The ultimate workout

Looking for a fun, stress-free way to keep fit? Give Ultimate Frisbee a spin.

Why sweat it out inside a gym when you can exercise in the fresh air, make new friends and play one of the funnest sports in the world? UFO (Ultimate Frisbee Osaka) meets every Sunday at 2pm on the grassy riverbanks of the Yodogawa, near Umeda. It’s a mixed team, so anyone can play. Now that the blue skies and sunny days of spring are here, it’s the perfect time for this sport, which is played by throwing a frisbee to your team members, with the object of a player catching it in the opposing team’s end zone.

Is Ultimate big in Japan? I asked Danny Gomes, the founder of UFO and eight-year Osaka local. “You know, the government actually pays money for a national Ultimate team, but ask any Japanese person and they’ll have no idea. They say, ‘But that’s for dogs,’ or ‘Are you a dog?’ At first I was really offended, like, ‘No, no, it’s a serious sport. How dare you?’ but now I just kinda let it wash over me.”

Born in Boston, but brought up in California, Gomes, who also spends his time teaching music at an international school, learning the koto, playing in a band and studying woodcarving, has been playing Frisbee since he was three years old. He grew up playing Frisbee golf in California but learned to play Ultimate on a year abroad in London. “It was so fun. And it’s not serious. That’s the best part about it. That’s why I started the team here seven and a half years ago.”

“I don’t like the over-competitiveness and physical aggression that come with a lot of sports, like rugby. In Ultimate, there’s no contact – you can’t touch anybody. And you play it outside, which is even better. And all you need is a Frisbee. After that you just put your shoes down for goal markers.”

“There are no referees in the sport. It’s very egalitarian. There’s a rule called ‘Spirit of the game’ and it means you have to treat your opponent with absolute respect. That means no touching, no fouling. If you do foul a person, you call your own foul. It’s a very honest game.”

I love throwing a Frisbee but I’d never played Ultimate so I had a few more questions.

I’m not the most accurate Frisbee thrower. Will I embarrass myself?
“Not at all! My group takes beginners to pros, anybody is okay. People who have never thrown a Frisbee before are welcome. In the beginning I show people how to hold the Frisbee correctly, and teach different grips, like the Power Grip.”

Is it good exercise?
“Definitely. You’re running non-stop. People come in jeans and regret it. I’ve had girls come in jeans and high heels coz they think it’s for dogs. I’m like, ‘No it’s a sport, and we run in this sport.’ But you run as much as you want. If you’re tired, step out and take a break, it’s fine.”

I’m pretty much the opposite of fit. Will I survive?
“I’ve had my 60-year-old koto teacher come down and play. She hobbled up and down the field and she scored two goals. If you’re new we always make sure we include you. It’s all about team effort.”

Do I need any fancy, Frisbee-related equipment? “
No, just bring a water bottle, sports clothing and a friend, and a chu-hai if you like. At 2pm on Sunday people are still getting over their hangover from Saturday night. So they need hair of the dog sometimes.”

Who plays?
“Between 10 and 20 people; we make teams of seven. It’s about half-Japanese and half-foreigners. Because it’s Sunday afternoon it’s relaxed. You can just play the game and not worry about winning. It’s refreshing to not have to worry about winning all the time. Which is where the chu-hai helps out a little, too.”

Wanna play? Find more information about UFO at www.dannygomes.com/ufo.html or click on http://www.phontron.com/ultimate.php for tournament details.

Text: Amy Richardson. Photos: Danny Gomes and Natsuko Schaffer