DRAFT 6-20-15

KENDAMA
TEACHING GUIDE

Taught by Matt “Sweets” Jorgenson

In conjunction with
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 INTRODUCTION TO THE KENDAMA TEACHING GUIDE
The following pages contain a brief description of the history of kendama, classroom management ideas,
a description of skills including teaching tips, ideas for games and activities, sample challenges, and a
sample lesson format.

Also included are videos of each lesson’s skill points and description of skill points per classroom time.
The curriculum is for students of all ages starting at age 7 through college level. All skills may be taught
in the same progression for all ages. Included in the guide are suggestions for how these activities meet
the National PE Standards embodied in the SHAPE America Program.

Each skill builds on the others and teachers should teach to mastery of levels as much as possible. A few
students will excel immediately and other will lag behind immediately. Developing a method to
teaching students who advance faster may be necessary as opposed to helping others who develop the
skills more slowly. More advanced students may help students who lag behind. Another suggestion is
to have more advanced students self-teach with some portion of the next week’s video if they cannot
help those who are lagging. Both ideas are equally valid.

Practice time may be built into the kendama unit so that students can develop mastery over previous
weeks’ tricks or practice the current week’s lessons. Developing self-expression in freestyle movement
is as needful as developing the skills inherent in kendama. Students are encouraged to put together a 1-
minute routine that they may be able to perform at the end of the class.

Teachers should develop their lesson plans based on the moderate learner. Using more advanced
students to help teach means developing student leaders that may not be as apparent from other forms
of leadership in school. This develops self-confidence and perseverance on the part of the student
leaders and motivation to learn for slower learners if they are coached by their peers.

The teaching lessons are suggestions only and may be used as a supplement to whatever the teacher
deems needful for class learning. Knowing that classes may go faster or slower in learning skills than
others, it is left to the teacher to decide how much of the suggestions to engage in each class.

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 KENDAMA
HISTORY

Kendama, in some form or other, has existed for centuries. Many types of kendama-like games existed
in early civilizations that prized good hand-eye coordination for hunting skills. Early Alaskan Inuits used
a game called Pommawonga (spike the fish) made from animal bones used in hunting rituals to ask seers
the outcome of a future hunting party. Other, later uses were the Bilboquets used by the French court
in the 16th century and the boliche or bolero used in Spanish-speaking countries. It was used in the 19th
century all over Europe.

16th Century French Bilboquet Spanish Boliche or Bolero

The bilboquet is believed to have been taken over the Silk Road from France to Japan in the 18th century
in about 1777. Called Sukuitamaken (spoon-kendama) players had to catch the ball within 3 or 5 tries.
Around 1870s, the game had a revival in Japan as women took up the pastime of playing the game. It
became very popular and became another trend throughout Europe thanks to the Japanese. The game
also made its first appearance in a PE curriculum of sorts in 1876 as reported on by the Japanese
Ministry of Education and became more popular among younger adults and children.

French Courtesans Playing Bilboquet

The modern-day kendama first appeared in the early 1900s when two additional cups were added to the
game. Invented by Mr. Hamaji Egusa from Hisoshima area, the game now had a handle with a
sharpened spike to which was fastened a second piece of wood containing a set of two wooden cups of
different sizes (the sarado). The bottom part of the handle also added an additional cup, smaller than
either of the two side cups. A string held all pieces together so that the player could navigate all areas
of the handle without the ball falling numerous times. Competitions were held among children in

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public places where winners received over-sized kendamas as their prizes. Many tricks developed
during this period are still played today.

The game revived in 1960 after WWII, this time to be discovered by adults. Kendama clubs started
forming all over Japan. These clubs developed new tricks and over time, became the foundation of the
Japan Kendama Association (JKA) which is still in existence today as the ruling entity, developing the
kendama into more of a sport and less of a pastime. In 1975, Issei Fujiwara founded the JKA for
standardization of the sport and to formalize the shape and playability of the kendama. Because he was
also a children’s book author, he also helped make kendama popular for children.

It has enjoyed resurgence in the 1990s and beyond in Europe and now into the United States as adults
and children alike find the wooden toy to be stimulating to hand-eye coordination and a joy to play.

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 SHAPE NATIONAL PE STANDARDS
Throughout the course, current SHAPE National PE Standards are called to mind. Usually, all Standards
are seen in any classroom teaching Kendama. But if one or another of the Standards is particularly
enlisted in a lesson, those are set forth independently within that class lesson.

Kendama fulfills all of the following SHAPE National PE Standards in many ways:

Standard 1 - The physically literate individual demonstrates competency in a variety of motor skills and
movement patterns.

