Balancing tips

Here are some tips I think might useful to anyone learning to do balancing tricks (lunars, lighthouse)

This first thing is to have your ken balanced properly, I know when I first started I had never thought of this. If you have read the "Super glue, a kendamas best friend" post youll know putting a ring of super glue around the sarado will leave less struggle later on in the kendamas life of always pushing the sarado down onto the ken. before you glue though place the kens big cup onto the tama(ball) as if your going to do a lunar(even if you cant do one yet). If the ken falls forward to much push the sarado more onto the ken. If the falls back towards yout thumb to much lightly move the sarado up on the ken. When you find the spot your happy with and feels good to you, put some small dabs of super glue where the ken and sarado touch.

After your balanced you can start with your tricks, ill start with a lighthouse. So the first thing I did was not worry about pulling the ken up onto the tama. I would hold the ken by the spike and drop it onto the tam, get the feel of keepsing the ken balanced once it hit the tama. Using your knees has a big part to land thr trick as a begginer, softening the landing will result in a lot less vibration and let the kem fall onto the tama better. After balancing the ken you can start pulling the ken up straight, once you have that down apply the balancing of the ken. Before you know it youll have the lighthouse down like a pro.

The second trick is the lunar, this trick isnt really for begginers but its def not the most difficult trick once youve been playing for a while. Like I wrotr before with the light house, getting the feel for how the ken sits and balances is ideal to know what you have to do when the ken lands on the tama. The hardest part of a lunar is pulling the ken up. The first thing I do is make sure the sting isnt wound up(will def effect the ken in the air if it is wound up). Now if you know how to do an airplane your halfway to a lunar, but when you let go of the ken slightly give it a small spin. And when I say small I mean barilly give it the smallest amount of spin. At thr point where you know to give it a slight tug, to get the tip to come down twords the hole (for an airplane), give it a slightly harder tug and with the small amount of spin you had given the cup should be facing down towards the tama. After some practice and you get the right pullup down just get them to conect and balance (def takes some practice)....


Know this was long but I hope it helps anyone, if theres anything I didnt explain right or well enough PLEASE let me know and I will try my nest to explain it to you :