The Kendama Forum

Forum categories => Tricks => Topic started by: MisterJumpshoe on 16 February, 2014, 20:28:10

Title: The Kenfession booth: "I still can't..."
Post by: MisterJumpshoe on 16 February, 2014, 20:28:10
Okay, it's time to lay some demons to rest!

(Sigh)

I first picked up a kendama in 2006, since which time I flatter myself I have learned a bit.  HOWEVER there are some things that still elude me, even after all this time.

I can't do stilts. :-\

Not very well, anyway.  I can land about 1 in 50.  Feel free to take a gasp-in-horror break.  I have tried and tried and tried and I just don't seem to get better!  The ken either bounces off or over- or under-balances.  I've tried different grips and swings and just can't nail it.  There, Ive said it.  :-[

I feel I must also comment on the pirouette hanging spike which is one of the tricks for the BKO advanced division.  Anyone who saw me trying that trick at the SKO knows (but was manifestly too embarrassed to comment) that I cannot pirouette.  I have all the grace of a bungee jumping giraffe.  You don't believe me?  Just wait until I'm on that stage!  Do me a favour and at least laugh out loud!  We might as well get a few chuckles out of it.  No awkward silences allowed.

I've flung open the doors of the kenfessional booth so that others may kenfess their shortcomings (I've just realised how mortifying it will be if I'm the only one who does!) and assimilate advice from other players.  We can all the play the part of preacher and sinner here!
Title: Re: The Kenfession booth: "I still can't..."
Post by: Kev on 16 February, 2014, 20:45:01
This is a great idea for a thread :)
Title: Re: The Kenfession booth: "I still can't..."
Post by: Dimensions on 16 February, 2014, 21:43:03
I can't Lunar on many of my KD's
I am consistent with my lunars on my yellow oozora but not on any of my others  :'(
I think I just haven't found any of the right 'damas

On my sunrise and my aTack I can lunar but only about 1 in 15 - but then I can't do any tricks with it
With my og oozora and my 2011 play[nb]which is well known of its lunar ability - I just don't really like it so it hasn't really had the chance to break in[/nb] it is the same problem

My Mugen Musou can do them well, but not as good as my yellow oozora. But I get in to some bad habits by using this too much[nb]as in getting used to the size[/nb], that is why I try to avoid it

I have heard that the 2013 Oozoras, Folkens, tk16's and sweets matte marbles[nb]and countless others[/nb] are good for lunars. But then again, I fell in to the same trap with my aTack  :(

Any advice / recommendations will also be helpful
-Rob

P.S\
MrJ nice idea of a thread

Title: Re: The Kenfession booth: "I still can't..."
Post by: udgfxp on 16 February, 2014, 22:13:24
@Dimensions,

What prevents you from doing tricks on the atack and sunrise?
Title: Re: The Kenfession booth: "I still can't..."
Post by: shalafi on 17 February, 2014, 08:44:26
I am far from consistent with Lunars... and I landed my first one more than a year ago!!

Also, I can't do Lighthouse Somersault or Moon Circles... they just elude me.
Title: Re: The Kenfession booth: "I still can't..."
Post by: Dimensions on 17 February, 2014, 08:49:20
@udgfxp I just find that the balance isn't right. The sara-do on both of them also don't move down very far so it is hard, for me, to find the right ballance

Again recommendations / tips would be helpful
-Rob
Title: Re: The Kenfession booth: "I still can't..."
Post by: The Void on 17 February, 2014, 15:57:36
Hello group, my name's Void and I kenfess to....

HEY!! WAIT A MINUTE! This isn't just some ploy to gather K.E.N. ammunition against opponents, is it?

...ah well, never mind.

I'm really weak at Lunar Somersaults. And beyond-the-basic juggles[nb]This from a juggler - oh the ignominy![/nb]. And... well, that's enough weaknesses for now - but I'm always up for a challenge, so there. :P
Title: Re: The Kenfession booth: "I still can't..."
Post by: the milky oolong on 17 February, 2014, 21:16:44
Aside from the same problem as Rob with the Lunars, I still can't...

...Reverse 1-Turn Lighthouse. Whereas Reverse 1-Turn Aero has a definite 'shape' of its own, I can almost never predict the right path to put the ken through - too much 'tug', too much swing, too rounded/too sharp a movement, too high/low/early/late with the catch. It's enough to make a man swear on a family-friendly-vibe forum.

Bum.

There. I did it. Bum.
Title: Re: The Kenfession booth: "I still can't..."
Post by: mreasyguy on 18 February, 2014, 17:14:47
Good Topic! I still can't...

SWIRL, them damn things are just too much for me. Half swirl, i'm fine, anything more and my head just goes to goop!

Oh i'll also like to add Lunar tre flip here. I have landed it once ever, luckily got it on video when I was leaving Toulouse last year but have never landed it since, think it was the week long kendama play that made me do it but now it just wont happen!

