Terminology and structure
The ''kendama'' is traditionally made out of wood and comprises the following parts: # Main body . # Spike . # Big cup . # Base cup . # Small cup . # Ball . # Hole . # String . # Cup body . # Small cup edge . # Big cup for lunars . # Slip-stop or slip grip . # Back end . # String attachment hole .Stringing a Kendama
"Stringing" a kendama is the action of connecting all three pieces of the kendama (''ken, sarado,'' and ''tama'') together. A bead (or mini bearing) and a piece of string are required to string a kendama. The steps to string a kendama are as follows: # Take one end of the string and put it through the little hole in the ''tama'' until the string is coming through the big hole (''ana''). # Put the bead on the end of the string coming out of the ''ana'' and tie a knot to lock the bead in. # Put the untied end of the string through one of the two holes in the ''sarado''. (Note: For a right-handed kendama, hold the ''sarado'' up so that the big cup is on the right side and put the string through the hole that is facing self. For a left-handed kendama, make sure the big cup is on the left side and put the string through the hole facing self). #Lead the string through the hole in the ''ken''. # Tie a knot at that end of the string so the string doesn't slip through the ''ken'' piece. # Put the ''sarado'' down on top of the ''ken''. A video of this process can be founGrips
A kendama can be held in numerous types of grips. Choosing the type of grip to hold the kendama depends on which trick a person wants to perform. Some of these grips include: *Ken grip: Hold the ken with all five fingers with the spike pointing upwards and the big cup (or small cup) facing towards the body *Sara grip: hold the ken by placing the thumb and index finger below the intersection of the ''sarado'' and ''ken'' *Sara grip (stabilized): In addition to the thumb and index finger placement, Place the middle and ring finger underneath the small cup or big cup (this depends on which way the ken is facing). *Tama grip: With the fingertips, hold the ball (''tama'') with the hole (''ana'') facing upwards. *Candle grip: Face the ken with the spike pointed downward. Hold the ken with three fingers: index, middle, and the thumb.Gameplay
The general concept of kendama is pulling the ''ken'' up and balancing the ''tama'' somewhere on the ''ken'', or vice versa. There are not any specific rules on how to play kendama. However, bending the knees while playing kendama is a method that experts use. Endless tricks and trick combinations can be made with just ''ken grip, sara grip, tama grip,'' and ''candle grip'' by themselves or together in a combination. Some examples of tricks in each of these grips are as follows:Ken Grip
Spike: This trick involves the hole in the ''tama'' and the spike. # Hold the ''ken'' with the spike pointing straight up # Hold the ball with the off hand to ensure the ball is still before starting the motion of this trick # Bend the knees # Pull the ''tama'' up with the entire body # Catch the ball in the spike by directing the spike underneath the hole in the ''tama'' Swing Spike: a variation of the Spike. # Hold the ''ken'' in a way similar to preparing a spike # Hold the ball with the opposite hand and slightly bring it back towards the body, keeping the tension in the string # Let go of the ball and swing the ball out in front of self # Tug the string a bit to make the ball rotate the hole 360° towards self # Catch the ''tama'' on the spike by connecting the spike and the hole together. Around Japan: This trick is a combination of the big cup, small cup, and the spike. # Pull the ball up into the small cup # Hop the ball over to the big cup by rotating the wrist to the right (and vice versa if left handed) # Keep an eye on the hole, and hop the ball up onto the spike, connecting the hole and spike together Note: The following combination is also ok: big cup→small cup→spike. Note: This trick can also be done in sara grip. Around the World: Similar to Around the Block, with the addition of the spike. # Follow all the steps from "Around the Block" # Keep an eye on the hole, and from the bottom cup, hop the ball up and catch the ball by landing the hole on to the spike Both of these tricks can also be done in "sara grip." Bird: This trick involves the ball, the hole, the spike, and the big cup or small cup edge. # Hold the ''ken'' with the spike facing upwards with the big cup (or small cup) facing towards self # Tilt the kendama slightly away from self # Bend the knees, and extend them while pulling the ball straight up # Balance the hole of the ball on the big cup edge (or small cup edge) while the ball leans against the spikeSara Grip
Moshikame: This is a tricky combination of the big cup and bottom cup. # Pull the ball up into the big cup # Bend the knees and hop the ball up into the air # While the ball is in mid-air, rotate the ''ken'' downwards so that the bottom cup is facing up # Catch the ball in the bottom cup. Clack back: This trick uses the big cup (or small cup) and the end of the handle. # Pull the ball up onto the big cup # Lean the ''ken'' about 45° downward so that the basecup turns starts to face toward the ground, causing the ball to start to fall off the big cup # "Clack" (hit) the ball with the back end of the ''ken'' # Catch the ball on the big cupTama Grip
