How to win at kibasen (mounted cavalry battles). A thorough guide to team assignments, horse formation, and tactics.

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
Editor-in-Chief, RAG MUSICHane Keisuke
Editor-in-chief of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. After working in a music studio and handling wedding sound, joined the RAG MUSIC editorial team in 2016. Experienced with a variety of instruments: marching band in elementary school, clarinet in junior high school wind ensemble, and drums in a band from high school onward. Drawing on my own musical activities and the experience gained through my work, I produce daily articles, including various song introductions, features on music festivals around the country, and live reports. In music, I enjoy not only rock from Japan and abroad but, lately, a wide range of J-pop as well.

Kibasen, one of the classic events at school sports days, is a competition where three people form a human “horse” as the base and one rider mounts on top to battle.

You win by either snatching the headband or cap worn by the opposing rider, or by knocking the opposing rider off their horse.

It’s one of the most heated events at a sports day.

In this article, we’ll thoroughly introduce tips for kibasen, where the determination of “I absolutely don’t want to lose!!” clashes head-on.

We’ll explain in detail everything from staffing and how to form the horse, to tactics during matches and even training methods.

If you’re a competitor who’s set on winning at kibasen no matter what, be sure to use this as a reference!

Tips for one-on-one duels (1–10)

Attack mainly with cavalry

In a one-on-one match, the basic tactic is to charge straight at the opponent’s horse formation.

What’s crucial then is that your “horse” takes the initiative on offense.

In other words, have the horse formations push against each other and aim to throw the opponent’s horse off balance.

If you can upset the opponent horse’s balance, the rider will have to lower their head to regain stability—that’s your chance! Don’t miss that moment—snatch their headband or cap right away! If you’re using this strategy under one-on-one rules, it’s ideal to choose horse members who are stronger and more stable.

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Lift the jockey

In a one-on-one duel, one key to gaining even a slight advantage is having the base lift the rider to increase their height.

As we’ve mentioned several times in this article—along with tips on how to position the base members and how to maneuver in team battles—attacking from above gives you the upper hand in a cavalry battle.

So when the moment calls for it, muster your strength and hoist the rider up.

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Dodge the attack and counterattack

The last tip for dueling tactics is a bit technical.

In a one-on-one match, you can expect a close-quarters scuffle, and the outcome will often be decided when one rider has their headband or cap taken.

In such situations, calmly reading the opponent’s attack and delivering a counterattack is extremely effective.

However, because it’s so effective, it’s also difficult to execute, so you’ll need to practice thoroughly and develop a solid sense for timing and decision-making.

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Practice Methods (1–10)

Up to this point, we’ve covered in detail how to form the cavalry, how to assign roles, and tips for maneuvering during matches.

To wrap up, I’d like to introduce some practice methods for cavalry battles.

No matter how well you understand match strategy, you won’t gain an advantage if you can’t move the way you intend.

Incorporate the drills introduced below and make sure you’re well prepared by the time the sports day arrives!

Posture maintenance practice

The first basic practice is getting used to the human pyramid.

While running and changing direction in the mounted formation, practice maintaining a stable posture.

It’s important for members to coordinate closely with one another so you can move around without losing balance.

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Practical training

Once you can move confidently while locked in a cavalry formation, all that’s left is practical experience.

Split the team into two sides and have a scrimmage.

By practicing in a live-combat format, you should pick up how to evade attacks, when to counter, and the tactics of one-on-one duels.

The more live practice you do within the available time, the better your sense for winning will become.

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In conclusion

From how to assemble a cavalry formation and tips on personnel placement to strategies for in-match maneuvering, we’ve compiled all the key points for winning at the horseback battle game.

We’ve organized the tips by section so athletes preparing to take on the event can refer back to what they need, when they need it.

We hope this article helps your team shine in the cavalry battle at your sports day and that it becomes a wonderful memory for you.