Faster Than Gravity (Iai Tomeken) tip

[The Void]

Damn, I hate this trick. It's so inconsistent. So here's a small biomechanics tip that might help.

Firstly, the groundrules: Keep your arm straight at the start, and make sure your first movement when attempting the trick is downwards - no sneaky tiny tug upwards first!

Right. So now a very small thing that has helped me a little: Think about the tension in the string. Obviously, it's really tight when the ball is hanging there, waiting for you to start the trick. Now, as soon as you start to move your hand downwards[1], the tension in the string is released. At that exact moment that the tension has been released, bend your knees as quickly as you can. The downward knee-bending will increase the downwards speed of your hand[2]. Only a fractional amount, but it could be the tiny difference that helps you to land the trick. If you start bending your knees at the same time as you pull your hand downwards[3], you are actually moving the ball closer to the floor a small amount, making the trick harder! Perhaps that's really obvious to some of you, but sometimes the most obvious things are only obvious after you have started to think about them! I hope that helps.

Good luck!

1.	....assuming you are moving your hand at the required Faster Than Gravity speed!
2.	What with them both being connected by the same body, duh!
3.	i.e. Before the tension has been released,

[LarsVegas]

What I find really helpful is to consciously move the hand downwards. I know that this sounds too obvious - what else would you do? But for me it's a state of mind: If you really think about moving your hand not only down, but  pulling it down faster than it would drop[1] it makes a huge difference.

And of course: Knees
However, if you really really pull your hand down very hard, you're fast enough to do without knees[2].

1.	Why else is this trick named "Faster than gravity"
2.	which of course you shouldn't - if only for the style

[the milky oolong]

I was experimenting with the 'Faster Than...' start position and have found it pretty good for other things - 'Faster Than Lighthouse' has got me much more confident with tricks involving a long 'drop landing' - One Turn Lighthouse and Lighthouse Somersault, for example. Dunno if the slight outward swing involved to get the ken falling straight down would be classed as 'cheating' or not though.

[The Void]

Faster Than LH feels very good when you get it. Like you just won a fight with the ken. :-) I see what you mean about it helping with "Long Drops"[1].

But, ooh, ... hang on...
Are you saying you've done (tried) "Faster Than 1-Turn LH"? Coo! I've never thought of trying that. I'd have to have a play with that before figuring out what swing, or inwards tug needed to be combined with the hand drop to get the turn. I suspect it's very difficult.

Of course by merely bring up the idea on a forum, you have now left the door open for someone else to get it on video, only for everyone else to watch it and think "Wow, that was a really good trick idea of X's!", and for you to sulk in a corner saying "Hrrrmph!" bitterly under your breath to yourself. Oh, The Internet, what have you done to us all?

1.	...which also has another meaning, outside of kendama... I shall leave you all to look it up....

[the milky oolong]

Ah, I left myself wide open for that one - I meant that my 1 Turn Lighthouse and my Lighthouse Somersault are now tighter because of playing around with 'Faster Than Lighthouse' - no idea how one would get the one turn from a free-hanging start.

If by discussing this someone on the forum posts a video of a Faster Than 1-Turn Lighthouse, I would probably have my mind blown, sod the bitterness! Plus, it would be partly your doing, as you interpreted what I wrote in a different way than I'd meant it, so in my opinion, your honour would be as much at stake as mine