Kendama tips and tricks Guide NORDIC KENDAMA HELPS YOU STAND OUT NORDIC KENDAMA
NORDIC KENDAMA
Copyright Š 2015 | NORDIC KENDAMA All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Introduction Thank you for buying a Nordic Kendama. We hope you and your family will have hours of fun together. The Kendama is an old wood toy originally invented in Japan. The Kendama consists of a Ken (handle) and a Tama (ball) connected with a string. The Ken has three cups to catch the ball, and the Tama has a big hole which fits the spike of the Ken. The big cup is called the Ă–zara, and the small cup is called the Kozara. In the bottom of the Ken is a even smaller cup called the ChĂźzara. All three cups are used when performing tricks with the kendama. The Nordic Kendama is a very simple toy, and yet very difficult to master. The idea is to catch the ball with the cups or the spike. It is said, that there is more than 30.000 tricks to be performed with the kendama.
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This book is supposed to give you an idea of how to play with the kendama. For more information about other tricks, we suggest you go to youtube and search for kendama tricks. The list is endless. In this book we provide you with the basics, to get you started. Remember this. The most important when playing with the Nordic Kendama is to have fun! Enjoy your Nordic Kendama!
Casper Larsen Casper Larsen, CEO
NORDIC KENDAMA
Table Of Contents Part 1 RE-STRINGING How to re-string your Nordic Kendama
Part 2 GRIPS The Ken Grip The Sara Grip The Tama Grip
Part 3 TRICKS The Big Cup The Spike The Orbit
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Part one
RE-STRINGING
RE-STRINGING The Kendama is an old skill toy invented in Japan We will use the Japanese words in this guide, so be sure to get familiar with the different parts and words.
TAMA (Ball) ITO (Strings)
SARA-DO (Cup Body)
Bead KEN (Stick)
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RE-STRINGING It is very simple to remove the old string, and replace it with a brand new. Below you see a picture of the kendama and the string. The important thing is the order at which everything is assembled. 1. Start by making a knot on the one end of the string 2. Insert the string in the small hole on the Ken 3. Next, insert the string into the big hole of the Sara-Do and out of the small hole 4. Insert the string into the small hole of the Tama 5. Put on a bead and make a knot (make sure the bead cannot fall off)
4. 2. 3.
5.
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Part two
GRIPS
The Ken Grip In this book we are going to teach you three basic grips. The first grip is called the Ken Grip, and it is the most common and basic grip there is. You are going to use this grip for a lot of different tricks, so get familiar with this one.
The ken grip is the most natural and comfortabel way to hold the kendama. Hold the kendama near the top with three fingers and the thumb. Place the fingers just below the Sorado (cups). This grip is going to give you control and flexibility when performing tricks. This is the most important grip. NORDIC KENDAMA 9
The Sara Grip The Sara Grip, also known as the Pen Grip is good for cup tricks. The Pen Grip is a little more advanced, and is perfect to train all your cup tricks. It gives you good control of the Ken and Tama during play.
Hold the Ken just the opposite of the Ken Grip. Use three fingers and your thumb again, but this time have the big cup pointing upwards. Use this grip to train your precision in catching the Tama in the Big and Small cup. NORDIC KENDAMA 10
The Tama Grip The Tama Grip is different because you are actually holding the Tama, and not the Ken. This grip is simple, but very difficult to perform tricks with.
Let the Ken hang in the string, and hold the Tama with your main hand. The hole in the Tama has to point upwards. This grip is important because it is the main grip to perform tricks like airplane, and a number of other balancing tricks like the lighthouse. You can search youtube for videos displaying this tricks and many more. NORDIC KENDAMA 11
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Part three
TRICKS
The Big Cup The Big Cup trick is one of the first tricks you will learn. For this trick you are supposed to use the big cup. You can actually use whatever cup you want, but for this we have decided to use the Big Cup.
1. Start by holding the Kendama with the Sara Grip and have the Big Cup pointing upwards. 2. Start by bending your knees, and use them as you pull the Tama up to perform your trick. Using your knees will help you get a steady, lean and straight pull of the Tama. 3. As the Tama comes up to your Ken, and you are about the catch it, use your knees to help you catch the Tama. This will help you keep the Tama in place on the Big Cup. NORDIC KENDAMA 13
The Pull Spike The Pull Spike trick is difficult to master, and requires some traning. Before starting out with the Pull Spike trick, you should master the Big Cup trick first. This will help you accomplish this trick.
1. Start with the Ken grip, and have the Tama hanging down in front of you. It is very important that the Tama is steady, and not dangling back and forward. 2. Use you knees, and only your knees, to pull the Tama into the air. This will help you provide a straight and nice pull upwards. 3. As the Tama is holding still in the air, you slide the Ken in and below the Tama to catch it with the Spike. Use you knees to help you catch the Tama. NORDIC KENDAMA 14
The Orbit The Orbit trick is considered to be an intermediate level trick. For this trick you can pick your favorite cup. It does not matter wether you use the small or the big cup.
1. To start the trick get down into your knees and release the Tama up into the air while you are standing up upright. 2. While the Tama is in the air, move you Ken around it. 3. Catch the Tama with the cup you have selected from the beginning. 4. In order to get that hang time of the Tama in the air, it is important that you bend your knees when performing this trick.
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Tips for your Practice 1. Use your knees. It is very important to use you knees when performing with your Kendama. Using your knees will help you get a straight, nice and controllable upwards motion of the Tama. The same goes when catching the Tama after a trick. Using your knees by bending them when catching the ball will help you smoothen the final phase. 2. Always start out with a completely steady Tama. This will ensure you do not have a Tama flying all over the place. 3. Practice using different grips. This will help you find out, which grips fits the trick you want to perform. There are several tricks you can perform with different grips. By training you will find out what fits your style. 4. Catch the Tama when it sits still in the air. This will help you succeed in catching the Tama. When the Tama is at it highest point, it is also where it has no acceleration. The more acceleration, the harder it is to catch. 5. Don‘t pull the Tama higher than the Ken. When pulling the Tama upwards with you knees, don‘t pull it higher than the the height you are holding the Ken at. This will make it easier for you to control the Tama when performing tricks with your Kendama. This is very important.
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REMEMBER THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WHILE TRAINING - HAVE FUN! CASPER LARSEN - NORDIC KENDAMA