There are basically two styles of fighter kite competition recognized world wide: Line Cut and Line Touch.

Line Cut (or "manjha") kite fighting is an ancient sport still practiced today in the Middle East, Asia and other countries where glass coated kite flying line is used to cut your opponent's kite line during the kite fighting.

Line Touch is a kite fighting game that recently originated in North America, and instead of cutting your opponent's kite line for a quick and decisive "kill", points are scored each time your kite line touches your opponent's kite line during the kite fighting.

Presented herein is a third style of kite fighting called Tail Touch, where you score points by having your kite, or your kite line, touch the streamer tail of your opponent's kite. Here's a listing that compares the very popular Line Touch game with the new Tail Touch game ...

This is a new kite fighting game that's being trialed in several places on planet Earth, so the rules are evolving. At least for the moment, they are as follows ...

Two issues involve a fighter kite's abiity to spin around themselves very rapidly, and pilot failure to engage combat. During a fighting match, one or both opponents can spin their kites and either not engage in battle. Spinning a fighter kite also coils up the streamer tail and makes for a very difficult to hit target that typically will result in a kite-to-kite crash and the attacker loses a point. In order to eliminate both the fight non-engagement and the defensive tail coiling ...

1. * DEFENSIVE SPINNING - any kite that spins more than three consecutive spin revolutions, or spins for more than 5 seconds (whichever comes first), loses a point.

2. ** FAILURE TO FIGHT - failure to attack a kite's streamer tail by BOTH fighter kite pilots within a 15 second interval results in a match loss for both pilots.

Another issue is line tangling. Rules must reflect how to deal with the inevitable consequences of continual circling during battle: the resulting twisting/braiding of the lines as kites pursue each other in very fast dogfights - this specifically applies to line touch style fighter kites.

The more agile and maueverable the kite (i.e. - an American or Indian fighter kite) the more it will become a 'dogfight' contest where kite flying is paramount. The less maneuverable a kite (i.e. - a delta or parafoil kite) the more the contest becomes a battle of ground 'dancing' pilot maneuvers.

One thing is certain: you can have loads of Tail Touch kite fighting fun with ANY single line kite - delta wings, Eddy diamonds, box kites, parafoils, even quirky animal kites can all have a streamer tail attached and be ready to do battle in the sky. The following Tail Touch demonstration should depict how easy it is for anyone of any age to play this game.

Date: July 23rd, 2005.   Location: West End II, Jones Beach, Long Island, New York, USA.   Environment: 83F, steady 14kt onshore breeze.   Fighter Kite Pilots: Denise and Maddy.   Fight Judge: Sue.   Tail Touch Fighter Kites: 18"x18" Eddy diamond kites with cello sails - streamer tails are 3/4" x 6' ribbon (2cm x 185cm).

Denise follows through after the touch, lets out some line to come up behind Maddy's kite - if she hits her opponent's kite she loses a point! Kites are up flying around 75'.

This was 9 year old Maddy's first time playing the Tail Touch game and she learned quick enough to win points and matches quite frequently!