This year’s Catch & Flow Kendama Tournament was amazing, there were 58 players competing in 6 different groups battling it out for a 100,000 Yen grand prize, trophies, & more.
The final round consisted of 16 players (13 players and 3 seeded players) in a 90-Second solo freestyle run where players were judged on the following four catagories:
The last 2 players battled head to head to crown the champion and these were the results:
Results:
1st Place: Yasu – JP – Also Announced as KROM Pro
2nd Place: Nobu – JP – Kendama USA
3rd Place: Soma Fujita – JP – KROM
But just in case you missed the tournament live, you can watch it all in the video below.
Thank you to all the sponsors, judges, players who participated and folks at home who watched!
On the last day of February 2020, Dama to the Death 3 went down in Orlando, Florida at Dead Lizard Brewing Company. Pros as well as many local Kendama players travelled out for this event, including Christian Fraser and Bjorn Reece from Sweets Kendamas, Alex Mitchell, Chad Covington, Lyndon Whalen, and Kevin DeSoto from Sol Kendamas, Isaac Turner from Lotus Kendamas, and Zach Magnuson and Josh Kim from Kendama USA!
The weather was perfect for jamming Kendama outside all day. After some announcements and vending, the event was kicked off with the Amateur Ken Tournament. If you are unfamiliar with Dama to the Death, the event consists of an Amateur KEN Tournament, and a Pro Freestyle Tournament, both double elimination style. The twist though, is that once you are knocked out of either tournament, you have to cut your Ken from your tama and burn it at the end of the event! Controversial? Maybe. A lot of fun and a new way to play? Absolutely.
As the Amateur KEN Tournament came down to the finals, the event moved from outside to inside the venue, with a stage and seating for everyone to watch. In the Amateur finals were Troy Monteagudo and Jacob Ogden AKA Squid. Troy had won all of his matches so far, and Squid had been working his way up the losers bracket for another chance in the finals! The first match went hard. Squid was able to beat Troy the first game, extending the match to a second game to crown the final champion. As the final match played out, Troy was able to take the final game, winning the Amateur KEN Tournament! Congrats to Troy for placing first, Jacob for second, and Ean for third! So awesome to see Florida take the entire podium for this tournament!
The next part of the competition was the Pro Freestyle Tournament. The nine freestyle players went head to head, each with two rounds of forty seconds to show off their hardest and most tech moves to the judges. As the bracket began thinning out, Kendama USA Tribe team members Zach Magnuson and Josh Kim were the ones to make it to the finals. Finally the time came for the judges to pick a winner. The crowd went silent waiting to see who would take first. As the flags went up, the crowd roared as the returning Dama to the Death Champ Zach Magnuson was able to defend his title! Congratulations to Mags for placing first, Josh Kim for second, and Kevin DeSoto for third! Zach used a Nobu Pro Model to win Dama to the Death 3! Click here to purchase your own Nobu Mod!
Dama to the Death 3 Tournament Podiums
Finally the Tournaments were over, and the moment everyone was waiting for was about to happen. The event moved outside with the fire pit and all the Kens ready to burn. Troy and Zach went up to the mountain of Kens and together started the blaze marking the official end of the event. Dama to the Death 3 was one of my favorite events to go to, with a much more laid back vibe and unique take on competition. Special thank you to Honed Media for throwing this event, especially Ryan Reese, Marley Griggs, and Monika Knotts for all the hard work they put into making Honed Media what it is today! Make sure to check out the Honed Media Documentary here! If you ever have the chance to make it out to the next Dama to the Death, make sure to pull through for an awesome day filled with fun and Kendama!
Was there an earthquake in Tennessee this weekend? No. That was 150 + Kendama players popping off in Nashville for the 7th annual 2019 Battle at the Border! #BATB went down Jan 4th and 5th in Nashville Tennessee at Rocketown!
This year was the FIRST EVER doubles tag team freestyle competition where we witnessed some of the most high energy performances to date. Judges Bryan Scagline, Kota Kagoshima, and Damon Kirchmeier scored the competitors on tricks, tag style, team flow, and creativity. Each person competing in freestyle had to pair up and throw down with another player of their choice!
