Well, like many games (video games, trading card games, etc) and sports there are many competitions for kendama. Some on regional levels, national, and worldwide (KWC). Kendama does involve a lot of physical motion, hand-eye dexterity, and mental focus, some more than recognized sports. At the same time, it's almost like a collector's game. What setups do you have, discontinued setups, rare drops, mix and matched setups that no one else could possibly make themselves. I guess it all depends on how much you dedicate yourself to it on a competitive level. If you're playing kendama just for the love of it, it's essentially just a game/hobby that you enjoy doing. If you're more focused on the competitive side and go to and compete in as many events you can make it to, it'll be more of a sport to you than us who also love the game but don't participate in the competitive aspect of kendama.
I'd say it's a sport and a game, if you know what I mean. The competition part of it kinda makes it a sport but this amazing community makes it a game. It's really hard to explain, but at least I tried.
(cont.) There are many sports that are also considered as just games depending on the level that they are played at. Darts, for example, is a game played at bars, backyard bbqs, man caves, etc. But it is also considered a sport at multiple upper levels, including the national and world levels.
Couldn't have said it better myself. It's just a game, for now. I think in these days a sport has enough money to fund the professional players to live comfortably. I know there are some "odd" sports (i.e. curling, skeleton , table tennis, fencing) that don't have as high a payout as others. So for now, I feel it's still game. As the game get's more organized with a central ranking system, then I will consider it a sport.
From Oxford: "game - A form of competitive activity or sport played according to rules." and "sport - An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment." (see Dictionary.com; merriam-webster.com; oxforddictionaries.com) I'm not sure that it can be put into a single category since the definition of "game" and "sport" differ slightly depending on your source but often include the other term in their examples or definition. It's like trying to decide if bowling, golf or billiards are games or sports. Martial Arts are sports but most participants/practitioners don't get into the competition aspect. So for me competition isn't really the only or main definer of "sport." On an individual level the physical activity of it makes it a sport for me and the option for competition, even a game of KEN, is the game aspect. TL;DR Kendama: The sport that plays like a game. The game that plays like a sport.
I looked at both definitions and thought the same. I think a ranking system elevates the "competition" aspect of it. It's long journey, but kendama (like most games) has the potential for sport.
Think about it. There's "games" like the Pokémon TCG that has national championships, but with Kendama it's sort of different. Kendama has brought people to many different places and many different events that have happened. I don't think there's professional TCG players, but Kendama does. That's like saying BMX and TCGs are of the same caliber; but BMX has teams. Or like the Olympics, they have professionals. Kendama has professionals. Therefore, Kendama is technically a sport. We don't play games. We aim for success and to progress.
Kendama is a (skill) toy. I think you could argue for it being a sport or a game honestly. To me though, object manipulation, skill toys, flow, balance and juggling props are their own thing. I guess depending on the context they can change (performance, meditation, competition, etc.) But why try to categorize them into "sports" or "games" if you don't need to?
thats a good way of looking at it, but also when you play a "game" of ken its a game, or like others have said, in a competition its sometimes about rigid rules and hitting certain tricks, which then makes it more of a sport. Seems like we have established that depending on the context in which it is played kendama can be many different things. It can be considered a juggling toy, a meditation tool, a prop (in the case of performance kendama), etcetera etcetera. Kendama has wide reaching potential to be more than just a toy.
Neither... Kendama is a skill toy. The use of kendama is an art. You can play games with it. It can be used as a sport. But, the use of kendama is an art. Games and Sports have rules. In any game or sport, everyone shares the same end goal. This is not the case with kendama (UNLESS you are playing a game or competing). There are principles that the majority of people who use kendama share, but they aren't required. You can do whatever you want with kendama, like skateboarding, or music.
I still think it is a sport depending on the format. It can be all of these things but it doesnt fall into one category.
Ye when I was selling it to my supervisor at work, she was telling me how she liked that you can do whatever you want with it, and that it is hard and you need to practice to get better.
I’d say its whatever you make it to be for you, it can be a game for me, it can be a sport and be competitive sometimes and it can be my meditation, and it can be a form of art which you can get creative with and helps you be more creative
I'd like to say we're all right. If we say it's a sport, it's a sport. If we say it's a game, it's a game. Because, like you said, it's whatever you make it to be. Anyone who says we're wrong...they're just not having as much fun.
It's surprisingly a delicate issue to debate, I remember recently (last 2 or so months) on FKC this same argument and there were so many people who vehemently defended yes it is a sport and no it isn't a sport. Hey, if Tamotsu Kubota says it's both then it's both!
Referring back to this, a lot of the arguments I saw on FKC was because we aren't 'competing' directly against each other like basketball or football/soccer, kendama shouldn't be considered a sport. But there are many other activities labeled as sports where athletes do not contend directly against each other such as many Olympic sports (skiing, snowboard, figure skating, etc) but are more closely judged similarly to how kendama players compete against each other in competitions.