Kendama USA

Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Zach Magnuson Goes Pro | Kendama USA

Join us in celebrating the newest Kendama USA Pro; Zachary Magnuson! Zach’s dedication to the sport and community can be seen in his progression as both a player, a member of the community, and a videographer. Zach began his Kendama journey in 2014, while in high school and started competing shortly after. We first met Zach at Dama in the D2 and was asked to join Kendama USA’s Tribe team in 2018. Zach’s tenacity to pursue his passions and perfect his skills lead him to exactly where he wants to be.

Zach Magnuson Kendama USA Pro

Zach is currently a senior in college studying photography and film. When he isn’t studying he’s either playing kendama or working on a project he continues to be an inspiration to people and players around him and shares Kendama wherever he goes. Lets all welcome Zach to the team!

Act Fast Limited Quantities Available

Continue Reading...

Have you seen Zach Magnuson’s latest Kendama edit yet?

Here are 10 comments pulled from the Kendama edit as to why you should watch this edit right now!

“Amazing honestly this inspires me to go outside and just jam”

“Seriously had to watch the majority of the clips like three times ! You absolute monster wtf !! Best edit I’ve seen in so long.. hell ya man !”

“Every trick was a banger, phenomenal edit Mags”

“That edit was the definition of Kendama”

“This was amazing! Definitely the best edit I’ve seen in a while!”

“This isn’t ok. I’ve watched this edit at least 12 times and i still can’t process how ZMAGS is doing this.”

“One of the best edits I’ve seen! Seriously man, keep it up, amazing work!”

“Oh.”

“This is insane”

“Absolutely crazy. very inspiring.”

⚠️ WARNING – This video will make you want to get out and sesh Kendama. ⚠️

Zach Magnuson POV Kendama Edit #2 2019https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2gWa30BEBM

 

Continue Reading...

Player of the Month – Lisa Komatsubara – January 2019

Kendama USA Player Spotlight January 2019 Lisa K

This month’s player is Lisa K all the way from New Zealand! We took some time to catch up with her and this is what she had to say:

My name is Lisa Komatsubara, and I’m from Auckland, New Zealand! As a child, I grew up owning a traditional Japanese Kendama, and funnily enough, I actually thought it was a boring toy because all I could do with it was cups and spike.  In 2016, I met Joe & Todd from @kumafilms and they showed me that you can do so much more with a Kendama! They taught me how to do Airplane and Juggle, and that’s how I fell in love with Kendama!

I literally practiced only those 2 tricks for a few months, then I played on & off then only occasionally. It wasn’t until August 2018 that I decided to start practicing properly and introduce myself to other tricks. Since then, my love & passion for Kendama has been growing bigger & bigger! When I’m not playing Kendama, I’m either juggling, capturing photos & videos, painting, or doing anything creative!

From the beginning, my Kendama inspirations have been null & null. They were the only 2 players I knew about when I first started. Another big inspiration is a fellow player Nicholas Jennings also from New Zealand. He continues to inspire me every day!”

Lisa’s progression is inspiring! Be sure to check out her feed and practice!

Continue Reading...

Black Friday Site-wide Kendama Sale | Win a New GoPro & More!

Take 30% OFF your entire order & be entered to win some amazing prizes! Hurry though sale ends today!
Learn more about the prizes here!

Kendama Black Friday Sale Ad USA

Continue Reading...

5 Signs You Need to Replace Your Kendama

 5 SIGNS YOU NEED TO REPLACE YOUR KENDAMA

If you have been playing Kendama long enough, you know that after a while, you have to retire your setup.  At some point, your Kendama is just going to get worn out.  Newer players may not know how to tell the signs of a defeated Kendama. so here are five major signs that will let you know it’s time to replace your Kendama and get a new setup.

1. The easiest sign that your Ken is beaten is when your spike is totally flat.

Yeah, maybe you can do a border balance now, but anytime you go to spike, in the back of your head you know that if you miss it’s because your spike is as flat as the screen you’re reading this on. If you didn’t add any kendama glue to the spike, it is inevitable that it will flatten out completely with normal play. Don’t even get us started if you yank spike often. If the spike doesn’t inspire confidence with every down spike attempt or gunslinger to spike, then it’s time to replace your Kendama.

2: If your base cup looks like it has been put through a woodchipper, it’s time to replace your kendama.

Look, taps are cool. In the past few years, the community has made taps a huge achievement in one’s Kendama journey. Two taps, four taps, nine ??? It’s crazy. All those taps are basically nibbling away at your base cup over time and just like water over a rock, your base cup will start to wear away. Chips in your base cup not only prevent you from landing a handle stall, but also makes tracking hard and lighthouses painful. That’s why experienced players shed a tear when their ken chips at the base. If your base cup is chipped and worn out, then it’s time to replace your ken.

3: If every time you play your Kendama you spend half of the time pushing the cups back down, get a new kendama.

Yeah, there are fixes for this, but not without consequence. Glue your cups together? Good luck if your string breaks. Sticky notes? Get ready for residue all over your ken if you do it wrong. Especially if you have a hardwood, the amount of time lost pushing the cups down while grinding a trick is annoying at best. If you’ve been playing a setup for a while and can’t get the cups to stay down, then it’s time to replace your Kendama.