• Large motor skills are used as the body coordinates upper and lower body movements
• Fine motor skills are used as the hand must coordinate throws and catches
• Brain puts it all together

Standard 2 - The physically literate individual applies knowledge of concepts, principles, strategies and
tactics related to movement and performance.

• Muscle memory is created with every catch or miss

• Using muscle memory increases skills in other uses, such as playing an instrument, playing a team
sport, playing an individual sport, and typing/keyboarding

Standard 3 - The physically literate individual demonstrates the knowledge and skills to achieve and
maintain a health-enhancing level of physical activity and fitness.

• Fun-enhancing movement maintains health and keeps students wanting to learn more
• Keeps students away from electronics, TV, and video games
• Helps create communities for sharing, creating additional emotional intelligence

Standard 4 - The physically literate individual exhibits responsible personal and social behavior that
respects self and others.

1. Community creation helps translate instruction and feedback points

2. Crosses socio-economic boundaries
3. Kendama play touches all five of Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence Components (Goleman, 1995):
1. Self-Awareness – knowing that the unit is hard and that no one knows how to play well
at first, but small incremental successes help attain the goals
2. Self-Regulation – the internal ability to control or reroute disrupting impulses and
thinking before acting
3. Internal Motivation – the player’s ability to work toward internal goals beyond external
rewards
4. Empathy – being aware that others may not be doing as well as the student, thereby
allowing the student to relate to them and offer help
5. Social Skills – managing relationships around the common goal of passing skill levels or
the class unit help build other social skills outside of class

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Standard 5 - The physically literate individual recognizes the value of physical activity for health,
enjoyment, challenge, self-expression and/or social interaction.

• Players are encouraged to reach for levels outside of their comfort zone and enjoy the challenges
• Players seek to help each other overcome obstacles to attaining skill levels
• Play becomes an engaging self-expression with freestyle components added to skill attainment

Goleman, Daniel. (1995). Emotional intelligence. New York : Bantam Books

TYPICAL CLASS
The model for the Kendama Unit is that each class would consist of between 20 – 25 students. If more
students than this, more advanced students that become evident during the first classes may help the
teacher co-teach if needed or may be split out into their own section to learn at their own pace.

The Kendama Unit is 2 – 3 weeks depending upon the school’s PE structure (if every other day PE, then 3
weeks; if every day PE, then 2 weeks). Each class is about 45 minutes in length. Typical structure of the
classes are 25 minutes teaching/15 minutes practicing/5 minutes playing group games. The teacher may
give other increments for the class depending on skill levels and teaching needs of the students.
Modifications should be made for lesser lengths of time in class. Another portion of the class could be
used for review of previous class day material if desired.

At the end of the unit, the teacher should determine a proficiency test. A suggested proficiency test is
given at the end of this Teaching Guide. The teacher may also dictate small quizzes at intervals to
determine incremental proficiencies throughout the unit.

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 CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
Teachers should have one kendama ready for each student and one to have for him- or herself. If the
teacher would like to purchase kendamas as a part of the cost of the class, this might be beneficial as
the student can take his/her kendama home to practice as part of the class structure. Otherwise, the
teacher/school can purchase a school set to keep at school and be reused. Another model is to allow
the student to purchase his or her own kendama at a discounted cost through a vendor.

If the school set is used, have the students get their equipment quickly and practice until the class starts
in earnest. An over-the-door shoe organizer works well to keep kendamas up and out of the way in an
orderly manner.

When teaching kendama make sure that students have adequate space in which to work. This will
ensure safety for everyone in the class. Based on teacher preference, class size and gym size choose
between 1 and 2 below for the first class.

1. When beginning, teachers should use a scatter formation with each student working within his or
her own "personal" space.

2. Alternately, creating a circle and teaching from the inside is a good way to approach teaching
kendama in the beginning. Students can see their peers struggling just like they are. They can also
learn from other students or the teacher by watching their movements and mimicking them.

3. Students should work individually at first until the basic cup throws are mastered.

4. Physical and mental involvement of all students in the lesson is the key to success. Each student
should have a kendama in his or her possession for continuous active involvement.

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 CLASS NO. 1
Anatomy of the Kendama – Look and Identify

The Kendama is made up of 3 parts:

Ken (handle containing bottom cup and spike)

Sarado (2 cups – big cup and small cup, one on each side)
Tama (ball with beveled hole)

The pieces are held together either by a string or by pressure between the pieces.

These pieces are created to be separate so players are able to re-string the kendama if the
strings break or get worn.

On the Sarado, there is a small cup on one side and a big cup on the other side.