Title: Re: The Kenfession booth: "I still can't..."
Post by: PikWik on 24 February, 2014, 03:04:51
great thread!

ive only been playing for 10 months, but in that time have put an immense amount of time into playing kendama. like, at least 2 hours a day and more on my off days. watching how far kendama has come and the energy put into the pro team edits has pushed me to learn so much and continues to inspire me to try harder tricks. but, i literally practice 1 trick for hours on end until i either get it once or twice. or, call it day knowing that im that much closer. lunars were insanely troublesome (even on my super sticky tribute...) tho, i did land my first lunar on my super sticky.

it wasnt until i read what rodama had posted about getting the sarado lower that i got consistent with lunars. like, LOWer. you want the sarado (on my ozora) to just start to show the string hole from the top. i had to dremel the inside of a few of my damas to get them that low, but wow what a difference! once i did this i noticed how much lower alot of the pro players have their sarados. it kinda feels like cheating, because its technically not JKA/BKA standard, but now that ive gotten better at lunars i can land them on tributes and official JKA/BKA's.

what my obsession with lunars has stunted me on are spacewalks. i have never tried them with all the breakable things in my house and thus have no experience with them :/ i can stilt reasonabley consistent (1 out of 8 tries), but ask me to spacewalk to spike and i would just stand there with a dumbfounded expression flailing the kendama 

(http://i60.tinypic.com/zjcyo0.gif)
(http://i60.tinypic.com/sqs4ty.gif)
Title: Re: The Kenfession booth: "I still can't..."
Post by: AlexSmith on 24 February, 2014, 03:46:01
I can't do DJ spins. I need to seriously sit down and spend some time learning them. Game of Dama with Thorkild are getting a little embarrassing :p
Title: Re: The Kenfession booth: "I still can't..."
Post by: MisterJumpshoe on 27 February, 2014, 20:44:37
@AlexSmith  I kenfess that I don't even know what a DJ Spin is!

@PikWik What works best for me with spacewalks (and I am reasonably consistent with them) is this:

From the starting position (holding the ball in your off-hand and the ken in the other) let the ball go and swing down.  Halt the ken when it is pointing directly downwards, but let the ball swing another 45 degrees.  This will give more momentum.  When it has reached that point, swing the ken in the opposite direction.  When the ken and the ball are horizontal, let go.  (You can give a slight upward flick with your fingers - this is something you will adjust over time).  Allow the entire kendama to swing around until it reaches an approximate 45 degree angle, with the ball being at the top and the ken at the bottom.  You will learn to adjust your release so that the ball is at the correct height for you to catch it (it's all to do with power/speed - it comes with practise).  Catch the ball with the grip you would use for lighthouse (usually thumb, index finger and middle finger).  Once you've caught the ball, follow the flow of the kendama's natural arc partway, but not too much or the ken won't turn over.  Simply all the ken to turn and fall towards the ball.  Keep your eye on the spike and practise!

This what works for me.  I hope that it at least opens a new avenue for you to try this trick!
Title: Re: The Kenfession booth: "I still can't..."
Post by: BKA on 27 February, 2014, 22:02:45
DJ Spin = Turntable, perhaps?
Title: Re: The Kenfession booth: "I still can't..."
Post by: the milky oolong on 28 February, 2014, 15:10:08
Quote from: AlexSmith on 24 February, 2014, 03:46:01
I can't do DJ spins.

Start the trick rising, push the ken out - it should be roughly half way through its turn when you reach your apex, crouch into the catch to balance it out.

I can't do Lighthouse>Fast Hand Spike (Trade). 
Title: Re: The Kenfession booth: "I still can't..."
Post by: The Void on 28 February, 2014, 15:25:25
Quote from: the milky oolong on 28 February, 2014, 15:10:08I can't do Lighthouse>Fast Hand Spike (Trade). 
Lock your wrist for the final throw. It will help to make sure that there's not too much 'wild spin' imparted to the ball. With a locked-wrist lofty arm throw, you should be able to get a slowly-downturning hole. Then it's just a case of avoiding string tangles, and using the k****.
Title: Re: The Kenfession booth: "I still can't..."
Post by: Will T on 16 March, 2014, 12:40:05
I cant do: spike> inward whirlwind>spike  for my life!
Title: Re: The Kenfession booth: "I still can't..."
Post by: Waylon on 19 March, 2014, 05:07:27
I kenfess this thread has me feeling better about my kendama play. Seems like some struggles are universal.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: The Kenfession booth: "I still can't..."
Post by: axel.aas.12 on 22 March, 2014, 17:48:02
I struggle with my lunar flips, I seem to get the right pop and spin but I cant seem to land it again.
Title: Re: The Kenfession booth: "I still can't..."
Post by: LarsVegas on 22 March, 2014, 22:21:14
I can't do Jumping Sticks consistently ... actually, I'm so far from being consistent. Which turns out to be a major disadvantage for Outlink #7
Title: Re: The Kenfession booth: "I still can't..."
Post by: udgfxp on 24 March, 2014, 07:07:48
I can't UFO consistenly  >:( >:( :-[ :-\
Title: Re: The Kenfession booth: "I still can't..."
Post by: SamB on 24 March, 2014, 15:08:16
Inward lunar.. Every now and then I think - today's the day I will focus and figure it out! It can't be that much harder than a regular lunar. Then I try and my hands, eyes and brain get all confused and I get dizzy and start seeing stars and have to stop. Pirouettes are a similar experience.
Title: Re: The Kenfession booth: "I still can't..."
Post by: happygoat on 24 March, 2014, 17:53:08
I confess that I have a hard time doing lunar flips and lighthouse somersaults. I struggle with getting the rotation speed correct and of course timing the catch correctly! The weird thing is that I can do 1-turn lunars much easier!  ???

