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Muk-Chi-Ba is the Korean name of a variant of the two-player game Rock, Paper, Scissors. (The game Rock, Paper, Scissors itself is called "Gawi-Bawi-Bo" (pronounced "Kai-Bai-Bo") in Korean.) This game starts with the usual game of "Gawi-Bawi-Bo". Once both parties have presented their hands, the hands are kept presented and the person who wins the "Gawi-Bawi-Bo" match plays the offense for the first round. The player in the offense either changes or maintains his hand while simultaneously saying the corresponding name of the new hand. In this game, 'Muk' is 'Bawi(Rock)', 'Chi' is 'Gawi(Scissors)', and 'Ba' is 'Bo(Paper)'. The opponent also changes or maintains his hand at the same time. The goal of the offense is to get the opponent's hand to be the same as his/her own. e.g. he/she would win if both players end up with a 'Muk'. After one round, if the offensive player didn't succeed, the offense/defense is redetermined from the hands resulting from the previous round and the next round begins.
In real play, each round proceeds very fast, often one or two rounds a second.
The name also refers to a specific variant of the game originating in New York City.
Multi-Player variant
Muk-Chi-Pa may be played by more than two players in a single match. The premise of determining who wins is based on the fact that two or more people playing the same symbol "cancel each other out," so to speak. A few examples will demonstrate this.
- Ashley: Pa
- Bob: Pa
- Carlos: Muk
Carlos now has highest value because the two Pas cancel each other.
- Dominique: Muk
- Erica: Chi
- Fred: Pa
- Gerald: Chi
The two Chis cancel each other, so only a Muk and a Pa remain. Fred wins with his Pa.
- Heather: Pa
- Ike: Chi
- James: Muk
In this scenario, nothing cancels out, so the special rule applies: "Muk has highest value".
When the winner cannot be determined during the face-off, the face-off is repeated. When the winner cannot be determined in the course of the game, the player who previously had highest value retains it.
When someone changes to the same symbol as the player with highest value, the game isn't over (as it would be in two-player Muk-Chi-Pa) but rather the opponent is "out". Play continues until all players but one have been eliminated. That one player is the winner of the whole game.
In large games (5+ players), it is customary for players to say "___ has highest value" (where ___ is one of Muk, Chi or Pa), to help the other players follow along. Games larger than 8 players are usually very frustrating, because it is very likely that all the hands will cancel out.
New York City variation
A unique variant was reported in New York City, reportedly created by
a Korean-American student at Columbia University. This New York City version adds an addictive layer of complexity to the game.
To begin the game, one player bows slightly and extends his right hand, saying "sabu," which means "master," to the other player. If the master chooses to play, she slaps his hand with her right hand and replies "tingkwa," a word no doubt altered from its original pronunciation but intended to indicate that the challenge is accepted. The players then slap hands three times -- first left hands, then right, then left again, each time crying "ha!" After three "ha"s a fourth is cried and the players each assume one of the rock, paper, or scissors positions. (If both players form a position representing the same object, they merely repeat the several cries and hand-slaps and form new positions.) The rhythm is that once "tingkwa" is cried, there are four equal beats: Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!
What makes this version unusual is first that the hand symbols are different, involving poses with both arms; and second, that the game does not end when one player is "beating" another (that is, when one player has scissors and the other paper, or whatever).
"Muk," or rock, is indicated by making fists with both hands and placing them firmly at the side of both hips, or alternatively by pretending to cup a large rock at the belly button, with one hand cupped facing upward and the other above it, cupped, facing downward.
"Chi," or scissors, is indicated by folding one arm (either will do; it should be folded as if player was holding both arms folded across chest) and grabbing the elbow of the other arm, which is bent at the elbow with the hand raised to chin level and the fingers pointed forward, evoking a scissor blade.
"Ba," or "Pa," for paper, is indicated either by extending the arms forward and down and forming a diamond shape with thumbs and forefingers (as if forming the outline of a flat piece of paper) or, alternatively, by putting arms in a "walk like an Egyptian" pose (my apologies, there is no better description) with hands pointing, flat, to the left and right, once again evoking the flatness of paper.
The fact that each of Muk, Chi and Ba can be formed in various ways provides additional opportunities to throw off one's opponent or to make a split-second change.
The most interesting dimension of the game, however, comes in its added layer of play. To win a round, a player must not only gain the advantage over the other player (say, by having paper while the other player has rock) but must follow this advantage with a subsequent pose in which both players are indicating the same object (whichever it might be). To regulate this follow-up pose, rules require that the player with the initial disadvantage (player B) wait until the player with the advantage (player A) chooses to strike a pose; player A announces the new pose as she forms it by calling out its Korean name. The very instant that player A moves to strike this new pose, player B must chose a pose himself, though he does not need to call out its name (this returns a bit of the disadvantage in the situation). Player B may also simply remain in the same pose, or may switch to the pose's alternative version; however, this runs the risk of A knowing which pose B will be in.
Here is an example of play.
B: [extending right hand and bowing slightly] Sabu.
A: [slapping with right hand] Tingkwa.
both: [slapping left hands] Ha!
both: [slapping right hands] Ha!
both: [slapping left hands] Ha!
both: [each assuming a pose] Ha!
A has formed Chi and B has formed Ba, so A has the advantage;
B must wait until A chooses to move.
A: [changing pose to Muk] Muk!
[B has simultaneously changed pose to the other version of Ba]
Not only did A fail to get B to also form Muk (which would have given
A the win), now the advantage has switched, because Ba beats Muk.
Now A must wait until B chooses to move.
B: [suddenly, forming Muk] Muk!
[A, flustered, forms Chi]
B: [rapidly, forming different versions of Muk] Muk! Muk! Muk! Muk!
[A, flustered, remains in Chi]
B: [forming Chi] Chi!
A has remained in Chi, and so A has lost, because B successfully followed
his advantage with a pose in which A chose the same thing--Chi, in this case--that B did.
B was able to rapidly change poses because he was aware that he had the advantage each time he struck a pose. It is important to note that if either player hesitates, moves too late or moves first when not in the advantage, that player forfeits the round.
Now that B has won, he is the master. If A wishes to challenge B, now A must call B master, or "sabu."
This game is addictive because of its sudden reversals and the quick thinking it requires, and because it can be played anywhere with no props.
See also
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