Ninja

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Re-energize the room through physical balance, quick reactions, and turn-taking without equipment.

Use it when: Use during an energy slump, after extended seated work, or to reset group focus before collaborative tasks.

Skip it when: Skip when participants have acute joint pain, slippery footwear, tight spaces, or when fast physical dodging causes discomfort.

Group arrangement: Circles of 4 to 8 players. Groups larger than 8 split into parallel circles so waiting times remain brief.

Timing: Playmeo suggests two or more five-minute rounds. UWT allocates 15 minutes to include setup, two five-minute rounds, and a brief debrief.

Materials and tools

• Open floor space with at least 3 meters of clearance per circle

Before participants arrive

1. Clear all chairs, bags, and tripping hazards from the designated playing area.
2. Check that players have stable footwear and sufficient floor clearance to jump backward safely.
3. If the group exceeds 8 people, distribute players into circles of 4 to 8. For example, divide 17 into groups of 6, 6, and 5; divide 19 into groups of 7, 6, and 6; divide 23 into groups of 8, 8, and 7.

Say this to open

We are going to play Ninja. Stand in a close circle with your hands together in the center. When I call 'Ninja,' jump back one step, let out a martial-arts call, strike a pose, and freeze. From that point on, you only move when it is your turn to strike or when someone attacks you.

How to run it

1. Establish starting poses 2 minutes

   Explain the rules and boundaries. Players gather into a tight circle with hands together in the center. Call '3, 2, 1, NINJA!' Everyone jumps backward one step, makes a martial-arts shout, strikes an energetic pose, and freezes. Emphasize that players must hold their exact stance until they attack or dodge.

2. Play round one 5 minutes

   Designate one starter. Play proceeds clockwise. The active player takes one fluid motion to tag another player's hand below the wrist. The target may make one fluid motion to dodge. Both freeze immediately in their final positions. If tagged, that player steps out to referee. Continue until one person remains. If five minutes elapse before a winner emerges, remaining players share the round win.

3. Reset and play round two 5 minutes

   Eliminated players return to the circle. Re-form into tight circles with hands in the center. Call '3, 2, 1, NINJA!' and repeat the jump back into a new frozen stance. Play a second round, either clockwise or counter-clockwise, until one player remains or time expires.

4. Gather and reflect 3 minutes

   Bring the group together standing or seated. Ask one or two reflection questions to transition back to the main agenda. Take two or three voluntary comments from the room.

Debrief questions

• What physical strategies helped you keep your balance while holding your pose between turns?
• How did the rule to freeze change the way you planned your tag or dodge?

Finished output: A completed physical energizer with all circles finishing up to two elimination rounds.

Remote

Ninja requires physical proximity and spatial dodging and cannot be played directly online. A related remote alternative is 'Statues on Camera': the facilitator shares computer audio and plays 15 to 30 seconds of upbeat music while participants dance or move on camera. When the music abruptly stops, everyone must freeze instantly. The facilitator and any eliminated players watch for 5 seconds; anyone who moves, laughs noticeably, or wobbles turns off their camera. The facilitator repeats this cycle until one player remains with video on.

Hybrid

Run the physical game with present participants in the room. Remote participants play the 'Statues on Camera' alternative in their virtual meeting room or serve as video-spotlight judges for the in-person circles.

Access and participation choices

• Participants may choose not to dodge by serving as the referee or turn-order caller for their circle.
• Players with balance or lower-body constraints may play seated in stable chairs, dodging using only upper-body and arm movements.
• Any participant can pass on active play without explanation and track round timing or scorekeeping instead.

If the session gets stuck

Players take multiple steps or swing repeatedly during an attack.

Pause the circle and demonstrate a single movement: one continuous motion that must finish in a stationary frozen pose without a double swing or resetting step.

Disagreements over whether a tag landed on the hand before the defender completed their dodge.

Use the honor system where the defender calls whether contact was made. If disputed, the circle referee makes an immediate binding call.

Terms used here

• Fluid movement: A single continuous motion in one direction without stuttering, resetting, or linking multiple separate strikes.