Pillow Fighting: From Playful Pastime To Competitive Sport

In its inherent form, pillow fighting lacks any established rules. You just take the pillow and smash it against the nearest body. It is a fun experience when you do it with friends or relatives, and it is seen as romantic for lovers. However, pillow fighting has now been appropriated and can be considered a standard sport in some quarters.

About 50 years ago, two local community groups in Sonoma, California, decided to establish a World Pillow Fighting Championship. Can you figure out the objective? It’s all about fundraising for a charitable cause. The concept of the game appeared quite straightforward: two individuals each grasp a pillow, sit atop a suspended log over mud, and engage in a playful battle. The first person to get knocked off automatically loses.

In Japan, pillow fighting embodies a unique blend of theatricality and competition. The All-Japan Pillow Fighting Championship features a structure where two teams, each consisting of five players, engage in spirited battles.

Before the commencement of the match, every team member is seen under a duvet, feigning sleep. Right after the referee’s signal, the players swiftly rise to their feet and rush towards the dividing line, snatching up pillows along the way.

It is important to note that instead of swinging, players fling the pillows in this game. Any team member who gets hit by a pillow is methodically eliminated from the game. There is a player that is tasked with the responsibility of bringing their duvet along, holding it up to serve as a cover or defense for their teammates.

There is a second player who is appointed “king.” Once one team hits the other’s king, that offensive team claims victory in the match.