1st place was awarded to Liam Router and Alex Mitchell from Sol Kendamas,
2nd place Lyndon Whalen from Sol Kendamas and Adrian Estaban from Grain Theory, and
3rd place was held down by our boy Zach Magnuson and Kevin DeSoto from Sol Kendamas.
Sol Kendamas also premiered the Lyndon Whalen SOL PRO video and dropped the Lyndon Whalen Pro Model! The design screams Whalen’s style and is the first kendama off its kind. Big ups to the WHALE-DOG! Do yourself a favor and pick one up on SolKendamas.com!
Lastly, we had Open division. Liam Router (Sol Kendamas) and George Marshall (Sweets Kendamas) went head to head in an intense final battle for first! Liam wasn’t missing a trick, and neither was George. The energy in the room was at an all-time high. The epic match concluded with: Liam taking the W George took 2nd place & Zach Magnuson bagged 3rd for KUSA!
Much love to all of the sponsors, players, parents, supports, and everybody that helped make Battle at the Border an EPIC start to 2019! Special thank you to Chad Covington and Sol Kendamas. Much respect and see ya next year!
Here are seven ways to keep active with Kendama this summer:
1. Learning New Kendama Tricks
We’ve got over 75 Kendama trick tutorial videos that will teach you not only the basics but also intermediate and advanced Kendama tricks. Try dedicating an hour to Kendama each day. Pick 3-5 tricks you want to get better at, prep your playlist with our tutorials, and have fun!
2. Go To A Local Kendama Jam
There are jams, events, and tournaments happening all around the globe.
Check out our events page on our Facebook profile to check out some jams near you.
https://www.facebook.com/kendamausa/events
3. Start Your Own Kendama Jam
If you can’t find a jam near you then start your own! With three simple steps, you can host a jam in no time!
Step 1: Find a Venue
The easiest thing to do is go to your local public park and find a great spot with ample space.
Step 2: Decide on Day and Time
What day will your jams be on and at what time?
Step 3: Get the Word Out!
Lastly, make a flyer and throw it up on Facebook or Instagram.
Here are some other ideas to get the word out about your jam. You can ask your school to make mention of your jam in their summer newsletter. If you go to church, you can ask them to make mention of your jam to the everyone. Don’t forget to let us know about it too and we’ll let everyone in the community know!
4. Create a Custom Kendama
If you are into arts & crafts, painting your own custom Kendama is a great activity. You can add some flare to a painted Kendama or start on a natural, just have fun with it!
5. Make A Kendama Edit
Film yourself lacing your favorite trick or even a clip of a trick you are trying to land.
Post it on Instagram, Facebook, or your favorite social channel and tag us! #kendamausa @kendamausa
6. Create a Kendama Jam Playlist
Many players play to music and catch tricks to rhythms and beats. Check out this playlist by one of our pros!
7. Explore Your Environment
Grab a friend and go on a walk in your neighborhood, park, or even go on an adventurous hike. Don’t leave home without your Kendama!
BuzzYank! is a JP Kendama player summit that went down on February 11th in Osaka and the turn out was fantastic!
There were competitions held for beginner, intermediate, and advanced players as well as freestyle & speed ladder comps.
The first ever Sakura Classic was a blast! We had a great turnout and it was a great seeing so many people enjoying and supporting what we love so much; Kendama. Our booth was full each day of the NCCBF and we couldn’t have asked for a better turn out. Thanks to the Consulate General of Japan for hosting us and to all those who came out and helped make this a success.
Here is a look early look at our booth on the 1st day.
Here are your Speed Ladder Winners.
Here are your 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners for the Sakura Classic
1st – Nic Stodd
2nd – Keilan Cancino
3rd – TJ Kolesnik
Congratulations to everyone!
For more information on the National Cherry Blossom Festival and attending next year visit http://sfcherryblossom.org/