4: If the tama paint is making your balance tricks suffer, replace the tama.

Experienced players know that every Kendama paint has a certain amount of time that it’s best for lighthouses, lunars, and technically even birds or stilts. The condition of the paint plays a big part in all of these tricks. While some paints may need a few hours of play to break in well, others might take just one or two sessions to get them to the right condition. That sweet spot is heaven for every Kendama player. The feeling of making your Kendama better just by playing it is like nothing else. All good things come to an end though. At some point, you can tell when lighthouses and lunars just won’t stick anymore. Considering people are lacing four-turn lunar flips like pull-up spikes today, you want to make sure your setup is honed for every game of KEN or lighthouse race. If the paint is well past its prime, then it’s time to replace your Kendama or get a new tama.

5: If the bevel is beaten to pieces, it’s time for a new kendama.

A well-beaten bevel is a beautiful thing. If the wood around the tama hole is slightly curved from play, then birds and stilts are twice as easy. Just like the paint though, the bevel will go beyond its playability. The edges will start to go beyond the curves of the cup, and the chipped wood will make spikes much more difficult from friction. An overplayed bevel can even make lighthouse flips challenging. So if your bevel is chipped beyond comfort, then it’s time to replace your Kendama.

 

 

Continue Reading...

Kendama USA at JapanFest 2016

X GA DAMAX georgia kendamaX JapanX JapanFestX JewbaccaX KaizenX Kaizen KendamaX kendamaX Kendama USAX NANAX TributeX tribute kendamaX _J_F_K_

This year marked the 30th anniversary of JapanFest Atlanta. Kendama USA had the pleasure of participating in the event for the 3rd year in a row. Going to JapanFest is always an amazing time for us to experience the culture from which our favorite toy comes originates. It also allows us to meet new people and get them excited to try out Kendama. There is so much to do at JapanFest from drum shows, sumo matches, Kabuki Shows, and even eating some amazing authentic Japanese food. It also provides the opportunity to pick up merchandise from your favorite animes while getting to know new people and trying new things. This year, Jake Kopanski and Ryan Plourd were holding it down for KUSA, putting on 2 shows and a workshop to teach Kendama to everyone who was interested. It was great teaching new people how magical Kendama is and we hope to see you there again next year!

We’d also like to give a special shout out to NANA, a company we had collaboration with during the weekend. You can check out their app by clicking here.

Thank you to all of the local players that came out and helped with the event.  Damafam is strong!

“sugoi sugoi sugoi”- Jake Kopanski

 

Continue Reading...

Nobu Nori is Tribe!

We are so proud to announce that Nobu Nori is the newest member added to our Tribe team. Nobu is our first Japanese team member and has always impressed us with his incredible Kendama play, style, and positivity.

Continue Reading...

Miya Song Top 5 DAMA Setups

 

CCS tama•Keyaki Ozora Ken
The CCS•keyaki is a very sentimental setup to me. I used it to compete in MKO which was my first real event. Not to mention the colors go extremely well together.

Natty Classic
I’ve been jamming my natty classic non stop and has grown to become one of my go to setups. I love seeing the work and break in put into a Kendama, especially natty’s.

Green Ozora
A green Ozora was my first Kendama and is still one of favorite Kendama to play till this day. I love the classic feel of an Ozora and it always brings back memories of my first tricks.

Half Split Kaizens
Half Split Kaizens are one of my favorite Kendamas from Kusa. They’re extremely jam-able and colors always come correct.

Zebrano tama•Tk-16 Ken
The zebrano•tk-16 is probably one of the best natty setups I’ve played to date. It breaks in perfect for stalls, durable, and looks super clean in my opinion. A solid jammer forsure.

 

 

 

 

Continue Reading...

Now Showing: KWC 2015 Japan Video !

2016 Japan Video Sign Up

Every trip to Japan is always an unforgettable experience for us, and the 2016 trip is right around the corner!  As we get honed for KWC 2016 over these next few weeks, we are taking a look back to remember last year’s adventures.  We are excited to release our 2015 Japan video to the public today. Enjoy!~

Continue Reading...

GVK presents 12 Twelve, A Love Story…

Check out this new GVK edit Zach Porter (Tribe) and Austin Ring (Focus) made over the weekend. GVK is a group Zach & Austin started with friends in Greenville, SC after picking up a Kendama, who’s roots are still strong today. #GVKALLDAY

 

Continue Reading...

Joris Schweppes the win @ SpikeDama 8!

Tribe team member Joris Schweppe sweeps the win at SpikeDama 8. Gloken presented him with his first Musou, a limited Keyaki Mugen Musou Kendama.

Here is what Joris had to say about his experience there:

“SpikeDama 8 was a blast!  There were players from Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Czech republic, Denmark and Japan. Zoomadanke  came to the event along with Yuka from Gloken and there was even a professional DJ. This made SpikeDama 8 the most international event and in the Netherlands so far.

