I’ve been obsessed with throwing yoyos and cube solving for a long time and I’ve only briefly thought about kendamas. I noticed that a local store started selling the Duncan komodo, so… On a whim I picked one up!
It’s fun, after a few minutes I could catch the tama on all the cups. I guess now I have more tricks to learn! And, something else to do when I need a break from throwing… 
About 7 months ago I was in the same boat but I admit I have kinda given up yoyo…I committed my entire life to kendama and I don’t regret it one bit!
I used to wonder why people would play kendama when they could play yoyo instead, but then my wife got me some kendamas for Christmas this year and now I’m hooked.
I’m starting to feel the obsession growing… Lol! I don’t think I’ll be giving up on yoyo just yet though!
I haven’t really thrown my yoyos in a few weeks… I still haven’t really played my new bonfire, cliff, terrarian and dipper yet that I got a month ago… Hahaha…
kendama is super sick because it’s so different from yoyoing. I’m trying to get balance tricks down solid because those are the ones that are super different from yoyo and super hard for me.
Yeah, I can see that balance tricks are tough. I’ve landed some spikes already, but if I hold the tama and carefully place the ken on top, it wants to slide off easily!
AND, I got some cubes in the mail today that I wasn’t expecting yet… So many toys; so little time! 
keep slaying your set up. Let it get thrashed up even. It only makes it grippier. I really hate when things get beat up and like my stuff to stay fresh. But after my bobber got broken it, landin lighthouses is a breeze. Just keep playing and everything will fall into place.
What do you think about roughing it up a little with some fine sandpaper?
negative. You don’t want that. The dents and nicks that you get from hitting spike and edges of cups will do that naturally. If it’s a painted tama, the paint with start to wear down from play and get sticky feeling along with the dents and chips. If it’s a natty, oils from your hands will seep into the grain through time and will become tacky.
I’d recommend leaving it as it is. Put some time into it, and let it naturally break in. it’ll also make you a better player by doing so. People learn on super tacky stuff and have a hard time adjusting to less tacky stuff because they’re used to everything sticking. I learned to play on really slippery stuff and have learned to counter balance. Keep jamming and then upgrade.
Thanks for the advice! I’ll just keep practicing! I started working on hole control… I’ll be working on that for a while it seems! Lol
Yeah, just let them break in naturally as you play. My favorite tama is a Natty Ozora that’s gone through 4-5 different kens, plays perfect!
Dang! I gotta give up kendama for a day! Maybe 2! My legs have gotten sore from all the knee bending!
I’m progressing though. I’m landing some tricks and getting better at hitting those spikes! And I’m starting to see what you mean about the tama getting more grippy as it breaks in.
Sometimes I get in a zone and what stops me is the tired legs… I didn’t know this was gonna be exercise! I gotta work off the extra 15 pounds of cheeseburgers and tacos I’m carrying time to work on a new yoyo trick I suppose.
I’ve been looking at upgrades too. I’m thinking a sweets HG later and something else sooner. What do you guys think about the catchy street, ozora, or sweets F3? Maybe a catchy air too for fun?
If I were forced to choose right now, I’d probably get an F3 and a catchy air… Maybe. Lol
You have tons of options. To me, hgs are the perfect dama for a decent price without going too overboard. The f3 is quite amazing for its price. Get one with a tama that has pro clear. The kaizens are pretty good too if you’re looking for lower end price for quality. But once you get better, grab a hg. You probably won’t appreciate it to its full potential but once you get better, it’s damn sweet.
I was just looking and thinking… Most of my yoyo collection is made up of throws that I spent $45 or more to get! So why not quit fooling around and go for the HG right away. It’s not THAT much for the amount of play it will get. AND, I got beaters for days! I got a surprise deal on a bunch of the duncans! (They’re on my BST.) So, I’m not worried about trashing the one I’m learning on…
I just play for kicks with no illusions of getting great at it… and that disclaimer out of the way, the Catchy Street is really fun! It’s grippy which is seemingly a no-no for purists (though don’t some pro models have grippy tamas?) and the base cup is oversized making for easy catches and lighthouses. They drill into the base cup a bit to remove some weight to maintain pretty good balance.
So yeah… it’s not for the purists. But it’s FUN and it’s not very expensive. 
That’s a good point GregP! It’s not a lot of cash, and it seems like the catchy would be fun! I have no illusions of gaining pro status; although, I’ve always been a bit of a purist… But, all told, I mostly play my yoyos that are the most fun, so I’d probably play my kendama that’s the most fun too… food for thought.
