Oh man... just spent like 15 minutes practicing and got about 4 Moshekame in a row! Each time you go big cup to bottom counts as one, correct?
Word that's awesome dude! So I just wanted to share something I've learned from kendama about life that is essential to progression in my opinion. So say you have a trick you wanna learn right.. First you want to analyze the trick and understand how it works. Say the trick is swing up spike. If you break it down into as small of parts as possible it will help understand the trick. So I would break it down like this, -First, steady the tama -Then swing back just a little to create some momentum -Then swing it forward Say I get to that point but I notice when I swing it forward its all out of control; Tama hole isn't in the same place consistently, the tama doesn't always come up to the same height, sometimes the tama is too far out, sometimes the tama is too close. So then i gotta change my technique to fix those issues. TIP** if you have someone willing to help you, that CAN help but often people don't break it down enough or skip over a small detail that makes a big difference because some things become muscle memory. In that case, even if you do exactly what they say you may not figure it out... Something else that can help is tutorial videos or even just watching someone do the trick and paying attention to their technique. Say I look up a video from that point and I notice the person comes down a little bit while swinging the tama out and then they pull back sharply when the tama is at about 10 O'clock. So I try that, it helps, but I have to practice it to get it down. So I do, until I find that perfect swing, timing, and ammount of tug to make it so that the tama comes up in the same place consistently with the hole coming around where you can see it and follow it. So I would add that to the list of steps above / modify it; -steady the tama -swing back a little bit -bend knees down as you swing in -straighten out legs as you swing out -when the tama is at about 10 o'clock sharp pull directly towards you(should be while straightening legs) -watch for the hole as it comes up and around Then say I do all that and then I can get it 2/10 times. Yes I can do the trick but that's not very consistent. So I notice that sometimes the tama lands on the spike but falls back off, analyze why, and realize I have the spike slanted outwards. So I change my technique again by keeping the spike pointed straight up and down, following the hole closely as it comes around, and letting it slap down on the spike when the hole is just about facing the ground. Final product would be a deep understanding of each aspect of the trick (certain details will help with other tricks) and a detailed list of steps for the trick: -steady the tama -swing the tama inward just a little -bend knees as you begin to swing the tama out -when the tama is at about 10 o'clock sharp pull directly towards your chest (should be while straightening legs out) -watch for the hole as it comes up and around -keep the spike close to the tama as it is spinning around(bending knees if necessary) -put the spike under the hole as the hole comes close to facing the ground again and let it slap right on I think this is good enough to make it so you wouldn't have to think much to learn swing up spike, but if you do this process on your own you will be able to level up like you never imagined. Let me know if this helps your journey at all. PS it doesn't only apply to kendama PEACE
Dude thanks so much! As soon as my own kendama gets here in the mail I'm going to study what you've read and follow it to the letter. I'll post again if I make progress. I want that spike so bad I can taste it.
Hey all, New here, new to the scene. Been playing about a month, but due to work and other priorities I don't get much play time. Anyways, the one problem I've been having is keeping the string out of my way when going between cups (especially during Moshekame). It either gets tied up around my fingers or the Ken. Any tips?
You can create a new thread on whatever forum you are currently on, there is a button at the bottom that says "start new thread." Navigate to the Beginner section or Sesh if you want to start a thread there for instance. You cannot start a new category or top level "forum" per se.
first of all, great username. string management is all about foresight. you'll get tangled if you keep repeating the same motions so make sure you link tricks that untangle your twist. For simple stuff like moshekame it shouldn't tangle, are you left handed?
Hey guys, something I've been struggling to get down on are string tricks. I guess the first string trick I'd like to learn is spacewalk. What are some tips do you guys have? That would be greatly appreciated
@Jose Pablo grab the Tama softly and as the Ken comes around give it a late tug, the harder the tug the more the Ken will flip. so if you're going for Spike or lighthouse adjust accordingly
Hey man I know it's sort of a late reply, I'm not sure if I still classify as a beginner. I'm getting into multiple juggle sling and tap lines but compared to everyone else I'm garbage but I've only been playing for about 3 months or less but once you get comfortable with kendama your movement becomes less rigid and becomes more smooth the more you get the fundamentals down. If you look at the pros they are so smooth and the don't look mechanic whereas if you have a kendama to someone who's never seen it before and tell them to go big cup they look really rigid so try to be smooth with your movements and you will be advanced in no time
One thing I have been curious about is the ratings that some give to kens say 7/10 or 9/10 what does this mean?
@ChrisP.Damahead 10/10 means still in the box unplayed while 1/10 means "used as my dogs favorite chew toy for the past 2 years and it has termites"
Yeah awesome that does help. I can really get a sense of how smooth and controlled your body motions are. I'm really learning that it's a whole body thing and when you try to do it with just wrists is when there is a problem.
I can't believe how true this is. All of my friends and family who have seen me doing this and give it a try - I tell them they need to really use their knees. Within a few tries they go from thinking its impossible to getting it in the big cup. Is literally almost every trick really about the knees?
When recording, I realize that when I lace a line or trick I really bend my knees. You have to move "in time" with the tama and hone in, the tama moves up and down so It would be logical to go with it, as to cusion it as well. Yeah, I tell everyone that tries the same, but many people tend to keep themselves from actually really bending them knees
Hello! I recently read about kendamas online and decided to buy one and try it out. I don't have any real experience with any other type of skill toy, but it seemed like a fun thing to try out and challenge myself with. I found a good deal on an Ozora Sakura pink and it will be here later this week. I've seen pros and cons to most respectable models, but Ozora seems like a solid place to start. I promise not to be scared of using this one because of the paint job - battle scars plus nice paint job will make it interesting. I've been lurking around for a bit and have seen a lot of the articles aimed at beginners - is there anything else in terms of recent developments in kendama-world that I should be aware of as I'm getting started? Or what would be the best thing to do right after opening the package?