Kankeri Japan

Tjuggles · Post by **Tjuggles** » 18 Oct 2006 18:26

6 ball flash?! Nice job Adam!

I tried 4 in one hand, but tried to just practice getting good throws. It didnt work...

Yeah, the Japanese Champs are in just about one week. I am really looking foward to seeing everyone there, Especially those that have moved out of the Osaka area (Yuko-chan). Also, those that are coming from the Tokyo area. I understand that Takumi cont make it, which sucks. I wanted to see him.

Ken,
I wish you could make it too. It won't be the same without you. Last year, I was still fairly new to Japan, and completely new to the Japanese scene, and it was really nice to have someone that I could communicate with. Thank you. Thanks for also taking the time out of that day (I could tell you were really busy) to make sure that I knew what was going on as far as competition, time tables, etc.. I will do my best to write a complete report for you.

TJ

Tjuggles · Post by **Tjuggles** » 22 Oct 2006 21:00

Yesterday, thanks to Charhan, 6 of us got to do a demo for next weeks JAPAN FOOTBAG CHAMPIONSHIPS in front of Spotaka, a 10 floor sports store. The store manager was really kind, and he blocked off a spot in front of the store, which is on a really busy street. He gave us from 2 until 4 pm, which was plenty of time for us to do our thing. I played for about half of the time, mainly because I was also MC. It was a lot of fun, and we got a lot of people educated about footbag. We were also able to pass out numerous fliers for the tourney, and I feel like a lot of people will be coming to check it out. At least I hope.

Kenzo and Charhan had the shred floor for most of the time. Kenzo is getting good and may just be the man to beat next year, but he is going to have to get passed me first

Tjuggernaut

Adam · Post by **Adam** » 28 Nov 2006 03:52

I've been pretty swamped with work lately. My master's thesis is due on the 11th of next month. It is going pretty well but I foresee some problems with the final layout. The actual content turned out to be more organized than I had originally expected.

Footbag has been calling me. I'd like to get out of my room more and do some kicking. Hopefully that will happen when I get this thesis out of the way.

I've been watching the old Twilight Zone programs on YouTube. There are some pretty good ones--the camera work is simple but very effective. Makes me proud to be an Antioch grad.

In other news, my ten-year high school reunion was held recently. I couldn't make it but I got to see the pictures. I felt embarrassed that I didn't remember some people. Living in Japan, I feel that I have two pasts--my past in the States and my past here. Sometimes it's hard to remember things that happened because they are so out of context for me here.

Till next time...
Don't be a banana peel under the foot of truth.

Tjuggles · Post by **Tjuggles** » 28 Nov 2006 16:41

Good to hear from you Adam.

Seeing your post gave me the motivation to write this. Good luck with your master thesis! I bet it will turn out very nice.

Anytime you want to shred, just let me know a day in advance, and I will bring my stuff to work, and we can meet up. I'm serious.

Now, (Ken sorry to keep you waiting

) JFC 2006.

The event took place at Namihaya dome, which is home to many volleyball tournaments. There actually happened to be one the day of the Japan Footbag Championships, so I figured there would be a fair amount of passer-bys. I think I was right. The event took place in a multi-purpose room, in the lower level of the complex. As I entered the room, I was greeted by numerous warm faces. There was definitely a positive aura about the room. That is one of the many things I love about tourneys.
The event was lined up to have semifinals AND finals on the same day, right after eachother. I was skeptical about that whole thing. I feel that they should be on two separate days. I'm sure I'm not the only one that felt like that. First up was Sick 3, then routines. I did ok in sick 3. I went safe, which is never a bad thing, and then once I hit a couple good ones, I tried for more difficult links, with no success. Routines went ok too. I only dropped once (I think) near the end of the routine on a silly spinning clipper. I think I just forgot to get a good set before the spin. Oh well.

Ill write more about how I did in my blog...

I was really suprised at not only how many new faces I saw, but how many of the same faces I saw. It was really nice to know that the shredders that were more or less new to footbag stayed with it. The level of the competition this year was SO much higher than last. For example, In order to secure a spot in Sick 3, you had to throw at least one 5. It seems like last year, you were in good shape with 4>4>4, or maybe even 3>4>4. 1st and 2nd place for finals were both 5>5>5, which is really cool. People are getting better out here, and that is very good motivation.

