TARGET PRACTICE: As the old adage states, "Practice makes perfect." When it comes to water fights, the one who will be victorious is the one who can move quickly to dodge yet aim accurately to strike.

Target practice should be done prior to a water war or in the safety of a well-guarded base (in the event one wants to sharpen one's skills mid-battle). One of the best times to do target practice is by oneself or with a friend in a secluded area set up with various inanimate targets. My preffered practice targets are made of round can/container lids mounted upright onto a small piece of wood using a nail or putty. These targets tend to be round and their size depends on the size of the container the lid came from. Targets which are best to use are ones which can be knocked down easily when hit for easy determination of hit-or-miss. It can be difficult from a distance to tell if the target was hit if it merely gets wet but does not fall.

The better the warrior, the more targets can be knocked down in a given amount of time using the least amount of water. Set up many targets in a given area and see how long and how much water it takes to knock them all down. Set them up again and try to beat that time. To make it more difficult, try running through that same area while trying to hit as many targets as possible.

If one wishes to practice soaking a target, an old T-shirt hung from a plastic hangar makes a good target for determining water delivered. Towels can also be used for this purpose. However, it is better to practice hitting smaller targets since this will make hitting larger targets almost a joke.

Moving Targets: In most cases, the enemy will not be standing still waiting to be soaked. Moving targets are more difficult to hit since one must adjust for the speed of water delivery versus the speed of the target.

The best and only realistic way to practice this is with a friend who also does not mind getting wet. One-to-one duels are doubly beneficial in that it teaches one how to attack a moving target as well as how to evade the counterfire. Though these duels do not quite prepare one for dealing with a group of enemy troops, it begins the training.

TEAMWORK: Often in a water fight, it is best not to engage the enemy alone. At the same time, when working in a group, one must co-ordinate ones attacks to maximize the number of opponents soaked while avoiding soaking each other.

The stationary target set-up is a good place to start from. The group should then enter the area where the targets are and attempt to knock them over as quickly and efficiently as possible. Working like this also allows the group to become familiar with its different member's techniques, firing style, positioning, etc. Communication during battles is key and it can help if targets which are not being fired upon are called out such that another member who may have not seen it can be directed to attack.

It is also good to assign a specific area for each member of the group to cover and attack. For example, one may be in charge of watching the front, while another is to watch the left flank and the third watches the right. If each member follows their assignment, the chances of shooting an ally are significantly minimized. It is also a good idea in groups to assign a group leader. The leader should be the most experienced and knowledgeable in the group. Orders given by the leader should be followed by the rest of the group allowing for the whole group to work as one. This also allows the group to be focused, if need be, on a particular target or to fall back together if the foes appears to have the momentary edge.

The best water attack squads work together efficiently and effectively.