So unless you’re WiFi is out, you had to have heard about the legendary Kendama USA pro Zack Yourd releasing his NEWEST and arguably most creative video yet – Kendama Edit #7! The Video dropped yesterday, August 1st, at noon and the kendama community snapped! The video reached over 3 thousand views within the first 24 hours. Not viral, but notable views for an older kendama player dropping a new video in 2018. Players from all over the globe (really) spoke out about how the video made them feel!
So much so that we had to share some of the comments on this video!
“Inspired me to start playing kendama and inspires me to keep playing kendama!”
“We need more people that play like Zach. For the fun of it. The curiosity of what can be done with a Kendama. You’re truly and forever a legend Zach, I hope in 20 years people still try to play like you do.”
“This edit gives a different perspective on kendama
“What a legend”
“What I love about this is the absence of popular styles of tricks. Every trick here blew my mind in some way since it was so different than what I’m used to seeing!! Great job Yourd, keep it up!!!”
“This video just puts me in the same awe as when I very first started Kendama! Just the way the tricks are designed pushes a crazy level of technicality and suspense that, to me, is unbelievable once completed! Thanks for reminding me of that feeling!”
“So i’m in the beginning stages of kendama. I’m at month seven. But I’ve never been able to find inspiration for tricks that i actually like and enjoy. The variety that you did was so much different than anyone I’ve ever seen. So i guess i should be thanking you for the inspiration. That was so sick”
“Hands down one of the best edits of all time.”
“That was amazing. Truly worth the wait.”
“So stoked to see a kendama film from the legend himself. New tricks, same steez. We need to make an active push as a community to create more content like this in the future.”
“Best. Edit. Of. The. Year.”
— and the comments continue on with love and stoke for Edit #7! Thank you Yourd for only putting out A1 work and thank you to everyone that enjoyed the edit and took something away from it!
Zach Magnuson, a 19-year-old Kendama phenom from Motor City; Detroit, MI, has been playing Kendama for four and a half years and is now on Kendama USA’s Tribe Team! When he isn’t playing Kendama he’s either out shooting pics or making videos about Kendama! In his 2nd year of college at MCC, Zach claims to love school more than DWesty and plans on graduating with a degree in photography and video work. Zach’s progression, passion, and community involvement have propelled him into the limelight and he’ll continue to leave a positive impact on those around him on KUSA’s Tribe team.
“I was introduced to Kendama by a high school classmate who had recently returned from a trip to Japan. My 1st Kendama was a red Duncan Kendama from Toys R Us. I describe my playstyle as very fast paced & new school but I’m still being creative with it. Wyatt asked me to be on Tribe at this year’s Dama in the D comp. Wyatt and I actually met at Dama in the D2 but it wasn’t until D4 that we got to know each other. By the time D5 rolled around, I had honed my skills like never before and I placed in the top 10, even besting Wyatt in open 3-0.”
Dama Dice gives slayers a new way to enjoy games of KEN. The Dama Dice app, available on iOS, gives you a random Kendama trick in Easy, Medium, and Hard difficulty modes. It also helps you learn about new Kendama tricks with the integrated Kendama Tricktionary. Just tap on one of the dice, and you can read about how it’s done or view tutorial videos from the best Kendama pros in the community.
We caught up with the app’s creator whos is also a local Utah slayer; Theodore B., and here’s what he had to say:
“I created Dama Dice because it’s fun to shake things up every now and then. I got started building these apps for snowboarding and skateboarding. My friends and I were always daring each other to try new tricks, so it’s really a product I built to have more fun with them. Dama Dice is great for games of K.E.N. when you don’t know what trick to try.
The app works through a process known as “procedural generation.” That’s fancy computer science talk for lots and lots of random numbers. If the number is “1″, the app gives you a different trick than you’d get if it’s “2″ and so on.
Dama Dice has over a hundred random trick components that it draws from. It puts those components together to make new and interesting combinations of tricks every time you shake your phone.
Dama Dice also has a Combo Mode that combines tricks together in lines of three. It uses the ending grip from the previous trick to figure out which trick to flow into. Combos are natural and fun to try. The app will keep surprising you with the combos it creates. It’s sort of unreal and nothing like the kinds of combos you can think up yourself.
So yeah, enjoy the app. Have fun! Send me your feedback too. I can add in new tricks and move things around. I built the app for the community, and I want it to be something everyone loves to play with.”
