What the heck is Kendama?!

A Brief History

We're fairly unsure of the exact origins of Kendama. However, there are similar games that we believe Kendama evolved from, like the French game, bilboquet, a wooden cylinder with a hole attached via string to a handle with one spike. This early form of skill toy traces back to the early 16th century. Other such games were found among some Native American tribes, but instead of a ball, they used a rabbit's skull, and the ken was more of a skewer. Yeah, gnar.




Kendama Today


Kendama is not "ball-in-a-cup," nor is it a game of stab the furry rodent. Instead, it's developed into a game of self-mastery. And with tens of thousands of tricks to set into motion, complete mastery of the game is seemingly unattainable. The Japanese Kendama Association is a leader in setting standards for tricks and competitions. Other groups, like our friends at the Kengarden, have set a precedent in the American Kendama scene, through monthly battles, edits, and crazy sense of community.



If you're ready to let Kendama ninja your mind into submission, click here.