Kendama: complete guide | What it is, history, parts, tricks and brands
Complete kendama guide: what it is, documented history, parts (ken, tama, sarado), basic tricks, brands (Sweets, KROM, Sol) and how to pick your first one.
The kendama is a Japanese skill game with a wooden mallet (ken), a ball (tama) and a string. What it is, documented history, parts, basic tricks and recommended brands.
The kendama is a Japanese skill game built from a wooden mallet (ken) with three cups and a spike, a ball (tama) with a hole, and a string that links the two pieces. The goal is to catch the ball in any of the cups or to spike it on the ken's tip. From there, the discipline scales up to chained combos linking several tricks in sequence. This guide sums up what it is, where it comes from, how it's built and how to start.
In this guide
What a kendama is
A kendama is a wooden object with two components joined by a string: the ken (mallet) with three cups of different sizes and a spike; and the tama (ball) pierced by a hole the size of the spike. Catching the ball in a cup is a cup; landing it on the spike is a spike. Combining several of these catches in sequence builds the advanced tricks.
It is not just a toy: it is a discipline with federations, international competitions (Catch & Flow, KWC in Japan), competition levels (kyu and dan, as in martial arts) and an active global community.
Documented history
The exact origin is fuzzy, but the documented timeline is reasonably solid:
- 16th century (France) — The bilboquet appears, a game with a stick and a tied ball. The clearest European ancestor.
- Edo / Meiji era (Japan) — Reaches Japan along trade routes and transforms.
- 1919 — Hamaji Egusa creates the modern three-cups-and-spike version in Kure (Hiroshima). The design that survives today.
- 1975 — Issei Fujiwara founds the Japan Kendama Association, standardising sizes and the grading system.
- 2000s-2010s — Kendama explodes globally, first in the US (Sweets Kendamas, KROM) and later in Europe, with a strong streetwear and digital community component.
The expanded history and the Japanese kendama culture lives in what a kendama is.
Parts of a kendama
| Piece | Function |
|---|---|
| Ken (mallet) | Main body with three cups and the spike |
| Tama (ball) | Drilled ball that is caught or spiked |
| Sarado (cross) | Cross with the big cup and the small cup |
| Base cup | Third cup, at the base of the ken |
| Ken-saki (spike) | Top spike of the ken where the tama is landed |
| String | Joins tama and ken; standard length ~40 cm |
| Beads | Beads on the string to secure the knot |
JKA (Japan Kendama Association) competition kendamas have standardised measurements: tama around 60 g and ~60 mm diameter. Modern brands (Sweets, KROM, Sol) usually meet those measurements with minimal tolerances.
Basic tricks in order
The learning order matters: skipping steps creates frustration and abandonment.
- Big cup — catch the tama in the big cup. The "hello world" trick.
- Small cup — the small one; demands better control of the trajectory.
- Base cup — the bottom one; changes the wrist angle.
- Sara-meguri — chain big → small → base without stopping.
- Tomeken / Spike — land the tama on the spike. The trick that defines kendama.
- Moshikame — alternate big cup and base cup repeatedly (the traditional Japanese "constancy test": grades exist for how many consecutive catches you reach).
- Airplane — hold the tama, throw the ken and catch it by the spike.
- Lighthouse — balance the ken on top of the tama.
From the spike onwards, the discipline scales toward "flow" tricks (chained combos), "balance" tricks and creative tricks with no clear ceiling.
Brands and models
| Brand | Origin | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Sweets Kendamas | US (Minnesota), 2010 | Global reference brand; sticky/clear paint, competitive team |
| KROM | Denmark, 2010 | Minimalist aesthetic, matte paint, high durability |
| Sol Kendamas | US | Good grip, striking designs, mid price |
| Ozora / Tribute | Japan (official JKA) | Official JKA standard; competition pieces |
| Kendama USA | US, 2008 | Pioneers of the modern movement in the US |
Modern brands typically offer kendamas with specific paint finishes (sticky, clear, splatter, fade) that affect grip and play style. Specific model recommendations in what kendama to buy.
How to pick your first one
- Size and weight: JKA standard (tama ~60 mm, ~60 g) is recommended to start; "mini" or "jumbo" are for specific niches.
- Paint: "sticky" or "clear" offer extra grip and help with stalls and balances; "satin" is the classic paint, more slippery but truer to the traditional style.
- Wood: beech and maple are the two most common woods; maple is slightly harder and lasts longer.
- Budget: a decent brand kendama to start is around 20-30 €; below 15 € you usually find generic kendamas that get in the way of learning.
The progressive plan for the first tricks and the detailed buying guide by level and budget live in what kendama to buy.
Care and maintenance
- Clean, dry hands: grease and moisture ruin the paint and make the tama slip.
- Avoid hard surfaces: practise on carpet or soft floor if you care about cosmetics; the kendama takes constant hits.
- String: check the knot and the beads; replace the string if worn (kendamas usually ship with spare string).
- Tama replacement: the tama wears out before the ken; brands sell spare tamas so you don't have to buy a whole kendama.
- Storage: away from heat and moisture; wood deforms with sudden changes.
Continue your kendama journey: visit our kendamas category to see all available models, or explore brands like Sweets Kendamas, KROM Kendama or Kendama USA directly. For more specific guides, see which kendama to buy by level and progressive kendama tricks.
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