The Ideal JKA Setup

What is your ideal setup up made of only JKA kens and tamas (and strings if you want)? Why?

For me It's probably a TK-16 ken with an ozora premium red/gold halfsplit tama, strung up with a white ozora string at 3 fingers. The TK ken is just such an all-around jammer, and of course crazy durable. The ozora bevel and paint is really nice, and the tracking just adds extra playability. Ozora string just feels so nice, and white just seems to always look good.

(Mods may want to put this in the favorite JKA dama thread, but I see it as a different topic)

 

Hm...this is a really good question that's got me kinda stuck!

I've personally never played a TK before in my life, so I guess I can't really give any input on it. However, I would use a TK ken paired up with a premium orange Ozora tama or just a natty Ozora tama with a 5 finger oozie string. The string they make feels amazing, and I can see why Colin Sander decided to use it on his pro mod. I personally want to get better at using natties, so I guess I would start with the classic sakura wood tama on a birch ken.

 

cop a $10 red TK on Kusa. So worth it. Also, do ozora strings go to five fingers?

 

If you can tie the knot with just a little bit of string and not have it fall through the sword, then yea it can! I have a pink Ozora that I changed the original string back onto and it's currently sitting at 5 fingers!

Also, I probably will cop the $10 TK! I kinda need one rn.

 

Sweet, you should. And you must be good at tying knots super close to the edge lol. I probably couldn't do that. Good thing I don't have to worry about that because I can't handle any more than 4. Do you go 5 mainly for jugs?

 

Yea; my teacher recommended that I try for longer string lengths with juggles. It kinda helped me tbh because I used to play a 3.5 finger string length. Over the course of a year, it went to a 4 and then to a 5, and I've been able to juggle a lot easier since then.

 

The keyaki Shin Fuji natty - it comes with a cherry ball. No modifications or mixing needed. String at 2 fingers. Done!

 

I'm glad it's helped you, I just find lots of other tricks way harder with that kind of length, though. But, most people are going 4-5+ these days so it must work.

Clean, simple, classy. I like it!

 

I like keeping my JKA kendamas the way they are, so I usually don't switch things around.

That being said, a Keyaki Ozora is probably the best JKA setup not only for me, but in a lot of other players' books.

 

I’m with Emil on not switching around tamas and kens on pretty much any set up. The odd switch ups ok though.

And with Alex on the Keyaki Ozora. But not too heavy though!

Couple of photos
Honed keyaki. Best natty I have (above a Gt raw ash). And an Enjyu ken with Premium Gold Ozora tama that I’m really looking forward to jamming at some point.



And off topic slightly Beech Ozora ken and KUSA silk equals “fire”

 

Everyone makes me want a keyaki ozora so bad! Also that enjyu X gold looks so honed! Same goes for the Kusa X ozora.

 

Ozora Maple Ken with Ozora Premium tama. Can't get any better than that. Full play-ability in an amazing JKA setup.

 

yeah that definitely sounds like it slays.