The tournament was a Gloken Cup styled competition and I had some great competition from the Kromies;  Rol S Ganer and Theo Baunsgaard. In the final I was competing against Yan Kud from Russia. I had a great time and got the opportunity to meet some amazing players and made friends across Europe. This was the best SpikeDama so far and can’t wait for the next. ”

-Joris Schewppe
Kendama USA Tribe”

 

Continue Reading...

The Kendama craze in Hong Kong: what is it and what makes it so addictive?

Young Post, a Junior Reporter Club recently wrote an article about the expanding Kendama scene in Hong Kong. This amazing article covers some very important topics regarding Education with Kendama and the ability to build a community around it. Alex, Zack, and Jake are all mentioned in the article as well.

Check out the full article below.
The Kendama craze in Hong Kong: what is it and what makes it so addictive?

You’ve probably never heard of Kendama, but think of it as a game similar to cup and ball, with a growing worldwide popularity
By: Alan Yu

Around 10 years ago, skateboarder Smore Chan Chung-yin picked up a Japanese toy made of a wooden spike and a ball on a piece of string, and started playing with it at a skate park after watching a fellow skater do some tricks. Chan was immediately hooked and couldn’t put the toy down for the next three hours.

“I was playing like crazy and even when I left for dinner, I was still playing with it. I didn’t want to give it back. I had to give in and buy a kendama of my own.”

The kendama is a toy that is similar to cup and ball; the only difference is that the kendama has three cups, a wooden spike, and the ball has a hole in it. Players try to flick the ball back onto the spike, but it’s become much more than that, as players try to do tricks shots like landing the ball on each of three cups attached to the spike, toss the toy in the air and catch it again before getting the ball on the spike, balance the spike on top of the ball, or even holding the ball and balancing the spike with just the string. It’s not unlike how people have taken the yo-yo and created all kinds of tricks with it.

Chan has been honing his kendama skills ever since he discovered it. He has won several competitions, including the first ever competition in Hong Kong in 2006 and an international video competition with another player in 2007. The 26-year-old now works as a tour guide, but he founded Pak Fuk Kendama in Fanling, where he sells kendama products and coaches new players.

Kendama is steadily growing as a sport. The US has a team of professional players, and even Pak Fuk Kendama in Hong Kongsponsors seven players, meaning those players get free kendamas and coaching. Sunny Wong, a bartender who helps Smore Chan run Pak Fuk Kendama, says there are around 200 enthusiasts in Hong Kong who practise every day, and that it is a serious discipline.

“The Japanese have judo, ken-do (the art of sword fighting), kado (ikebana, or flower arrangement) and chado (tea appreciation.) For the serious players, kendama is just like one of those pursuits.”

Some people even make their living from kendama, like Alex Smith, a player on the US team who is also a woodworker and makes his own kendamas; and Jake Wiens, another US player who also does a lot of the film production and editing for the team.

People like them are rare though, and Hong Kong doesn’t have a kendama scene like the US just yet, but more and more players are following in Chan’s footsteps and taking kendama seriously.

Wu Tsz-ki is 14 and she’s one of the sponsored players with Pak Fuk Kendama. She only started playing with the kendama in May 2014 after she saw it on Instagram, but she practises every day and spends at least an hour each weekend working on new tricks. In October, she entered a competition and came fourth out of around 50 players. She says her parents are still surprised that she hasn’t gotten tired of this toy already, but she says she’s also hooked.

“Don’t underestimate this toy. It may not look very athletic, but it’s very effective in working up a sweat and honing your arm muscles,” she says. “My reflexes have certainly improved. My accuracy in swatting mosquitoes has gone from 50 per cent to 80 per cent.”

Wing Tang kin-wing, 16, is also one of the Pak Fuk Kendama players. He started playing two years ago, and back in mid-December, he entered the TKA Kendama Contest in Taiwanand beat all the other players from Japan, Korea, and Taiwan to win the timed contest, where the players try to do as many difficult tricks as they can within two minutes.

Chan says his group performs and hosts workshops at schools and universities. He says his next goal is to organise parent-child kendama classes.

Zack Yourd, a professional player for the US team and recent college graduate, wants to develop a curriculum to introduce it to schools in the US. The 22-year-old started playing with the kendama around eight years ago and he says whenever people ask him what the kendama is, he’ll show them a few tricks and they are always impressed.

“I have yet to see somebody who’s like, ‘Oh that’s stupid.’”

Yourd travelled across the US with the team, and he says he was struck by how enthusiastic the players were.

“As soon as we pulled into the parking lot, there would already be hundreds of people waiting, and they were just screaming.”

He also designs his own kendamas with different designs and types of wood, and he gets royalties every time one of those is sold. He enjoys brewing tea and coffee, so his latest model features engraved tea leaves and coffee beans. One of his kendamas costs around US$35.

“As kendama becomes bigger, it’s becoming more of a possibility to live off kendama and make it your profession. Some people that I know are doing that and it’s incredible. Right now though, it is kind of hard to make your living from competing. You would need another job.”

Lau Chun-ho (left) and Chan Chung-yin admit they’re totally addicted to kendama.
Photo: Bruce Yan/SCMP

Continue Reading...