Kendama
Kendama ( Japanese け ん 玉 ) is a popular Japanese game of skill . The word of the toy Kendama is made up of the Hiragana for sword ( け ん , ken ) and the symbol for ball ( 玉 , tama ). As a hibuki ( 秘 武器 , dt. "Secret weapon") it was a Japanese secret weapon of the geishas from the Edo period .
description
The kendama consists of a ball ( tama ) that has a hole ( ana ) and is connected to the handle, also called a sword ( ken ), by a thread ( ito ) . The tip of the handle is called the tip of the sword ( ken-saki ). On the so-called sara-do , the plate drum , there are two plates: the larger plate is called ōzara (大 皿, large plate) and the smaller of the two plates is kozara (小 皿, small plate). At the end of the handle is the smallest plate: the chūzara (中 皿, middle plate). An elevation ( subari-dome ) on the handle is designed to prevent slipping while playing. With the exception of the thread, all parts of the kendama are made of wood. To practice some special tricks, you need a cordless kendama, but these are not that common or popular. The shape and finish of the kendama varies depending on the manufacturer and country of origin.
Dimensions
No precise information can be given about the dimensions, as they can vary greatly from Kendama to Kendama. Different manufacturers use different dimensions. Only the dimensions of the competition kendama are standardized by the Japan Kendama Association (JKA) and the British Kendama Association (BKA). Only kendama approved by these organizations may be used in competitions and exams. The dimensions of this kendama are: height = 185 mm, width = 70 mm, ball diameter = 60 mm, cord length = 400 mm. Furthermore, the shape and the paintwork are standardized here, as this also plays a role for certain tricks.
Rules of the game
The object of the game is to pull the ball up on the string from a hanging position and catch it on one of the three plates or with the hole on the top. Alternatively, the ball can be held and the Ken caught on or in the ball. Since the structure of the kendama gives a myriad of tricks and combinations (one speaks of at least a thousand tricks), there are no limits to the imagination when creating the rules. Before the game, you define which trick you have to accomplish with how many attempts and how often; z. B. collect three times on the large plate with a maximum of five attempts. The initial difficulty is determined by the choice of trick.
The difficulty level is made more difficult with a higher number of attempts or with less successful attempts, or more difficult with fewer attempts and more successful attempts.
Another variant of the game is the so-called "battling". Here a player demonstrates a trick or a combination of tricks (a string of different tricks) that the opponent has to imitate. If the opponent cannot do the trick, you get one point. If the opponent can copy the trick, he is given the right to do a trick or combinations of tricks in order to score points. The winner is whoever has the most points in the end.
Fixed rules are defined for competitions and examinations, which are announced in advance by the organizers (JKA, BKA, Gloken).
meaning
Similar ball catching games are also known in other countries under the names Balero, Trichterball , Bilboquet , Perinola, cup and ball or ring and pin. The Japanese Kendama differs in its structure. The additional plate drum offers more tricks. There are already more than 1000 different tricks. The principle of Kendama is to catch the ball on one of the plates, or you spear the ball on the hole with the tip. Advanced players can also do a combination of different tricks or catch the ball with the subari-dome, the raised part of the handle. There are official competitions held by the Japan Kendama Association (JKA), the British Kendama Association (BKA) and The Global Kendama Network (Gloken).
history
Where the kendama originated is still unknown today, but a similar device called Pommawonga ("spear the fish") was mentioned in lore of the Inuit - a people living in the arctic northeast and central Canada and in Greenland however, it was not used for entertainment, but for hunting rituals and ceremonies. The first records can be dated to the 16th century. At the time, there was a toy in France called the bilboquet , which children loved to play on the streets of France in the summer. It is believed to be the forerunner of Japanese kendama.
