as the opponents armed members attempt to stop him,
while the runner's team members try to protect him from injury and at
the same time attempt to clear a path to the goal. Play will frequently
flow back and forth across the field numerous times during a game and
the team who can eliminate the most of their oponents armed warriors and
protect their runner most efficiently has the best chance to win.
It is a violent sport and injuries are frequent and sometimes
permanently damaging. Younger players are allowed to wear a minimal
amount of padded protective gear, but older players and adults play the
game in normal battle dress. Clan teams that are repeatedly successful
will often play together for years and frequently travel to outlying
areas of te Empire to meet teams from other regions in serious and
frequently deadly competition.
Games such as naghqet help train the young warrior for battles he may
face as an adult and helps to keep the adult warrior's skills sharpened
and focused.
If you are interested in seeing humans actually playing a variation of
this game, there is a video available for rent at most video stores
called, The Blood of Heroes, which shows that a form of this Klingon
games has traveled through both time and space and is even played in
Earth's distant future.
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