News:

English-language friendly kendama forum open for everyone worldwide. Welcome!

Main Menu

The hardest kendama trick ever...

Started by The Void, 14 October, 2017, 11:56:19

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.

KenSan

Completes the set!

Still waiting on my 2nd Dan cert. Should be over with the kids Xmas prezzies this month!
3rd place @ BKO 2016 Adv. Division. :-)

johndmc

Nice one Void, got any further goals from here in

Sent from my F3111 using Tapatalk

Dont practice what you can do, practice what you can't! :)

The Void

Cheers guys. John: To convince everyone that they ought to own my books. That's probably harder than 6th Dan. :)
If you don't want to BUY MY BOOKS 😉, then why not ask your local library to order them in, and read them for free? That would help too. Cheers!

The Void

I was featured in the JKA's newsletter.
The title reads:
Quote初の国外居住者の六段合格者誕生!
海外からの初めての六段合格者が誕生しました The Voidさんです。
The Voidさんからのコメントは、いただいた英語のままと翻訳で掲載いたします!

(Google translation)
The birth of the first six graders of overseas residents!
The first vocabulary of 6 grades from overseas was born The Void. 
Comments from The Void will be posted in translation and in English as received!
The full article English text (Thanks @Craftybuddy for translating to Japanese):
QuoteOne day, 11 years ago, a friend taught me to play kendama. What a road it would lead to.

After learning the basic moves, the next year I discovered videos of JKA players doing incredible tricks. From then on, I was hooked. I learned about the Dan system, but initially it was just a list of new tricks to learn. I didn't start trying to "pass" until early 2011, when I knew I would be meeting some Japanese players at the EKO later that year. I hoped to get 1st Dan - but I was lucky, and got all the way to 3rd!

The next year, I got fourth, and then... lucky again... fifth! Each time, I was told that I was the first Westerner to get those grades. Oh! Well, that left one target then. I knew it would be difficult, so... I'd better start practicing!

It was early 2014 before I was able to take my first 6th Dan examination. My first grading was very bad, but on the second, I got all the way to the last trick before failing. But, realistically, I still wasn't good enough to pass, so I wasn't too disappointed. My next three attempts were all failures too: each one below my own personal standard. Now I was disappointed.

By late 2015, two other Westerners were also trying to get 6th Dan. We supported each other, but we all also wanted to be the first. We all failed. After that trip to Japan, I realised that being "in a race" was silly. It was more pressure, and I didn't need it. From now on, I would only focus on me. If someone else beat me to 6th Dan, then I would say "well done", and I would sincerely mean it.

This year, I had the opportunity to try again. I had practiced a lot: both "doing the tricks" and "focussing on the moment". I really needed the latter, after missing my first two Birds. Well, with a little luck, maybe, I passed. It's the hardest thing I've ever done. I'm really pleased, but also very relieved that it's over!

I want to thank many people for their help, support & inspiration over the years: I will especially mention The JKA, Yano-san, Maruishi-san, Matsunaga-san, Nakanishi-san, Shimadera-san, Akimoto-san, Mukai-san, Tajima-san. But there are so many more, so thank you all!

Finally, to all kendama players: If you want a personal challenge, see how well you can do in games, or in competition, or in the Dan system. But remember, it's not about beating someone else, it's about being the best version of yourself that you can be. Whatever level or style you are playing at, enjoy it! If you're not having fun with kendama, you're doing it wrong.

The Void
@TheVoidTLMB
October 2017

@Tom Derrick
If you don't want to BUY MY BOOKS 😉, then why not ask your local library to order them in, and read them for free? That would help too. Cheers!

johndmc

Great article

Sent from my F3111 using Tapatalk

Dont practice what you can do, practice what you can't! :)

Craftybuddy

Quote from: The Void on 02 January, 2018, 16:37:49
I was featured in the JKA's newsletter.
The title reads:
Quote初の国外居住者の六段合格者誕生!
海外からの初めての六段合格者が誕生しました The Voidさんです。
The Voidさんからのコメントは、いただいた英語のままと翻訳で掲載いたします!

(Google translation)
The birth of the first six graders of overseas residents!
The first vocabulary of 6 grades from overseas was born The Void. 
Comments from The Void will be posted in translation and in English as received!
The full article English text (Thanks @Craftybuddy for translating to Japanese):
QuoteOne day, 11 years ago, a friend taught me to play kendama. What a road it would lead to.

After learning the basic moves, the next year I discovered videos of JKA players doing incredible tricks. From then on, I was hooked. I learned about the Dan system, but initially it was just a list of new tricks to learn. I didn't start trying to "pass" until early 2011, when I knew I would be meeting some Japanese players at the EKO later that year. I hoped to get 1st Dan - but I was lucky, and got all the way to 3rd!

The next year, I got fourth, and then... lucky again... fifth! Each time, I was told that I was the first Westerner to get those grades. Oh! Well, that left one target then. I knew it would be difficult, so... I'd better start practicing!

It was early 2014 before I was able to take my first 6th Dan examination. My first grading was very bad, but on the second, I got all the way to the last trick before failing. But, realistically, I still wasn't good enough to pass, so I wasn't too disappointed. My next three attempts were all failures too: each one below my own personal standard. Now I was disappointed.

By late 2015, two other Westerners were also trying to get 6th Dan. We supported each other, but we all also wanted to be the first. We all failed. After that trip to Japan, I realised that being "in a race" was silly. It was more pressure, and I didn't need it. From now on, I would only focus on me. If someone else beat me to 6th Dan, then I would say "well done", and I would sincerely mean it.

This year, I had the opportunity to try again. I had practiced a lot: both "doing the tricks" and "focussing on the moment". I really needed the latter, after missing my first two Birds. Well, with a little luck, maybe, I passed. It's the hardest thing I've ever done. I'm really pleased, but also very relieved that it's over!

I want to thank many people for their help, support & inspiration over the years: I will especially mention The JKA, Yano-san, Maruishi-san, Matsunaga-san, Nakanishi-san, Shimadera-san, Akimoto-san, Mukai-san, Tajima-san. But there are so many more, so thank you all!

Finally, to all kendama players: If you want a personal challenge, see how well you can do in games, or in competition, or in the Dan system. But remember, it's not about beating someone else, it's about being the best version of yourself that you can be. Whatever level or style you are playing at, enjoy it! If you're not having fun with kendama, you're doing it wrong.

The Void
@TheVoidTLMB
October 2017

@Tom Derrick
No problem @theVoid! It was pleasure to do that, and all the Japanese players who read that article will know where & how you came from and what you felt. I was quite moved actually by translating what you were saying.

Again huge ☆Congratulations!!

Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk


KenSan

3rd place @ BKO 2016 Adv. Division. :-)

HansNickmans

Quote from: The Void on 02 January, 2018, 16:37:49
I was featured in the JKA's newsletter.
The title reads:
Quote初の国外居住者の六段合格者誕生!
海外からの初めての六段合格者が誕生しました The Voidさんです。
The Voidさんからのコメントは、いただいた英語のままと翻訳で掲載いたします!

Finally, to all kendama players: If you want a personal challenge, see how well you can do in games, or in competition, or in the Dan system. But remember, it's not about beating someone else, it's about being the best version of yourself that you can be. Whatever level or style you are playing at, enjoy it! If you're not having fun with kendama, you're doing it wrong.

The Void
@TheVoidTLMB
October 2017

@Tom Derrick

Words to live by.
Kendama Belgium!

The Void

If you don't want to BUY MY BOOKS 😉, then why not ask your local library to order them in, and read them for free? That would help too. Cheers!