An Unlikely Airsofter

I have interviewed an unlikely airsofter to talk about what airsoft is about for him. He has chosen to be called by his airsoft call sign, “Big Daddy.” He is an unlikely airsofter because if you will see his figure he is big and fat. You will be surprised to hear that he is an excellent airsofter despite his huge figure. To understand Big Daddy, one must first know what airsoft is.

Big Daddy explains what airsoft is about.

Airsoft is a combat game. It is essentially a war without people being killed. In airsoft, the players use real military tactics in completing specified missions. There can be very short skirmishes like close quarters battle and can span around five minutes. There are also very long realistic missions called MilSim or Military Simulations and can last for hours.

Unlike paintball, which uses unrealistic weapons, airsofters use replica weaponry. These weapons are scale copies of real guns. Some of them even have the smallest detail a real gun has. They are either gas or electric powered. Feet per second or FPS measures the power. They shoot six mm plastic pellets, which are commonly known as BBs. In paintball, when you are hit you are marked by a colored splatter. In airsoft, however, a hit would not create a splatter since the bullets are made of plastic and not paint. Because of this, the honesty system is used to determine if you are hit or not.
Airsoft now is emerging as a new sport with several thousands of people forming professional teams all around the world. There are even tournaments where different teams are representing their own countries. As an airsofter, Big Daddy can vouch for airsoft’s adrenalin-filled fun.

I have called Big Daddy an unlikely airsofter. In airsoft, one must be swift, agile and stealthy in order to defeat the other team. Swift is needed in order to dodge and evade the incoming enemy fire. Stealth is needed in order to sneak against the enemy and attack them from behind. For one to be swift, agile and stealthy, one must be fit and able-bodied. Imagine a big-bodied person trying to be fit and stealthy. He would look awkward.

However, this is not true with Big Daddy. I personally played with him with one of the airsoft matches in a playing field in Antipolo. Before the match starts, I see him first stretch and warm up. I was amazed that my friend though bulky and huge can be flexible. He then gears up. He wears his combat vest. I noticed that the vest is not big enough to cover his entire torso. He looks funny with his tummy bulging from the vest. He then wears his mask and his camouflage netting. I then noticed that if he sits beside a bush, one would not notice that a man is sitting there. He then slings his machine gun on his soldiers and proceeds to the insertion point. He looks intimidating because of his size and his equipment. The game then starts. We were on opposite teams. My mission was to prevent his team from capturing the flag in the middle of the forest. I dug myself deep in the trench covered with bushes. In front of me, was the only path in the forests that leads straight to the flag outpost. I am sure I will trap him and win the match. As I was waiting for him, I heard a shot ring through the forest. Suddenly, I felt something hit me hard on the neck. I looked around and saw him with his gun pointed at me. He just appeared behind me from nowhere. I was shocked I have not seen him pass by my position. When the round was over with him getting the flag, I asked him how he passed by without me noticing. He just said that the key stealth. I thought it was impossible for a huge person to move stealthy and quietly. In the next round, I changed my position to the guard tower beside the outpost. Since I was in a vantage point, I saw him creeping towards the flag. I open fired but he ran suddenly. I could not believe my eyes. He was running so fast that my pellets could not hit him. He then dashed back to the forest. I waited for him to come out. It was a cat and mouse game. Thirty minutes passed by and we are still in a deadlock. I decided to step down from the tower and to proceed quietly to his last known position. Suddenly as I arrived at the position, A double-tap (two consecutive shots) hit me in the chest. He was in the bushes right in front of me. He said he was there the entire time waiting. I was amazed he was waiting for me the whole thirty minutes.

Even though he is a big and not so fit, he can still be as swift and as stealthy as the most fit person in the field playing with him. He told me his techniques in order to be swift and stealthy. He wears military fatigues that make him blend well in the surroundings. When he is under fire, he plants himself in the ground to prevent bullets from striking him. When moving in the thick shrubs and jungles, he uses the balls of his feet and he does not step on the twigs and the fallen branches in order to sneak up on the enemy. In addition, he can stay still and quiet for long periods of time. I asked him how can he do all of this. He says that he has studied and done research on military movements and techniques. It also took him years to improve on his playing style. He says that with perseverance and determination one can achieve the unexpected and the almost impossible.

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