Real Life Counterstriking in Baguio

The bullets whizzed above my head and tore into the shrubs and tree branches as I slowly raised my head from the tangle of grass to seek out the rest of my companions. I knew the situation was dire, but I had no inkling it was practically hopeless.

I realized I was on my own, the last person standing (or rather crawling) from our team of 10 who set out to test our airsoft mettle against Baguio’s veterans of the game.

For the uninitiated, airsoft is a recreational sport where players shoot non-metallic pellets launched via replica firearms. Games are patterned after real combat situations and involve military strategy and tactics.

If you’ve ever played first-person shooter games like Counterstrike, Point Blank or Left4Dead, you’d know that the objective of airsoft is pretty simple: Kill, don’t get killed. And apparently there is no better place to learn this war sport than in a cool and tranquil forest of pines.

Read the rest of this article in Sunday Inquirer Magazine May 2012 issue: Airsoft’s Die-Hard Appeal.

Some tips if you’re planning to play airsoft:

• Wear long sleeved earth-toned clothes (green, brown) and pants and closed shoes.
• Wear eye protection! Ideally, all airsoft players should have full face masks or eye goggles.
• Never remove your helmet or facemask even when you are leaving the playing arena – or heading to the safe zone.
• Keep guns on safety mode when not in combat.
• Play tight. Stay as close to your cover as possible to minimize your profile.
• Go to higher ground to get a better vantage point.
• Yell “hit” while raising both hands/gun in the air and head off the playing field.
• Be honest if you get hit. It’s considered cheating if you refuse to acknowledge being hit.

Thanks, Baguio Airsoft Club and Lakbay Norte 3! 🙂