On the ken there is a cup on the bottom that is smaller than the other two on the Sarado.

There is a beveled hole in the tama; when students get more skilled, they will work on
spiking the tama hole with the ken.

Overall Skills

1. Make sure students start out trying to get the ball on the big cup. It makes things a little
easier when starting out that the goal of the first class is to make sure that every student can
get the ball on the big cup on the first day. If they get “big cup”, they feel more confident and
more likely to keep putting effort into learning additional kendama skills.

2. Emphasize the principles of eye focus, weight transfer, and patience. It is important for
children to track the object being caught and to focus on the target while its moving through
the air.

3. In early practice, stress a soft receipt of the tama by giving with the hands, arms, and legs.
Giving involves the hand going out toward the incoming tama and bringing it in for a soft
landing.

Class Time

1. Learning the Grips

a. Ken Grip - With the spike facing away from you. Pinch the ken right under the sarado
with your thumb and pointer finger.

b. Sara Grip/Pencil Grip - Where the string is coming out of the hole with the spike facing
to the left, pinch the ken right under the sarado with the big cup facing up. Hold it as
you would a pencil.

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 c. Candlestick Grip - Hold the kendama upside down only grasping the spike with a many
fingers as you feel comfortable.

d. Tama Grip - Grip the tama with your pointer finger and thumb equidistant from the hole
in the tama. Gently rest your other finger(s) on the tama as well.

Ready Position

1. Playing kendama starts with the ken held out in front of the body, horizontal to the ground
with the tama hanging down from the ken at a gravity-natural angle, creating a perpendicular
angle.

2. When playing kendama the ken should usually be held somewhere right around mid-torso. It
is common for some students to play with it at eye level. This feels better at first for some,
but is not the correct way to approach playing kendama as this makes connection between
tricks harder.

3. There is one rule in kendama that always stands true; no matter what skill the players are
learning: BEND YOUR KNEES. One of the things that bending your knees does is to give the
player additional time to “stick” the tricks. A general rule of thumb is “Rise and fall with the
ball”. When lifting the ball, students should be at their full height; when catching the tama,
students should bend their knees to receive the ball creating a cushioning effect and giving
additional time to key in on the hole in the tama.

4. Beginner students worry many different things and usually forget to bend their knees. Just like
most sports, bending your knees is crucial to executing the task at hand.

Teaching Basic Tricks

1. Big Cup | https://youtu.be/3aI8lwD2whE | Teaching Tips

a. This will be the one time the teacher will really need to worry about anyone hurting
themselves with the kendama. It takes a few minutes of play to get used to the weight
and feel of the kendama. After the first 5 minutes of students having the kendama, the
teacher shouldn't have to worry about anyone injuring themselves. Again, giving
enough space between players is important for the set-up of the class. Nowhere is this
more important than when first learning Big Cup – other tricks will use more space, but
by that time, players know where their space comfort zone lies.

b. Many first timers will try to swing the tama onto the big cup. That is the INCORRECT way
to do Big Cup.

c. The CORRECT way to accomplish Big Cup is by concentrating the eye on the hole at the
top of the tama, bending the knees and pulling/lifting the tama straight up with a quick
but clean jerking motion and putting the ken directly beneath the tama to catch it as it
starts to fall on its way down from the throw.

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 d. Keep the big cup parallel with the ground. It is a common mistake for beginners to have
the cup pointed too far down, up, or sideways, causing the tama to fall off the ken even
if they get the tama where it’s supposed to be.

2. Little Cup | https://youtu.be/mkmFCfMB5PU | Teaching Tips

a. Little Cup is a little different from accomplishing Big Cup. Most people think they can
just spin the ken around making the little cup face up and accomplish Little Cup in the
same manner as Big Cup. This is INCORRECT.

b. The CORRECT way to get Little Cup is hold the ken normally, as if you were about to get
the Big Cup. When the ball is in the air, the student should turn their wrist 45 degrees
to the left (for right-handed players; 45 degrees to the right for left-handed players) as if
they were going to look at their watch, and then catching the ball on the little cup.

c. Again, the student should bend their knees to cushion the ball landing on the little cup.
Support the ken with the thumb and fingers, making sure that the cup is parallel to the
ground.

