Catching tricks

[Misterwhang]

I see so many videos where people throw the ken and/or tama up then somehow magically end up spiking it. I really dont understand how people pull those types of tricks off. How do you even start practicing crazy stuff like that?? I mean every time I attempt these tricks it always ends in an epic fail. Do I need to focus harder on the ken/tama when playing?   

[HansNickmans]

As the great Matt Hall once said: "It's all about hole control"
I've been practising this kind of stuff lately and it's not impossible, nor do I believe that lucky shots are involved in these edits (some will probably be, but still). It's a matter of manipulation the tama while the contact time with it is very short. These are very secure moves, with a larger error margin, but it is possible.

If you have problems with the exchanges, try the moves on a stringless or on a kendama with a slightly longer string. That could do wonders for your technique, and makes it possible to transfer the tricks to a normal sized kendama.

It always comes down to practice, practice, practice...

[mreasyguy]

What helps me with these kind of tricks is to totally focus on the tama only. Get confident that you can spin/throw the ken and catch it in the direction you want without looking at it, that will really help you just shift all your focus on watching the tama.

A striped tama is also a great help in these situations as i found when practicing basecup>kenflip>downspike/stab

[BKA]

http://www.kendama.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,837.msg5923.html#msg5923

[Cliffdama]

Now i wondered the same on how they do that, but one thing i noticed is that they use their knees a lot .

To explaing the knee thing. Take your kendama and trow an earthspin as fast as you can. (Like 10x spin at once) and try to catch it with now going down with the tama. You won't catch it.
Now do the same only with knees. And go down with tha tama and try to have the ken just under it. This way it's still hard to catch but if you just keep follow the tama with your ken and keep bending your knees at one point the tama clicks to the ken and you catch it.

I think this works the same wuth thos catching tricks. If your trow is good and you keep following the tama and use your knees a lot you wil eventualy catch it more constantly .

Hard to explain something in english like this :p. I'm dutch so sorry about it ^^

[the milky oolong]

Are you talking about Fast Hand/Juggle stuff? If so, you need to bear in mind that these transitions come out of being completely comfortable with the tricks as isolated moves (1-Turn Lighthouse, for example), and move into a combination.

One example might be Swing-In (Juggle) > Lighthouse (damn, should have read the definiton article in Tricks more closely). You're essentially executing a 1-Turn in Ken grip, but thinking about it like that won't help; try a normal Swing-In and put some flip into the Ken, reach for the tama. Do it again. And again. Just concentrate on getting the spin right. If you have practised 1-Turn Lighthouse enough you will begin to adjust the tama catch by muscle memory, so to speak.

Technically, then, you're only challenged with the Juggle - that which makes these Trade-Spike/Juggle/Fast Hand tricks look so daunting is that the practise polishes away the split, like a seamless bit of editing, but don't let yourself be put off by this, it's just technique and (as aforementioned) practise, and occasionally breaking down the game a bit. Your Thumb-Trap > Aeroplane-In in Tricks is an example of exactly this!