Kendama first appeared in Japan in the Edo period (1603–1868) when it came to Nagasaki via the Silk Road . It was previously used as a toy for communal drinking games and was called sukuitamakeri (spoonful kendama). The object of this game was to catch the ball in five or three tries. Those who didn't make it had to drink. It was not until the Meiji period (1868–1912) that the game of skill also became popular with children and women after the West had made it popular in Japan. The kendama as the Japanese know it today was created by Hamaji Egusa in 1918 by adding the small and large bowl to the left and right. This is how the name nichi getsu ball (sun-moon ball) came about , which was later simply renamed kendama (sword ball) .
Hibuki
The Kendama-Hibuki is a self-defense weapon used by Japanese women from the Edo period (1603–1868). Women recognized the dangerous use of this wooden object, because under the removable ball the small wooden stick could be sharpened or even replaced by metal. It was a popular utensil of the geishas, who often attached the weapon to their obi , as it did not cause any public fuss due to its game-like appearance. The hibuki was painted with various colors and patterns. The structure also served to camouflage the weapon. A wooden point is hidden beneath a colored ball, with which the attacker could flee with stab attacks in dangerous situations. The hammer-like middle section ( tsuchi , hammer) was also used to defend against impact attacks. The ball is connected to the handle with a thread ( ito ) so that it is not so easy to lose. Furthermore, the attacker can be distracted by throwing the bullet and then injured with a targeted thrust of the weapon.
Japan Kendama Association
Issei Fujiwara , a Japanese children's author, founded the Japan Kendama Association ( 日本 け ん 玉 協会 ) in 1975 . He wanted to create a uniform form from the different types of competition and to catalog the ever-increasing number of tricks. Prerequisites, execution and evaluation criteria for kendama competitions were recorded in a uniform set of rules created by him. The size and shape of the kendama stipulated in the rules is intended as a norm to offer all competitors the same conditions. In addition, Fujiwara has introduced a classification system to enable competition opponents of equal strength to come together.
By taking different exams, it is possible to reach different grades ( 級 , kyū , student; 段 dan , master degree). The non-profit organization since 2002 organizes the Japanese Kendama championships annually. Together with the Japanese Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture, it promotes the use of kendama in elementary and middle schools and publishes books on kendama. In 2009 an international kendama meeting was held in Japan for the first time.
Japan Kendama Association (JKA) goals
- The transmission of the history of Kendama and the preservation of Kendama as a Japanese cultural asset.
- The further development of the art of kendama playing as well as its promotion as a sport and leisure activity.
- Cooperation to promote the use of Kendama for education and training in schools and associations.
- The spread of Kendama as a health promoting sport that can be practiced for a lifetime.
- Spreading Kendama worldwide and thus contributing to international understanding.
British Kendama Association (BKA)
The BKA was founded by Robin Gunney in 2006 to make kendama better known in Great Britain and to promote the sport of kendama with competitions and exams, analogous to the JKA. In the meantime and in the future, the BKA will also take on these tasks on a pan-European level. In 2008 the British Kendama Association held the first competition in Europe at the British Juggling Convention in Doncaster. Since then, a British Kendama Championship and a European Kendama Championship have been held annually. Here the BKA also awards national titles from other European countries that do not have a national Kendama championship. The head of the BKA organization is currently (December 2014) "The Void" (real name not known).
Global Kendama Network (Gloken)
The Global Kendama Network was founded on June 29, 2012 by Tamotsu Kubota and Hajime Ishibashi in Japan with the aim of creating connections between kendama players worldwide and making kendama more popular worldwide. For this purpose, information about Kendama is collected and published, and workshops and competitions are organized. Gloken held the first Kendama World Cup in 2014 in Hatsukaichi. Tamotsu Kubota is currently the head of the Global Kendama Network .
See also
Web links
- Japan Kendama Association
- Global Kendama Network (Gloken)
- British Kendama Association
- Skill level exams in German translation with links to the individual tricks on Youtube - PDF
- Skill Kendama Admission Regulations (BKA) for competitions and exams - German - PDF
- Kendama Europe - Europe's first and largest kendama manufacturer and wholesaler
- kendama EN - European site about Kendama with all information about the origins