“I’ve decided to do a free version so people can try out the app before getting access to all of the advanced tricks and combo mode.”
Let’s face it, people love “power kendama moves” or flashy techniques and often will skip the basics and jump right into trying to land the more difficult ones like taps or juggles. While there may be no right or wrong way to learn Kendama, you may progress a lot faster if you don’t rush things by trying to learn everything at once or trying advanced tricks when you haven’t mastered the basics. You’ll want to learn the basics so you can get to the more difficult aspects sooner and also develop a style as well.
“First learn stand, then learn fly. Nature rule Daniel son, not mine” - Mr. Miyagi
Our very own Haley Bishoff & Molly Harney have a new edit called “Back to Basics” showing us some of the basics that seem to have been lost with new creative twists. This edit is for everyone, whether you are a beginner or a pro and really focuses on one of the basics of Kendama; Big Cup.
Bookmark this page! This’ll be your one stop shop for all of this year’s tricks for the upcoming Kendama World Cup in July.
We’ve got the entire trick list in one easy to use playlist as well as a link to the entry form and rules.
It’s easy, you simply purchase your entry ticket or package from Gloken at the link below.
Keep in mind that you will have to get yourself to Japan; entry and / or packages do not include airfare.
You can use any regular-sized Kendama (The Ken can not be any taller than 17 cm / 6.7 inches).
You’ll be required to place a KWC2016 sticker on after this “Dama-Check”.
The tama can only have ONE hole in addition to the string hole.
The Kendama is not allowed to have more than one spike and three cups.
You can get up to THREE Kendamas passed per player via the Dama-Check” for the Kendama World Cup 2016.
Ken or tama must not touch your hand/clothes while doing balance tricks.
Don’t change or move the Kendama’s string position with your free hand during the play.
No points are awarded on whether you keep ken and tama stable completely. Once laced go proceed to the next trick.
There are no limits on how many or which direction of turns or flips you do, unless otherwise specified.
How It’s Gonna Go Down:
Qualifying Rounds 1 & 2 – Day 1
Choose 10 different tricks in total from the trick list, the first 5 for Round 1, the other 5 for Round 2. You will get the points corresponding to each trick’s level. The maximum score for each attempt is 50, the total is 100.
Round 1: Try 5 tricks in 180 seconds. Use ONE Kendama.
Round 2: Try other 5 tricks in 180 seconds. Use ONE Kendama. You can use different Kendama from Round 1.
Top 24 players go to the Final Round, and additional 8 players will be granted wild cards for the Final.
IN CASE OF A TIE / DRAW
If two or more players have an equal score, their rankings will be determined by the SQUARE basis of the Final Round.
How to be granted “wild cards”
Countries/regions which fail to produce players who qualified may be granted wild cards.
Wild card players must get at least 30 points from the Qualifying Round.
ONE player from each country/region is picked, then up to 8 players w/ the highest score can proceed the Final Round.
If less than 8 countries/regions are granted, the quota(s) will be transferred to the eliminated players.
A total of 32 players go to the final round.
Final Round – Day 2
Go up to the stage, try different tricks (level 3 or upper) from the list as many as possible in 180 seconds.
Points are the SQUARE of the trick’s level.
You will get 100pts from level-10 tricks, 81pts from level-9s, 64pt from level-8s, 49pts from level-7s, and so on.
You can get points only once from each trick.
Final Round is not a tournament, competing by the total point you get.
The points of Qualifying Round will be added to the final score.
If you get 77 points in Qualifying Round and 700 points in Final Round, your final score will be 777 points.
Use ONE kendama throughout the performance.
Bring a CD with your favorite song longer than 3 minutes for your stage, if you want.
We are excited to bring you the Kendama USA Tutorial Series. We’ve released over 40 Kendama Tutorial Videos to help you and your friends learn all sorts of tricks. From core basics to high level advanced we’ve got them all.
If there are any tricks that you want to see as a part of our tutorials submit them to [email protected].
We’ve put together a playlist that you can play through with all of our tricks organized by difficulty as well as skill level playlists. Check them out below or visit our tricks & tutorials page here.
While taking a ride on my skateboard with a friend we came by this parking lot which was looking like a fun place to film some tricks. We stopped by and did a little session with the pink and blue Beech wood Kaizens. Enjoy!
