I’ve watched all the tutorials on YouTube. Sweets’ new one was especially beneficial but I’m still not quite understanding it. Anyone have any extra tips?
Getting the tama from bird to nightingale. I’m pretty consistent with both separately, bird more so than nightingale but I think I’m proficient enough to where I’m comfortable combining the two. I just can’t seem to pop the tama and land nightingale from bird.
ahhh i see! Alright, the easiest way you can master bird is to break it into three motions : First, the Over The Valley. Place the tama in bird position, and just use enough force so that the tama goes over the spike, but not too much. at this point, don't worry about how it lands on the other side, just concentrate on the strength needed. Then, try putting the tama over the other side (nightingale) in a comfortable position, and remember that feeling. Note the string hole position. Secondly, the tama rotation. After getting comfy with the first exercise, now pay attention to the string hole. See how much the tama rotates. Ideally there should be very little movement of the tama, when it goes over the valley. Experiment with the tama position before, and after the valley. Lastly, the cushion. Don't let the tama slap the cup, rather caress it and have the tama land quietly and nicely. I hope these tips work for you. If they still don't let me know, and we can figure out where to improve.
If you're able to set up a camera to one side while you try bird then nightingale separately, then bird over the valley see if maybe you aren't tilting the ken as much toward yourself when you go for over the valley as when you catch nightingale by itself. You might not be rotating the ken toward or away from you as when you do each trick individually. Also as @azleonhart mentions see if you can make the catches at the tama's apex, where it basically isn't moving up or down but stops its motion. If you can get your sarado directly underneath the tama hole at that point it will settle on to the edge rather than impacting and rebounding from a drop of an inch or more.
Thanks you two! I’m going to work on these when I get home tonight and I’ll have some time tomorrow as well. Hopefully I’ll see at least some improvement. If it’s only the initial pop over the spike! Thanks again!
So I’ve been able to work on it a bit last night and this morning and I think that for the most part I understand it now. I can get the “pop” of the tama, which is more of a light lift, a float maybe? Now my problem is more in my own execution, where I need to bring the little cup rim to the tama hole rather than letting it fall. Also I’m having a slight mental block with keeping my hand stable enough when it actually lands right, I’m ready for it to not happen so when it does I’m already in the motion of setting up to try again. Thank you guys again for the help! I appreciate it greatly
That’s hella awesome to hear, @ekcenolkraM ! To counter the shaking hands, why not practice big cup > nightingale? Might help you to mentally prepare for the over the valley. Remember, knees are everything, and follow through a little. Keep doing that soft, cushioning motion, a few moments even after the tama has landed on nightingale.
The "pop" is the way I do it as well. It really is just floating the tama over the spike. As stated already, there really should be minimal movement of the tama, as you're mainly just floating it and adjusting the ken accordingly to the tama hole. The advice about placing the tama in position to get a feeling is also spot on, I tell beginners to do that all the time. It really does help with the muscle memory. Just had a dude land his first lighthouse this past week after telling him to place it on there and balance it so he knows what its supposed to feel like when you actually pull one up. Also, don't know how you play kendama, but if your hands are getting shaky, maybe try a looser grip? I've found that people (myself included) play better when their grip is more relaxed/loose. Playing with a kendama that's more broken in will help for stalls as well
Sorry for such a late reply! I’ve been busy with my student teaching and all that comes with that!! But yeah I’ve set the tama in the stall points and walked around and kept the balance and everything. Definitely using a broken in dams, in fact it’s almost unplayable now! It’s really just a mental block at this point and finding the time I get that practice in! Again thanks for all the help and advice!
Check out this thread: Kendama Bumpers & Other Tweaks Go find yourself an old bicycle inner tube and make some yourself. They're great practice aids for stalls and like training wheels they're easily removed when you don't need them.
For the catch nightingale catch I kinda just tilt the ken so the spike faces towards me a bit, then bend my knees ever so slightly for the catch. I’ve found that I can land it more consistently when I keep the ken in the same spot and tilt it after the pop rather than physically move the ken towards me. Hope I explained it well enough!
Also another quick question for everyone: What is your preference for setting up bird? Do you like to just pull up? Swing in? Nod or toss from big cup? Just wanna see which way is considered more stylish. I’m pretty good at pull up and swing in. Working on nods and there’s a great discussion on these boards for that one already that I go to when I practice.
I tend to prefer swing-ins the most. Maybe that's because it doesn't require you to keep steady, like pull up. Nods are the second favorite, thanks to the technicality involved, and sticking it in from the cups comes in at a close third.