This was literally the very first "edit" I ever saw online. I think I googled "kendama master" and this popped up.
Yep that's the man, Takahiro Maeda 6th Dan (at the time). I didn't learn kendama in the West and I credit that guy (via the video) with keeping me from knocking myself out as I swung the tama back at myself (since I had no clue how to play at the time). That clip is on rotation in our shop as well as a tribute and reminder of how I got into all this.
I thought it was a stroke or something like that? Freedom Kendama was amazing, one of the most innovative early edits! I'll shout out the Bitter Beans TPC guys! When I first picked up a dama I was loving their edits. Dutchkendama was another huge influence for me, he was years ahead of the game. Ruisch had a lot of good stuff too. And of course Sander, his edits were among the first I ever saw.
Yay, a thread for the old folks... I'd certainly say folks like Takumi Okada and Stefan Csiszar. I have happy memories of playing with them WAY back at the IJA in Montreal in 2000. So sad that they are both no longer with us. And yes, for those that are still around, Jeffrey Van Reeven and The Void certainly merit a mention for being good influences when I started playing more "seriously".
You sir, are the OG who influenced me the most. I found your edits in my early days and got a lot of creative inspiration from your videos. Thank you.
Cheers all; I'll try to get a new edit up for you all sometime in the next week or two.....us old dinosaurs gotta keep our eye in too!
i would have to agree with you @Carlos Habbenero. Colin is still my favorite player and the first one i ever saw really. Alex and Jake are 2 very innovators for tricks and how they play. can't ever turn away when seeing them in person or the internet playing.
JP Auclair, for introducing tons of skiers including Turner Thorne. Colin and I discovered it a little before JP, maybe 2004-05, but he really got into it around the same time. The edit below were circa 06-07 http://www.zapiks.fr/Kendama-bonus-UP1-2-1.html Sadly JP died in an avalanche a few years ago. https://www.freeride.se/blog/jacobw...nd-its-randomness-remembering-andreas-and-jp/
totally forgot bitter beans! their second edit was sooo far ahead of its time, really inspired me, when i started