...and yes, I have read the posts about somersaults in the forum :-)
Title: Re: The Kenfession booth: "I still can't..."
Post by: the milky oolong on 13 April, 2014, 22:29:31
This thread needs a BUMP:

I (still) can't crack out a proper Stabbing Heaven - have recently begun to string my kens the proper way for a lefty (previously just gotten on with the inconvenience); since then there's a list of 'I still can't...' tricks piling up nicely!
Title: Re: The Kenfession booth: "I still can't..."
Post by: MisterJumpshoe on 15 April, 2014, 14:41:38
YAY!  I finally landed the hanging pirouette!  Nobody was hurt!

On another note, I'd quite like to try for my second Dan at the BKO, but that means nailing 300 moshi kame left-handed.  It's the only trick I don't feel confident about.  Right-handed is out of the question; my arm is shot.  For anyone else practising for gradings, don't overdo it on the moshi kame.  You might want to restrict yourselves to ten minutes every two days.  I didn't  :(
Title: Re: The Kenfession booth: "I still can't..."
Post by: SC_Kendama on 20 April, 2014, 17:35:53
I have been playing for 1 year, I'm 13, and I STILL can't do Inward Lunar Flip, I need tips .-.
Title: Re: The Kenfession booth: "I still can't..."
Post by: kendamatty on 27 April, 2014, 20:14:35
I have been playing kendama for 6 and a half years... and ANYTHING which involves my left hand still to this day baffles me.  I cannot even juggle three balls without a kendama, so the last outlink combo I was doomed from the start.  Still had great fun and learnt more than I thought I ever would with an extra ball!  But yes, still hopeless (despite numerous attempts to learn)
Title: Re: The Kenfession booth: "I still can't..."
Post by: MisterJumpshoe on 15 May, 2014, 16:06:54
Well, this isn't so much a kenfession as a resolution.  Now I know what my injury is all about and why I can't moshi kame.

I have tendonitis.  :-\

I'm going to my first acupuncture session on Monday.   I hope I respond well to the treatment, so cross your kens for me, guys!  I've got my eyes on higher Dan levels!
Title: Re: The Kenfession booth: "I still can't..."
Post by: shalafi on 16 May, 2014, 08:17:33
Ah, too bad MrJupshoe. I did had tendonitis a lot of years ago, and I still have to be careful. It is a real pain.

Back then I had to stop doing capoeira and juggling clubs. Also I needed lighter diabolos and shorter practice sessions.

Hope you get better. I did had a treatment that made it a lot better, I'm afraid those things never heal completely (at least for me) but with a good treatment and being careful you should be ok.
Title: Re: The Kenfession booth: "I still can't..."
Post by: Dadooh on 23 May, 2014, 16:23:06
I still can't juggle multiple times... That makes me crazy guys. Tips?
Title: Re: The Kenfession booth: "I still can't..."
Post by: Kev on 23 May, 2014, 16:41:48
You can try practicing with a stringless kendama, then once you can do multiple juggles then work on getting them lower.
Title: Re: The Kenfession booth: "I still can't..."
Post by: tjriley1999 on 25 July, 2014, 20:56:44
I confess I still can't big cup Ken flip spike the problem is i can whirlwind i just can't figure out the motion to get the tama to spin right >:(
Title: Re: The Kenfession booth: "I still can't..."
Post by: The Void on 27 July, 2014, 19:44:10
Try starting with the hole in different places when on the big cup, and doing the same motion each time for the Whirlwind. You should then be able to work out what your motion does to the hole, and therefore where you need to have the hole innthe first place.
Title: Re: The Kenfession booth: "I still can't..."
Post by: AlexSmith on 06 August, 2014, 20:53:17
Quote from: tjriley1999 on 25 July, 2014, 20:56:44
I confess I still can't big cup Ken flip spike the problem is i can whirlwind i just can't figure out the motion to get the tama to spin right >:(
Try making it two separate motions. The first motion would be tossing the tama up properly, then the second motion would be the ken flip!