Branch out.

General Yo-Yo
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bark!
^ ^

Hey all!

Something I wanted to talk about.

As a YoYo fandom, it’s relatively simple and easy to understand that for the most part, we focus on YoYo. This is nothing odd. but I want to bring something to attention that I have learned from personal experience and practice.

Up to around 04, I used to only YoYo. I stuck to YoYo tricks, YoYo videos, YoYo everything pretty much, and I was happy for the most part, that is until I happened across a YoYo video that also featured a diabolo player (I believe it was a Takeshi video). I was impressed by what could be done with a diabolo, and de used to buy one for myself.
As it turned out, there was a whole fandom for diabolo just as there was with yoyoing, and over time, I started progressing in diabolo as well. I soon found that in the diabolo realm, there were lots of tricks that could be applied to yoyoing in some way, and many of the principles I learned could greatly have a positive impact on my throwing.

As time progressed, I got into more skills. Juggling, astrojax, poi, glowstringing, contact juggling, spin top, and devil sticks. And from each of these mediums, I found new e perks fee and many new ideas that I found to be beneficial in yoyoing as well.

The greatest impact was poi. Poi in theory is VERY different than yoyoing, but one thing it teaches you, is complete body control and flow of movement, letting natural forces of nature move you, but also taking it to your advantage. This sort of thing I had not applied to yoyoing before, But I soon found it to be highly influential, and it changed the way I feel the flow of yoyoing by miles.

While we are a YoYo fandom, don’t limit yourself to just yoyoing, try taking up some of the other flow objects and see where they can take you! I recently just acquired a staff for staff manipulation, and I’ll be getting a set of buugeng soon. Who knows where that will take me!

Try leaving the YoYo at home, and go out with some juggling balls. Instead of yoyoing the whole time at a meet or contest, try spinning some poi. Instead of waiting for a new YoYo video to come out, look for some new YoYo video, go look for some new diabolo videos.

You may find that this takes your yoyoing beyond what you thought possible, and give you something new to express your soul.

bark!

Haru

2 Likes
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Can’t we choose our own paths?

Can’t we ask the questions when we need the answers?

Can’t we learn on our own?

Can’t we just yoyo and not have to attach some ridiculously philosophical or spiritual connotation?

I mean don’t get me wrong, yoyo is super special to me beyond just yoyoing but these threads are getting tiresome. I can’t tell you what to post but i suggest people let the chips fall where they may.

16 Likes
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You’re not the boss of me!

On my trip to Vietnam, I left the juggling balls at home. I can’t juggle, didn’t see myself having time to learn.

I left the diabolo at home, too big. When traveling, space and size become big things to take into consideration. I would have liked to have taken it with me. I’d also like to get a 1-way bearing diabolo and a three-way bearing one.

I left the recently acquired set of Astrojax at home, I didn’t feel like messing with them. I need to download some videos to see what’s up with these things.

I did take yoyos, including off-strings and loopers, a kendama, and a spin top.

I’m all for branching out if one chooses to. My concept is if I get bored with something or just get stuck or need a change, I have something else to move on to right there and right when I want it and/or need it. I’m really not interested at the moment in devil sticks, poi and contact juggling. I reserve the right to change my position on those items at any time.

At the same time, I see nothing wrong with sticking to just one skill toy either. If you’re happy with what you’re doing, why change? “Branching out” should be a natural process. Some people will want to, some people won’t. It shouldn’t be forced.

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I love you man!

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Or, we can have our own individual mindset to our yoyoing, and we can share it as we please? Because this is a yoyo forum, and we should be respectful to anyone who enjoys yoyos, even if they go about it in a way different from yours. The yoyo community isn’t THAT big, so we got to stick together and not waste time targeting one another.

Also, I love all the skill toys I can get my hands on, but I don’t often go out with juggling props, spin tops, or diabolos because how often I tend to drop things, and it’s a pain to pick them back up, but I play with all of my stuff often. This thread really inspired me to go juggle now.

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you shouldn’t do that.

woof.

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Read my post again, it might surprise you that you misinterpreted what i said. I never said he couldn’t post, i even implied he can post what he wants.

And respect? I do respect josh and his teenage followers to a varying degree, please understand what i said in my post.

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kendamakendamakendamakendamakendamakendamakendamakendamakendamakendamakendamakendamakendama

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No reason to limit yourself to skill toys either, for that matter. One could apply some of that pent-up desire to learn toward acquiring any kind of skill or knowledge. I’ve dabbled in at least half a dozen different skill toys, but also aquarium-keeping, piano, hand percussion, chess, backgammon, snowboarding, skiing, pinball, shooting, off-roading, gardening. They’re all one in the same. The study, practice, patience and repetition used to learn yoyoing can be applied to literally anything.

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Hahahahahahhaaha

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You don’t think that most of us haven’t already branched out or were branching out and that is what many of us here? I’ve juggled for over 20 years. I’ve done balisong. I’ve done pen spinning. I’ve done diablo. I’ve done devil sticks. I’ve done spin top… you get the idea. Yo-yoing tops them all in my opinion.

As someone else said. Focus on the quality of your input rather than the quantity of your output. These threads are getting boring. I’m probably just not going to click on your next threads.

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I think people were taking it the wrong was as if I am telling you all to do this or else it would be detrimental to your yoyoing. That’s not what I mean, I am just saying what I have found to be true, and if you give it a shot, you may too find it be an eye opening experience.

Haru

2 Likes
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I actually juggled and did devil sticks before I got into yoyoing.

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I agree with the usage of other skill toys. Astrojax FTW

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Ever heard the saying “don’t give advice unless someone asks you for it”? A mind convinced against its will is of the same opinion still.

“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing” -Socrates

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This may the sort of input that others may not ask of though.
How would anyone come to new realizations, if it is not revealed to them?
Just trying to provide something that for many may be new.

:slight_smile:

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This is like the only thing I agree with you on. I’m not saying you HAVE to go and play with skill toys, but they’re a ton of fun.

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Keep an open mind everyone.
Anyways, I can’t afford to branch out.

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You have been yoyoing for 15 years, you are great at it. If your profile is right, you are also 20 years old. Don’t think you know it all. I’ve been living 15 years more than you, and I don’t think I know anything.

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I actually dig your posts, Haru. If you don’t like these philosophy/yoyo threads, we can assume you have no reason to look in them. Lord forbid you don’t, Jeteyeknight ::slight_smile: Just because Haru/Josh is an eloquent writer doesn’t mean his thoughts are crazy. He’s just saying that it’s good to broaden your skilltoy horizon, as it will help you with yoyoing.

I can see how other skill toys can bleed into another. I saw a video where Ann Connoly did a slack with a kendama string, and it was pretty cool.