The topic I chose to write and demonstrate is on the Kendama craze that is going on all around the world. Remember those ball and cup games from your childhood when you'd toss the ball up to make it land in the cup... Kendama is like that, but at least three times the fun. It's a traditional Japanese toss game that will throw you for ally-loop! Kendama is attention-getting fun, so just let go of that notion of keeping it to yourself. Everyone wants to take a shot at Kendama.
A kendama is a Japanese toy consisting of a hammer-shaped handle connected by a string to a ball. Made of wood, the ends of the base and the crosspiece of the hammer are cupped so that they can catch the ball, and the ball has a hole in it that can fit on a spike on the end of the hammer. To play with a kendama, the ball is jerked or swung and caught in one of the cups or impaled on the spike.
Kendama History
There were kendama-like toys that predate the Japanese version. In particular a version called a bilboquet (or bilbouquet), which was missing the crossbar piece, was known in 16th century France, where King Henry II was said to have played it. A version of the bilboquet called the balero is still popular in Mexico.
Although the Ainu in Japan are thought to have developed a bilbouquet style toy, the kendama probably traces back to the introduction of the bilboquet from Europe at the end of the 18th century.
In the early 20th century the Japanese kendama had acquired the two additional side cups and was called a nichigatsu ball. In 1919 Hamaji Egusa of Hiroshima successfully registered a sort of early Japanese style patent for the device. At this point the basic form of the kendama was essentially fixed.
Anatomy of the Modern Japanese Kendama
Kendamas approved by the JKA are composed of five parts: * The ball (tama) * The ken (or stick, ken means “sword,” ken) * The crosspiece (or cup body, sarado) * The string (usually thin nylon, ito) * The bead (a plastic washer that holds the ball on the string, futome no biizu)
The tip of the ken is called the spike or point (kensaki). The ridge around the handle of the ken is called the slip stop (suberidome). The base of the ken is the center cup (chuuzara)
25 Steps: 1. Relax | 2. Take a deep breath | 3. Hold the Sarata like a pencil | 4. Spread legs apart about a foot | 5. Bend your knees | 6. Dangle the tama which attached to a string | 7. Make sure the spike part is point outwards | 8. Make sure that tama is still | 9. In one motion bend and bounce tama | 10. Toss the tama upwards | 11. Trying to make it land on either the small or big cup | 12. Keep trying if you miss | 13. Face spike downwards | 14. Make sure base cup is facing upwards | 15. Dangle the tama which is attaché to the string | 16. Relax again | 17. Take a deep breath | 18. Spread legs apart about a foot | 19. Make sure tama is still | 20. Toss the tama upwards towards the base cup | 21. Keep trying if you miss | 22. Face spike upwards | 23. Dangle Tama | 24. Relax and bend knees | 25. Toss Tama upwards towards the spike, keep trying if you miss. | |
The reason for me choosing this topic is because I have two teen step daughters that are constantly playing with this toy. For me you would not catch me trying to play with this toy I would probably hurt myself in the process. I have found that this toy is very popular amongst children of all ages and has also gotten the attention of adult as well. The kendama craze is worldwide and from what I have learned there are many competitions held all over the world prizes ranging from trophies, the largest kendama made, and cash prizes as well. I believe that this toy is a great stocking stuffer, dramatically improves hand-eye coordination skills, attention-getting fun for all ages, and once you get started you won’t want to put the toy down.
