It’s been an interesting couple of weeks. Interesting in a mostly good way.
First, going back I think 2 weeks, I saw kids at my school with yoyos. They had a NED show, so this was one of those “pay it forward” ones where the school sells yoyos and other NED stuff. Anyhow, kids with yoyos and I show up every day with a few yoyos, but I usually don’t throw because I often just don’t have time. Well, now I make time. The kids seem to love it. I also throw BEFORE school but I might have to re-think that only because we’re talking younger kids and the distraction and they need to be in line. I want to, but I think I have to learn methods to encourage them to stay in line and watch rather than crowd so close to me so I can’t even throw.
The school’s principal took note yesterday and asked if I would mind coming out and doing stuff and I said, “I think we can definitely work something out”, so we’ll be in touch regarding that soon. Maybe like 2 Fridays a month or something like that. Plus I’m planning meetings at the park behind the school for Saturday at 2PM with parents being highly encouraged to attend. I do have to add that I need to have a BYOYY policy(bring your own yo-yo) until I have some loose cash to invest into a bunch of very affordable yoyos.
As many of you who are “e-stalking me” know, I’ve been doing this for 8.5 months now and my skills are not exactly stellar. However, this was never about becoming a “yoyo god”, it was about relaxation and enjoyment. I’m in advanced tricks, smoothing out the matrix, smoothing out trapeze and brother in preparation for Rewind, and am rocking Plastic Whip pretty good! I’m pleased with my progress. This isn’t easy for me, but that’s OK. It just forces more practice, which actually ends up being more relaxing for me anyways. Win-win!
So, there has been lots of positive progress on many fronts. It’s encouraging.
To prevent boredom, I like to mix things up. However, since marriage, my options have been limited. Part of it is due to one of my main income sources takes up a lot of space. Big audio desks, large keyboard rigs, and electronic drum rig… this stuff takes up serious space. So, let’s skip all that and keep this yoyo related.
I have a growing yoyo collection, with stuff from cheap to over $100, a collection that will be growing again soon with some upcoming purchases. Different sizes, shapes, materials, purposes. Of course I have favorites and preferences, but I have plenty of stuff outside my “safe zone”. Maybe I have too many, who is to say. But, I also ensure I spend within my means so it doesn’t become a problem.
A while back I did a “big purchase”. Well, I can’t say it’s that big, I spend more on single mics at times. It had a lot of stuff in it, including some 4A throws, a pair of Unleashed and other goodies. My thoughts were to be prepared for future desires. Like, let’s say I want to learn looping… I don’t have any decent loopers, so if I have the proper yoyos around, then when I’m ready, the stuff is here, rather than ordering something and waiting for it to arrive, because by then my interests may have waned by then. While I don’t intend to be a master of any style, I do intend to be able to do stuff in all 5 of the major yoyo styles.
Well, this issue came up. I saw a posting on YYE regarding Ben Conde, and I figured, I got a Fiesta XX, a Big Yo, and I bought an Aquarius for the express purpose of having a beater for learning 4A. So, yesterday(January 25, 2012), it was time to change gears. Sure, my 1A skills ain’t great, but I needed something different to screw around with for a bit. Time to pick up the Aquarius. Perhaps a little too beat up…. But it works. I had to use some LokTite to keep the axle from unscrewing and tighten it up so I could adjust it. Within a few throws, I was catching. A little while later I was binding. Wow. I did it. Seriously. Time to move onto the Big Yo and was still doing good. Brought out the Fiesta XX. Yup, landing it and binding it. Feeling confident, I went into my downloads of the YYE tutorials and within a few minutes I was doing 4A barrel rolls. What a confidence booster! I figured that was enough for a day!
So, I show my kids. They aren’t impressed. Well, this wasn’t about them anyways. My wife thinks I’m a dork. Whatever. I’m happy. Apparently, I have to do 5A to impress my kids. I know this because they told me. Isn’t youth precious?
Over the course of items I’ve purchased, I’ve gotten stuff that was designed for 5A. To be specific, the Freehand Zero. What better to use than my XminusmikeX custom? So, I put the bouncy ball counter weight on the string last night and again, I went to the YYE tutorials. I got the grip, the throw down. Today, with more practice, I can now perform the double on trapeze/release. I do need more practice as I can’t throw 5A-style throws as strong as 1A yet, and I can’t catch as well yet but that’s what practice is for.
And now that my kids have seen the simple 5A trick I can do, they are impressed.
I might just bring out 1 of the 2 Unleashed yoyos and learn basic inside and outside looping and get started. I think 2A and 3A are a ways off though. I haven’t really done much with my left hand yet! I do have a set of Unleashed yoyos for looping tricks and 2A, and a set of Shinwoo Techno2’s for starting in 3A.
We’re all different. We have different goals and objectives. I started this will very few expectations and very little knowledge. Some of us are serious about yoyo to the degree that they compete. Most of us are casual about it. Some are choosing to specialize; some are choosing to explore multiple styles.
As I needed a little change to mix things up, this little short venture into 4A and 5A was due to the fact that I was forward thinking. I was prepared! Maybe this isn’t practical for everyone, but it’s good to know yourself enough. I’m struggling on 1A but I’m in control over that. Now when I get frustrated, I can try different styles to change gears for a bit, while at the same time developing new skills and learning new tricks.
One of the thoughts regarding YYE is that the yoyo is more than a toy. It can be a tool that can theoretically take you where you want to go. It’s definitely has potential. The yoyo is certainly taking me places. Unexpected places. Some places sooner than expected.
There is an upside. First, I’ll have more people to introduce yoyo to. Second, I’ll be able to develop my “Intro to yoyos in schools” concept. Third, I’m offering an alternative activity that will get kids up and off the sofa and away from the games or computer for a bit and get them moving. When kids can enjoy things as a group, they’ll tend to stick with it. Now the yoyos they got from the NED show won’t just be a throw away item. It can be a gateway to something that instead of being enjoyed for a while, it can be enjoyed for a lifetime. Just like anything else, yoyo requires discipline, dedication and practice, good values that can be applied to anything. I figure if kids will put in effort in school, they’ll put the same effort in the yoyo. But, I want to make sure the kids put the effort into school first and then yoyo second.
I guess a secondary element here is that if you want to make stuff happen, don’t wait for it to happen. Make it happen.