3. Base Cup | https://youtu.be/gi-Q1vLQD3s | Teaching Tips

a. Out of the three cups, Base or Bottom Cup is definitely the most difficult to achieve in a
short amount of time. The reason it is so difficult is because the student’s arm has to
move in a way it has rarely ever moved before.

b. We suggest that students try to put the tama on the cup with their free hand first. This
makes sure that they have a good feel for completing trick they are about to attempt.

c. Again, students should lift the tama straight up from ready position and then turn the
wrist to the necessary angle to catch the tama.

d. When describing the motion, we tell students to pretend that they are Spider Man
shooting webs from his wrists. This helps them visualize what kind of motion their hand
and arm should be making to accomplish the trick.

e. A special key to unlocking this trick is to extend the fingertips out from the body after
lifting the ball into the air. When first trying this trick it is common to see students’
hands touching the tama as it falls into the bottom cup. This usually means the students
need to use their fingertips more, extending the ken out and away from their palm. This
creates a nice flat base for the tama to land on.

4. Candlestick | https://youtu.be/u1RiNyDahgI?list=PLC75B99A797CC0DBB | Teaching Tips

a. This is one of the few times we will utilize the Candlestick Grip. Yet this trick is a
component in many Beginner Ladders in competitions, so it is wise to know it.

b. Hold the kendama upside down, grasping only the spike with a many fingers as you feel
comfortable.

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 c. Again, pull the tama straight up in the air, as straight as possible.

d. Concentrate on the eyelet (the place where the string comes out) at the top of the tama
and move your ken back underneath it to catch the tama as it starts to fall.

e. Make sure you are holding the spike nice and tight. Let the tama fall nice and easy onto
the base cup.

Class Game – Unicorn Battle | https://youtu.be/SL6NZD2XGZ4 | Teaching Tips

1. First things first. Students must first learn how to get into “Unicorn position”. It is called the
Unicorn position because players take the base cup of the ken and put it on their foreheads
to make it look like a unicorn horn. Follow this by putting the ball on the backside of the
head with the string keeping tension between the two parts on top of the head. Now
students are ready to play Unicorn.

2. TEACHING TIP: If a student is having a hard time getting the Unicorn position up, tell them
to tilt their head back. This will help the base of the ken lay flatter on their forehead.

3. This game is a great to play at the beginning of the kendama unit. It is fun because no
matter the skill level of the player, they can still compete against everyone else. There are
various ways to play this game:

a. Version 1 - Copycat
For this game, the instructor will give the students random tasks to complete while
still keeping the kendama in Unicorn position. Once the kendama falls off the students
head, they are out for that round. Some examples of things to do are: Spin around
one time, balance on one foot, touch one knee to the ground, sit on the ground
without using hands to get down, clap your hands, clap hands behind your back, jump
one inch off the ground, crab walk, or the instructor should feel free to think up your
own too!

b. Version 2 - Battle
For this version, students will use a half-gym space to compete against each other. For
this type of play, it is everyone vs. everyone. Students must walk around with their
kendama in Unicorn position and try not have theirs fall off, all the while trying to
knock someone else’s kendama out of Unicorn position with their own Unicorn. They
are not allowed to use their hands or feet to touch any other player. Unicorn kendama
vs. Unicorn kendama. That is it! When one player is still standing with their Unicorn
in place, they win.

c. Version 3 - Relay Races

Students get into groups, running back and forth or around the gym to tag teammates
onto the next lap of the relay when they are finished with theirs. If a student’s
kendama falls out of Unicorn position, they must stop in that spot replace the
kendama, and then keep moving forward. The first team to get back to start position
with all their teammates wins.

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Close Class and Dismiss

Goals

1. To start to develop beginning hand-eye coordination and balance.

2. To improve body image and body awareness.

3. To enhance sensory functioning, particularly vision, touch and kinesthesia, and to hardwire
thoughts between these functions.

4. To foster improved listening skills, patience and concentration.

5. To improve fundamental dynamic and static balance abilities.

6. To improve coordination between body sensory functions.

7. To enhance the fundamental manipulative abilities of balancing and catching.

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 END OF CLASS PROFICIENCY EXAM

At the end of the entire lesson, students should be given a Proficiency Exam to determine if they have
learned the basic tricks in kendama play. If the student is progressing at an adequate pace, the
instructor should be able to tell by successful accomplishment of the following tricks:

• Big Cup
• Little Cup
• Base Cup
• Candlestick
• Spike
• Airplane
• 25 Moshikame

The instructor should allow students to complete the tricks 3 times before moving onto the next trick.

These are the most basic tricks which any student should be able to complete each of these tricks after 1
– 2 weeks of kendama lessons and practice.

Alternate Testing Methods:

1. As an alternate, the instructor may wish the student to complete quiz-type testing at intervals of
every two classes to allow for corrective actions to be taken in the interim periods.

2. As an alternate, the instructor may wish the student to take both quizzes every two classes to
allow for corrective actions, as well as perform the Proficiency Exam at the end of the Unit.

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