Target her sides around the ribcage and her stomach. Tickle her where you know she’s ticklish. If she isn’t in the mood for being tickled or play fighting, back off. It’s supposed to be fun, so if she isn’t having fun, then you should stop.
For example, you could take a plastic water bottle and fill it with cold water. With the lid removed, tell your girlfriend to look inside the water bottle. When she leans over to look inside, squeeze the sides of the water bottle quickly to squirt water into her face. Log into her phone and change the language settings so everything is in a foreign language. Drop a few raisins into her drink. They’ll sink to the bottom so when she finishes her cup, she’ll think there are bugs in the cup.
For example, you could take a plastic water bottle and fill it with cold water. With the lid removed, tell your girlfriend to look inside the water bottle. When she leans over to look inside, squeeze the sides of the water bottle quickly to squirt water into her face. Log into her phone and change the language settings so everything is in a foreign language. Drop a few raisins into her drink. They’ll sink to the bottom so when she finishes her cup, she’ll think there are bugs in the cup.
Don’t pull, yank, twist, or pinch too hard or you may cause her too much pain. When she looks at you to figure out what you’re doing, give her a wry, small smile to let her know you’re ready to throw down.
For example, you could say something like, “Keep it up and you’re going to get it!” Don’t be scary or threaten her with physical harm. Make vague and harmless threats that will egg her on.
Look to see if she smiles after she teases you for a sign that she’s trying to pick a play fight. If your girlfriend seems upset about something, talk to her about what’s bothering her. You can always play fight later when she’s in a better mood for it. Your girlfriend may not enjoy play fighting at all. If she seems worried, nervous, or she gets really upset when you start play fighting with her, take the hint and back off.
Push her down onto a bed or sofa so she has to get back up. Be careful not to push her to the ground or into an object like a desk or table or you could injure her.
Put her in a half nelson by pinning her face-down and threading your dominant arm between her arm and armpit. Then, place the palm of your dominant hand on the back of her neck and push her head down so she’s stuck and has to fight to get out. Be gentle when you’re pinning her. Make it a struggle but don’t try to smother or smash her.
Be gentle when you’re putting a kimura submission on her. If she snaps or jerks, she could hurt her own shoulder. You can try this move on top of her, on side of her, or even with her on top of you.
If you’re feeling frisky, try biting her ear or neck. Growl or make animal noises while you bite her so she knows you’re playing around. Don’t bite too hard or yank her skin with your teeth or it could hurt her.
Even if you went too far accidentally, you need to apologize and ask her if there’s anything you can do to make her feel better.
She may giggle and say stop when you’re play fighting or tickling her, but if she clearly asks you to stop and isn’t having fun, stop immediately. It’s possible the play fighting triggered past trauma that she’s experienced, so be sensitive to her cues and listen to her.
If you don’t feel in the mood for play fighting but your girlfriend is, try setting your negative feelings aside and have a good time with her. Play fighting is supposed to be fun. If you or your girlfriend are upset, take some time to cool off. If you or your girlfriend are angry, play fighting is not the solution. Try talking or going out for a bite to eat instead.
