Ah Soh Koh

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Practice quick auditory and visual coordination in an active circle format.

Use it when: Use at the start of a meeting or workshop to raise physical energy and collective alertness.

Skip it when: Skip when group members prefer quiet focus, cannot use rapid hand motions, or find elimination games stressful.

Group arrangement: Single circle of 4 to 12 people. Split groups of 13 to 24 into two parallel circles of roughly equal size (4 to 12 each).

Timing: UWT 10-minute structure adapted from standard 5 to 15 minute warm-up range.

Materials and tools

• Visual gesture reference chart or slide (recommended)

Before participants arrive

1. Clear an open floor space where participants can sit or stand in a circle with clear sightlines.

Say this to open

We will play a fast circle game called Ah Soh Koh. We pass attention using three sounds and matching gestures in strict sequence: Ah, So, and Ko. Let us practice each movement together before picking up the pace.

How to run it

1. Demonstrate gestures 2 minutes

   Explain and demonstrate the three movements. For 'Ah', place one flat hand under your chin, palm down, pointing left or right toward an adjacent person. For 'So', place a flat hand horizontally at your forehead like a salute, pointing to an adjacent person. For 'Ko', extend your arm and point across the ring to any player. That chosen person must immediately respond with 'Ah'. Have the entire group practice all three movements together once.

2. Run slow practice 2 minutes

   The facilitator begins the round with 'Ah', pointing toward an immediate neighbor. That neighbor answers with 'So', pointing left or right. The next indicated neighbor immediately shouts 'Ko' while pointing across the ring. The targeted player restarts the loop with 'Ah'. Run this slowly for two minutes so everyone grasps the call sequence.

3. Play at full speed 4 minutes

   Increase speed. After a pause over three seconds, wrong syllable or wrong gesture, that player steps back; the next active player restarts with Ah. Before a removal would leave fewer than three active players, rejoin all waiting players and restart. When three are waiting and at least three remain, start a separate three-person practice circle. Practice circles restart after errors without removals. Apply the minimum-three safeguard to every continuing circle. Remote and hybrid versions keep everyone in their named roster and restart without elimination.

4. Reflect on focus 2 minutes

   Reconvene the full group. Invite two or three participants to share observations on how visual tracking and response speed changed as the tempo increased.

Debrief questions

• What helped you anticipate when focus was about to pass to you?
• How did the physical gestures change your reaction speed compared to speaking alone?

Finished output: Completion of multiple fast cycles of the three-part coordination sequence.

Remote

UWT remote adaptation: Use a displayed alphabetical name order within each video group. Ah and So pass to the next person in that order; Ko names any person in the group, who begins again with Ah. Use the same gestures where possible. Start with the practice phase, then increase speed. Everyone stays in the roster. After an error, restart with Ah from the next person in alphabetical order; do not eliminate people or create outside circles. Run one group for 4 to 12 participants, or two roughly equal breakout groups of 4 to 12 for totals of 13 to 24. Finish with the existing shared debrief.

Hybrid

UWT hybrid adaptation: Use the full participant roster regardless of location. Everyone joins the same video meeting on an individual device, including people in the room. Room participants use headsets, sit apart, and mute except while making their call. Use one video circle for 4 to 12 people; for 13 to 24, create two parallel breakout groups of roughly equal size, each with at least 4 people. A lone remote participant joins one of these groups. Within each group, pin an alphabetical name order and use the remote Ah/So/Ko passing rules. Keep the existing practice, speed-up and debrief stages. In this digital version, everyone stays in the named roster: after an error, restart with Ah from the next person in alphabetical order. Do not eliminate participants or transfer them to an outside circle. Prepare devices, group rosters and breakout rooms before the timer starts. Do not split circles solely by physical location.

Access and participation choices

• Participants may sit or stand.
• Participants with limited arm movement may use directional head nods or vocal cues alone.
• Anyone may choose to serve as sequence monitor or timekeeper rather than joining the active circle.

If the session gets stuck

Players pause because they confuse which gesture follows which.

Refer to the gesture reference chart or quickly re-demonstrate the sequence: 1. Ah (chin to neighbor), 2. So (forehead to neighbor), 3. Ko (point across). Emphasize that missteps are normal.

Players who step out stand idly waiting for the main game to end.

Remind participants that as soon as three people step out, they immediately launch their own parallel circle.

Terms used here

• Ah: First call in the sequence; hand placed under chin pointing toward an adjacent neighbor.
• So: Second call in the sequence; hand placed at forehead in a salute pointing toward an adjacent neighbor.
• Ko: Third call in the sequence; arm extended pointing across the circle to any player.