Airplane: This trick involves the hole in the ball and the spike. "Airplane" mirrors the movement pattern of "Swing Spike." # Hold the ball with the hole facing upwards # Grab the ''ken'' with the off hand to stabilize it # With the offhand, slightly pull the ''ken'' back # Release the ''ken'' with the off hand # Pull ''ken'' in mid-air so it rotates 180° towards self, making the ''ken'' face downwards # Catch the spike in the hole Lighthouse: This trick involves the base cup and the ball. # Hold the ''ken'' steady with the off hand to stabilize it # Pull the ''ken'' gently upwards, having the ''ken'' rise above the ''tama'' and ensuring the ''ken'' stays stable throughout the movement # Place the ball under the bottom cup as the ''ken'' rises higher than the ball # Balance the ''ken'' on top of the ballCandle Grip
Candlestick: This trick involves the base cup. # Pull or swing the ball upwards onto the bottom cupHistory
Origins, Precursors, and Parallels
The origins of the game are disputed. It is believed by some to be a variant of the French ball-and-cup game bilboquet (''bil'' "ball" ''boquet'' "small tree"), a toy that dates back to the 16th century and was popular in Europe during the 17th century. During that same period the kendama is believed to have arrived in Japan via the Silk Road from China during theModels
Despite not being originated in Japan, the shape of kendama that is known today was formed and evolved in Japan. The dates of when the following 3 kendama models were made or seen are undocumented: "Deer horn and ball" was the form that the kendama took on when it arrived in Japan for the first time, literally a deer horn attached to a ball. Later on, some people replaced the deer horn with a piece of bamboo due to deer horn costing too many resources, making the bamboo and ball. The next model started to resemble what the kendama looks like today: the ken and ball. This model was a ''ken'' piece strung to the ball. The jisugetsu ball kendama model was the first model made by Ekusa (1919), and later went on to be produced as many as 300,000 times in one year by Hongo woodworking factory in Hatsukaichi (1921). The ''jisugetsu'' has a similar design as lined folk craft kendamas, which were made by factories that also produced Kokeshi dolls from spinning lathe machines. The strings of both the jisugetsu ball and folk craft kendamas were placed on the ''ken'' using a loose metal fitting, making the string prone to detaching or breaking. The S (Shinma)-Type kendama was the first competition style kendama invented in 1975 by Hideo Shinma, the president of the Tokyo Kendama Club. The first S-type prototype emerged in 1976, and the ''Japan Kendama Association'' (JKA) asked Shinma to make them a competition style model based on the S-Type design in 1977. The F (Fujiwara)-Type (F16) kendama emerged in 1978, invented by Issei Fujiwara. The F-Type incorporated new modifications unknown to kendamas at the time. The F-Type had two small holes drilled in the middle of each side of the ''sarado'', and also used a sturdier string that was unlikely to break. The two string holes in the ''sarado'' offer more fluidity of play as well as the option to switch the kendama between left handed or right handed. The Tortoise kendama by Tortoise, Inc. was a take on the S-type kendama after the S-type discontinued in 1990. Tortoise kendamas came in different models: the T-8, T-14, T-16, and T-17. The numbers indicating each different Tortoise model corresponds with the height of each model in centimeters. Tortoise kendamas stopped production in 2012 due to not having enough resources. The F16-2, the second version of the F16, was released in 2001. The main change in the F16-2 from the F16 is that the position of the string hole was moved slightly off from the cup body's center, enabling the kendama to turn and rotate in a new fluid way. This string hole adjustment is still used in various shapes of kendamas to this day.Contemporary culture
Kendama has increased in popularity since its initial evolution in Japan. During the 2000s, kendama surged in popularity outside Japan, which influenced the creation of the first kendama companies in foreign countries. The first kendama company in the United States was Kendama USA in 2006. They began to promote kendama in North America and were able to reach theRobotics
Kendama play has also been used as a measure of accuracy, agility, and learning ability in robotic arms.Rules
There are no specific rules on how to play kendama. However, all forms of kendama competition are regulated by rules. 4 styles of kendama competition are speed ladder, open division, freestyle, and Kendama World Cup (KWC). It is rare that the KWC style of competing is used as an event other than KWC itself.Speed Ladder
The speed ladder is a style of competition that is a race of who can finish a set of tricks the fastest. Players will race through an order of tricks that they are given at the event or prior to the event via the internet. The players who finish the trick ladder the fastest wins. There are divisions that sign up to compete in based on their skill level (ex: beginner, intermediate, and advanced/pro).Open Division
Open Division is a head-to-head 1vs1 competition style format. Each round, two players compete against each other and take turns drawing a trick at random. Each trick drawn warrants a maximum of three exchanges – the number of times the players can go back and forth attempting the trick. The first player to 3 points wins. * If a player completes the trick and the other player misses, the successful player earns 1 point and the other player draws another trick. * If both players complete or miss the trick, then the 1st exchange comes to an end and the first player gets another attempt to complete the trick in the second bout, restarting the process. ** If both players complete or miss the trick in all three bouts, then the trick is discarded and the second player draws a new trick. Note: In the final round, the first player to 5 points wins. Note: The labeled champion of each event is usually referring to the Open Division winner.Freestyle
