Check out this one. I loved the guy on top of the pole starting at around 3:15.

Apparently the polesitters have a specialized purpose above and beyond what this guy was doing. When the pole starts to get off center, they shift their weight to keep it upright as long as possible.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y2OfCkCJg2E" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Why are they wearing underwear on their heads?

It's Japan. That's what they do.

This is awesome. How do I join?

First rule is you don't talk about it

Bo Taoshi looks like something I would watch and hope I figure out the rules.

I could roll with some team MMA too. Go to right about to the 2:00 minute mark and the action is getting started.

https://youtu.be/6VIWXWQutFw

Let's start putting together a team.

I think I could tie up 5 or 6 of those little guys for a while.

But I would rather play offense.

Offense does seem more fun. But I think I would enjoy defense for some reason.

Per wikipedia:

Bo-taoshi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bo-taoshi (Japanese: 棒倒し Hepburn: bōtaoshi?, "pole bring-down"), is a capture-the-flag-like game, played on sports days at schools in Japan. The game played by cadets at the National Defense Academy of Japan traditionally on its anniversary is famous for its size, where in two teams of 150 individuals each vie for control of a single large pole.[1] Each team is split into two groups of 75 attackers and 75 defenders. The defenders begin in a defensive orientation respective to their own pole, while the attackers assume position some measure away from the other team's pole. A team is victorious if it is able to lower the pole of the opposing team (which begins perpendicular to the ground) to a thirty-degree angle (respective to the ground), before the other team reaches this goal. Until a rule-change in 1973, the angle of victory was only forty-five degrees.[2]


Positions
Described here are positions seen in NDA of Japan, but usually the position Ninja is absent when played in other schools. On the defensive half, positions include: pole support, barrier, interference, scrum disabler and the ninja. Offensive positions include: springboard/scrum, pole attackers and general support attacks.

Defense
Pole support - to hold the pole in the upright position.
Barrier - the largest part of the defense, their job is to protect the pole.
Interference - harass and interrupt attacks that get within the barrier.
Scrum disabler - scrum is the offensive strategy in which the attackers use their teammates back to spring themselves over the barrier and onto the pole. The scrum disablers do whatever they can to eliminate this attack.
Ninja - this is the single man at the top of the pole. This is one of the most important positions on defense. The ninja must lean to the opposite side if the pole is being tilted to counteract the weight.

Offense
Springboard/scrum - the scrum acts as stepping stones so their offensive teammates can jump over the barrier and have easy access to the pole.
Pole attackers - in charge of taking the ninja down and using their weight to bring the pole down.
General support attackers - Do anything to make it hard on the defense.

The guy on top of the pole just face stomping everyone is the best.

^ We need more scrum sports.

I don't think we have a hand to hand "national defense academy", we need one of those too.

Pole attacker our scrum disabler for me

Just wait till television companies get ahold
Of this sport and fill it with bud light and Miller light commercials. Gonna ruin te integrity of the sport