So, all of us want to be like a professional yoyoer. Jensen Kimmit? Heck yeah!
But, if we all try to be like someone els, there is never going to be anything new…
We don’t need more than 1 Jensen Kimmit, Tyler severance, or Miguel Correa.
We DO need more of Bob Joe, Sam Jojo, and Billy Bob.
So don’t try to be like a professional, try to be something new.
Be yourself, not someone els :).
And the new Haru has risen!
Im not trying to copy him. It just all these threads of Who do you want to be like and so on…
Thats part of the beauty of yoyoing. you can steal someone elses tricks all you want, but you most likely wont get it to look exactly the same. Two people can do the exact same trick, but they can look totally different based on the style of the player doing the trick.
I have no aspirations to compete. I have no aspirations to be professional. I don’t want to be like anyone else. Half the time I’m not even happy being me.
I’m enjoying my own pathetic mediocrity. Please don’t be like me!
Be somebody, by being nobody.
I think it’s a good idea to be Jensen, or gentry or Tyler or whoever, because it gives you inspiration. And the more inspired you are, the better/more you do. And I think, once you get more advanced, you will start off with there styled, then branch off and think “het, I like this style more!” and start doing that.
I also agree with Robbie.
I was trying to copy a trick I saw paul Dang do at pnwr and I asked him about it and how frustrated it was making me and he told me not to imitate but innovate. something like that…
I agree BC. Taking inspiration from others is fine, but please don’t swagger jack. 
That’s one of the reasons I like Ryosuke Iwasawa and Magne Sætran’s styles so much. Their styles are so unique and really stick out a lot.
I have honestly never seen one of ‘those threads’. I find it cool how you can see a famous yoyo player in the style of another. Their style changes and becomes slightly different.
But…who wouldn’t like 2 Jensens in the yoyo world?
I learned as a guitar player that no matter how hard you try to sound like someone else… be it tone, phrasing, licks, whatever… you will fail.
Whatever makes up “you” will inevitably show up in your play. Try your best to be like Jensen and you will still end up like you. So don’t sweat it. Learn as many of their tricks as you want; you have no choice but to be you in the end. Consciously avoiding learning another’s tricks is just cutting of avenues of exploration, not creating new ones.
Creativity doesn’t happen in a void. Or something.
I wouldn’t mind seeing a whole team of jensens.
Imagine the belly regens…
Trying to make sense of this statement…
Almost…
And…
Nope. I have no idea what that means.
Be somebody unique, by being nobody in particular.
Get it?
Ahhhh I get it. That’s a good little quote there.
I think it means that you shouldn’t try to be someone extravagant or different just to get noticed; instead be yourself, lie low, and get noticed that way.
Interesting concept.
Its a spiral though. If someone is being ones self and copying people your theory is that couldn’t be who they are, but what if it is who they are? Should they instead be like youm, and not be like anybody or stay true to them selfs and keep fallowing others?
Then again if they did fallow your advice then they would in fact be going against it by being like you and doing what you said.
In other words no matter what someone is doing, they are likely being true to themselves. Even if that means being a follower.