Freestyle is a head-to-head 1vs1 style of competition. Each match is judged by a panel of three or five judges. The two players competing against each other in each round will take turns performing tricks in 45-second time periods twice each. During the time periods, both players may perform any trick that they choose. Each judge individually decides which player wins based on who did the best in the following three categories: ''Creativity, Consistency,'' and ''Difficulty''. The player with the most votes wins the round.KWC
One hundred and twenty tricks are released online prior to the KWC and are split up into groups of 10 tricks each 12 times, forming a level 1 to 12 trick list. The higher level a trick is, the more difficult it is and the more points it is worth. KWC is split into 2 days of competition: Day 1: Qualifying, and Day 2: Finals. Each day has its own set of rules. During Day 1, all players choose 12 tricks from the levels 1–10 in the trick list. Players split the 12 tricks into two rounds of six tricks each, and each player will get 3 minutes for each round to complete as many tricks as possible. The 25 players with the highest point scores will advance to Day 2. Note: The number of points each trick is worth is equivalent to the face value of the level of the trick (ex. level 6 trick is worth 6 points). During Day 2, the players compete one by one from the lowest scoring qualifying player to the highest scoring qualifying player. Each player has three minutes to do an unlimited number of tricks from levels 3–12, and each trick can only be done once. The player who gets the highest number of points in their time period wins. Note: The number of points each trick is worth is equivalent to the level of that trick squared (ex. level 6 trick is worth 36 points), with the exception of level 11 tricks (worth 151 points) and level 12 tricks (worth 194 points).Competitions
Kendama competitions have been occurring since 1979, with the first competition being the All Japan Kendama-Do Championships held by the Japan Kendama Association. The British Kendama Association was the first group to hold a formal kendama contest outside Japan in 2008 at the British Juggling Convention inKendama World Cup
Starting in 2014, the Kendama World Cup (KWC) is an annual two-day event in the summer that takes place in Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima, Japan and is the largest kendama competition in the world. In 2018 alone, the KWC had an audience of 49,000 members that were watching 415 competitors from 18 countries compete for the title of Kendama World Champion. At KWC, there is also an abundance of vendors selling their merchandise and kendamas, kendama games, and live performances all spread out over the 2 days of the event. Admission to the KWC is free.Winners
* 2014: Bonz Atron (KROM Kendama) * 2015: Wyatt Bray (Kendama USA) * 2016: Bryson Lee (Sweets Kendamas) * 2017: So Kanada (Sweets Kendamas) * 2018: Nick Gallagher (Sweets Kendamas) * 2019: Rui Sora (Kendama USA) * 2020: Takuya Igarashi (Su-Lab, Kendama Israel) * 2021: Yasu (Krom Kendama) * 2022: Takuya Igarashi (Su-Lab, Kendama Israel)North American Kendama Open
Formerly known as the ''Minnesota Kendama Open,'' the North American Kendama Open (NAKO) has been an annual kendama event inWinners
* 2013: Max Norcross (Sweets Kendamas) * 2014: Lukas Funk (Sweets Kendamas) * 2015: Zack Gallagher (Sweets Kendamas) * 2016: Nick Gallagher (Sweets Kendamas) * 2017: So Kanada (Sweets Kendamas) * 2018: So Kanada (Sweets Kendamas) * 2019: Hiroto "Motty" Motohashi (Su Lab) * 2020: Nick Gallagher (Sweets Kendamas) * 2021: So Kanada (Sweets Kendamas) * 2022: Nick Gallagher (Sweets Kendamas)Catch and Flow
Catch and Flow, Freestyle World Championship was first held in September 2014 in downtown Tokyo, Japan. Using a new format to determine the best freestyle skills in the world, the Catch and Flow defined a new way to perform freestyle kendama and to judge such style. Players from around the world apply to participate by listing their achievements. The top approx. 60 players are selected to perform for 90 seconds one by one. Judges determine 16 finalists who will go head to head with 2 x 45 seconds for each player in one-on-one battle towards the final. Catch & Flow – World Freestyle Winners * 2014: Thorkild May / Denmark / KROM Kendama * 2015: Bonz Atron / USA / KROM Kendama * 2016: Jake Fischer / USA / KROM Kendama * 2017: Bonz Atron / USA / KROM Kendama * 2018: Bonz Atron / USA / KROM Kendama * 2019: Kaito Nakajima / Japan / Grain Theory * 2020: Takuya Igarashi / Japan / Su-Lab, Kendama Israel * 2021: Yasu / Japan / KROM Kendama * 2022: Shinnosuke Togo / Japan / JAC KendamaBattle at the Border
The Battle at the Border is the longest-standing annual kendama competition in the United States. The event is currently hosted by Kentucky-based kendama companDama Fest
Dama Fest is North America's original and first large scale Kendama competition, hosted by Kendama USA. The first Dama Fest was in 2011, and the second was in 2013. Kendama players travelled from all over North America, Europe, and Japan. Players competed in a single-elimination head-to-head bracketed format. * 2011 / Sebastian Orrego / USA / Unsponsored * 2013 / Keith Matsumura / USA / Kendama USADKM – German Kendama Championship
Deutsche Kendama Meisterschaft DKM also called German Kendama Championship is the longest-standing annual Kendama competition in Europe. The first DKM was held in Berlin, 2014. Ever since then, the event has been organised, hosted and run by the german based companSee also
*References
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