What do you do when you need to get some solid teamwork in the workplace? Why, you take everyone down to the local paintball arena and shoot the bejeezus out of each other! Nothing strengthens work relationships quite like splattering multi colored paint over your co-workers.

I suppose it's better than being at the office, but the concept of these “team building” exercises always makes me laugh.

Anyhow, questionable company policy aside, this particular arena is based in Durban North, right next to the new Varsity College. I was a bit surprised to see how small it is - instead of a big open ground with a building in the middle (like the old Point Road arena), it's about the size of four tennis courts.

Apparently it's called “speedball”, and it's designed to be fast and exciting which is why the playing field is so small. There are plenty of authentic obstacles which give it that perfect Half-Life 2 kinda feel (yes I'm aware that I'm comparing real life to a video game..), with barrels and tyres piled shoulder height every few meters.

Picking up a paintball gun is loads of fun no matter where there arena is, but I can't help but feel the old-school outdoorsy ones are better. I prefer the slower, more calculated and careful form of the game to the carnage that happens on the speedball track. My favorite parts were always the sneaking through bushes, and inching around indoor corners in absolute silence, with your heart beating out your chest. The suspense is better than the all-out battle.

The usual problem with misty goggles ruining your game are amplified on the speedball arena, because you're moving so fast that the sweat literally starts to fill up the inside of your mask! Not so cool when you're facing the light – in fact after game one we realised what a huge advantage it was to have the spot lights behind you, and adjusted our strategy accordingly. It's impossible to see the enemy when the mist on your mask is beading up, and you're staring into a massive tennis floodlight!

Just a piece of advice if you feel like giving it a bash: watch those legs. Warm them up, stretch and do a five minute run before you even think of going into the arena! This is because you spend the entire hour session running on your haunches, in order to keep down out of the firing line and behind the barrels.

For the five days after the match, the office was full of many limping, aching legs. Excruciating pain, almost like a constant dead-leg, all over your thighs. You've been warned!