A sport played widely in Asia and Europe, and slowly breaking into America now. AKA ping pong, table tennis can be played by people at any skill level. I played competitively in middle school, and it's very exhausting, nothing like casual play. "Ping pong politics" is interesting. The 1970's tours between the USA and China were helpful to a healthy relationship between the two countries, and now China gloats every time it kicks Taiwan's ass. Which they always do. Anyways.....

The sport has been dominated by China in the past few decades, but some Scandinavian countries has been making some upset victories. Sweden and Denmark are among the big players in table tennis now.

There are way too many rules to node them all, so I refer you to a very helpful site:

http://tabletennis.miningco.com/sports/tabletennis/

That place has everything you'll ever want to know on table tennis.

Incidentally, I play with the "shaking hands" grip. I hate the other grip (the spoon one).