I’ve run into this problem while teaching some friends how to yo-yo and while browsing through the YYE forum. What defines a person’s “skill level”? Does knowing a set list of tricks make someone beginner/intermediate/expert/etc.? Or is it purely subjective and each person defines each “level” differently? I’d like to see some opinions on this because I find it hard to help my friends when all they tell me is that they’re “intermediate” or “advance”.
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It depends on the person. One person may say that they themselves are an “intermediate” because they know they can do alot of good and fancy tricks, but aren’t close to the greats, i.e. Yuuki, Mickey, Jensen, Tyler, Miggy, Paul, …etc. But, someone who is just starting yoyoing or doesn’t know about modern yoyoing may see the person I just mentioned yoyoing and think they are “advanced” or an “expert” or a “pro”. Well, that is my take on it. 
Wow JayVee im not used to seeing someone use such good grammar and spelling on this forum ;D I’m new to yo-yoing myself, I’ve been practicing at least 2 hours a day for about 3 months now. I can do all the intermediate tricks and about half of the expert tricks.That as it may, I still consider myself intermediate. I CAN land a lot of tricks but i’m not very smooth with them and usually don’t make them look good nor can I combine a bunch of them into combos.
Of course its all opinion on which skill level you may label yourself, as far as I know there is no set parameters on skill levels in yo-yoing. That said, in my opinion if you can throw together a lot of pretty hard tricks into smooth and fast combos, I would consider you very good at yo-yoing (above intermediate) Now if your competing in yoyo competitions and consistently placing in the top ten with the occasional top 3 placing, I might consider you an expert. Master? That’s for someone else who knows a lot more than I do to decide on who is a yoyo master.
Perhaps you could e-mail K-Strass and ask him
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Thanks for the compliment! And I agree with both of your opinions. I think that the concept of “skill levels” is highly debatable and, to be honest, a bit silly.
I think it’s all about your combos and how complicated your tricks are. Like if you can do really smooth, long combos and don’t fail a lot, and your tricks are complicated, you’re an advanced. Intermediate is some tricks that are kind of hard, but not really, and your combos aren’t smooth. Beginner is like when you do really easy tricks and fail a ton. 
Fair enough. I actually use that way sometimes when a friend asks me how they stack up. But eventually they’ll break out of that mold and I’ll have to find a new way to tell them their getting good =P.
I think the skill level thing that people always talk about is nonsense. Everybody learns at their own style and sometimes that could be a little hectic. Think of it this way:
I can’t do zipper which is an intermediate to advanced section trick (I haven’t check) yet I can do an Iron Whip, Hour Glass, Yuuki Spencer One Drop trick, and Double Brent Stole.
It took me just a couple of minutes to learn Spirit Bomb but months to master Leg Wrap Trap. I want to ask what skill level I am now.
There are tricks that we can do and can’t do. Some of us can do a high grade pro trick but can barely do an intermediate trick, so what does that make us? Skill level is just an estimate on the trick, not the player.
i think about the same line.
i can’t do seasick, leg wrap, and many other thing.
but i gut a bunch of combo.
anyway, maybe this is just a stupid thinking.
but maybe, the judge at a contest can help.
there are novice up to advance contest isn’t it?
I think that a lot of times putting yourself or someone else into a “skill level” is more harmful than helpful. When you start thinking “I’m only intermediate, so I won’t check out anything in the advanced section,” or “he’s only a beginner, so there’s no point in trying to show him this intermediate trick,” it doesn’t really help anything.
Like Chris said, I think skill levels are supposed to be applied to the tricks, not the yoyoers. When you’re trying to teach a trick, you do have to come up with some way to classify them by your opinion of their difficulty, so you have to stick some kinda label on them (beginner, intermediate, expert, etc.), but that label doesn’t also classify the person learning the trick.
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Theres a lot of good stuff being said here. In my opinion it is hard to say what skill level a trick should be assigned. Personally I struggle with rythem tricks like boinge boinge. I can do it, but it looks sloppy, and boomerang is about the same. But string tricks suicides and whip are getting better and better. Actually come to think of it I still don’t know how to do the flag, or the one handed star (I haven’t looked them up.) Even without having a grip on these tricks I just learned how to do doctor strange (And I thought it was wicked easy because it goes pretty good with my style.)
To say what other have pretty much said. Skill level is probably just a way to guage what tricks should be taught in what order.
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‘The only joy in the world is to begin.’
-Cesare Pavese
i’ve been a beginner at yo-yoing for over 20 years, and i’ll be quite content to die one. just keep learning, keep playing every day, and your ‘relative skill level’ or whatever little box people try to cram you into become utterly irrelevant.
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Wow. I’m totally using this as a quote in life
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think of the worst thrower in the world… like maybe hellen keller? then think of the best someone like andre, and rate yourself 1-10 in between them. 10 being the highest.
A few people have seen me throw at work even though I try not to be seen. Today a woman saw me doing some flips snd said a guy at the front desk yoyos and I could not believe it since I never met anyone else who does. I bought my responsive Replay and Magicyoyo M002 out to him and he used both to do a series of tricks off a trapeze that I had only seen in tutorials and I was floored. He apologized for not knowing more and said he learned them from videos on yoyoexpert. He did not think his skills were that impressive but to me it was like seeing a UFO come out of the sky and land in front of me! He said he will help me with some problems I am having. After seeing his skills I am kind of embarassed to even show him what I can do but I guess I’ll have to!
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It starts out learning tricks with names. Beginner.
Then you make up your own trick. Intermediate.
Then you make up your own good trick. Advanced.
Then all the tricks you make up are good. Master wizard grand warrior.
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Perception is everything. When I dont compare myself to pros I perceive myself as good. I can do various tricks for hours and people watch me as a unique performer, but when I perceive professional throwers as a bar of excellence my perception of myself dwindles. I find myself incapable of throwing for more than 10 minutes, and ironically nobody is interested in watching me. Shake off negative self inflicted perceptions and embrace your best self. - old man jim 2018
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Not in direct response to your conment, just general thoughts: I think comparing ourselves to anyone is bad. We can admire and be inspired by others and that’s great but I think it’s a real hobby buzzkill if we make ourselves feel bad because there’s someone out there better than we are. There’s usually someone better at a thing no matter how good someone is. I think making a little progress every day is success and eventually all the current top dog yoyoers are going to be chased off the lawn by younger and more talented newcomers because that’s just the way it goes. I was teaching someone to do a gravity pull today at work but we’ll have to continue on Sunday and she’ll eventually get it. I’m giving her a new YYF Plus. Three years ago I was in her shoes. Maybe she will surpass me some day. I forget where I was going with this…sorry.
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Actually, yoyo master is an honorary title in the yoyo world. It’s not up to an individual to call himself a yoyo master.
From Dazzling Dave’s website: National Yo-Yo Masters, Hall of Fame, and World Records
“The title of “Yo-Yo Master” is awarded for the dual attainment of being recognized as an exemplary player and a progressive leader in the development of future players. The directors of the National Yo-Yo League select these masters based on skill, dedication, and their ability to teach and spread the sport of yo-yos around the world. Although many people have claimed to be a yo-yo master, there are only 16 Official Yo-Yo Masters worldwide. Four of them have been elevated to Grand Masters.”
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If you can walk the dog, you are a master. If you can’t, you are a begineer.
Everything is relative.
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