Routines went really well too. There was a lot of artistic performance, which makes watching the routines a treat. I am really looking foward to next years event.

I would like to thank everyone that put the event together, and the TV stations that came out to tape and interview. I would also like to thank Ken, for bringing the footbag scene to Japan.

Adam · Post by **Adam** » 04 Dec 2006 06:14

TJ--

I might have to take you up on that offer pretty soon.

Well, I finished writing my thesis! Now I will spend the next few days polishing it up, making charts, and checking references. It turned out to be a mini-book, but I think I brought up some interesting points so hopefully it will be easy to read. Writing all the time has been somewhat enjoyable, although it reminds me of that sense of vertigo that you get when you're driving alone for over ten hours.

I had to keep myself in good mental shape, so I made sure that I took breaks. Most of the breaks involved watching Twilight Zone episodes on YouTube or working on crossword puzzles. I also worked on a little three-in-one-hand juggling in my room.

One of the other stupid activities I started doing for amusement was collecting random sentences from blogs and putting them together into an odd collage. Here are a few examples:

It was salad and a sloppy Joe. I gave the sloppy Joe away.
(there's something inherently amusing about sloppy Joes)

I was still becoming aware of my surroundings. I had been deep in the non-material and was not even sure what century it was. I reached into my pockets to see if I could find my ID, but I found my pockets were empty. I must have put on a pair of pants from a previous day. The officer said with some urgency, â€œTake your hands out of your pockets.â€

Adam · Post by **Adam** » 04 Jan 2007 01:01

Some updates:

Had a solo session this afternoon in my usual spot next to a community garden. For January it actually wasn't too cold today. I warmed up with some kicks and some whirls, drifters, and torques.

I was practicing everything downtime by setting from a hand drop. My flipside torque from hand drop felt a little odd at first but I was able to smooth out the movement after some repetitions. Since my torques were feeling good, I decided to try for mobius and managed to hit it on both sides. That was a good feeling.

I will be playing with Henmo sometime this weekend. It's been a long time since I've seen him. He's a serious player so I'm sure that he has continued to polish his technique.

C-Fan · Post by **C-Fan** » 04 Jan 2007 08:25

Henmo ni yoroshiku ne. Looking forward to some updates from that session. Frobs on mobius.

Adam · Post by **Adam** » 08 Jan 2007 04:14

Got back last night from a two-day trip to Marugame, Shikoku. We all had a good time. Let's see...

We arrived in the afternoon and met Henmo, Morio, Kumi, Kenzo, and Henmo's dad for lunch. We went out immediately for some udon at a place called Wata-ya. The place had a long line when we got there but we were soon inside with our food. Shikoku is known for its great udon. Most places are buffet-style--you get your noodles first and then choose what kind of toppings you want.

After a good meal we headed to a gym. Marugame has a really nice gym that is unbelievably cheap to use. We played in a large room with a wooden floor and a big mirror. I wish I had a place like that in Kyoto! I am forced to play outside, and it always seems to start raining or snowing right as I head out for a session.

It was great to see Henmo play again. He still plays three to four times a week, and his dad has even starting playing. Henmo has a nice, effortless style. He hit a clean ripstein and some nice stepping tricks out of osis, and his ddds were looking good. He's been practicing barraging set and was hitting janiwalker pretty consistently.

Kenzo and Morio were playing pretty well, although Morio had some stomach problems. Kenzo was doing a lot quantum-set combos that looked good.

I was a little stiff after my bus ride but I hit a few good runs, nothing memorable...

Today I was going to have a session, but alas, it started raining. I stayed in my room and worked on some juggling. Henmo's younger brother is an excellent juggler and I was able to pick up some tricks from him over the weekend. Here are some highlights:

almost 100 catches of 5-ball cascade
site swaps 45141, 441, 44133
some box variations
long runs with 4 balls

Ken,
Thanks for the props and congrats on your rubberman and fearless accomplishments!

Tjuggles · Post by **Tjuggles** » 09 Jan 2007 20:19

Adam,

Props on the juggling. I haven't been practicing 5 ball recently, but you make me want to.
Hey, this Saturday we are going to shred if you can. I suggest you come out

I will probably get out there around 12 or 1. Let one of us know...

Sounds like a lot of fun was had with Henmo and everyone. I wish I could've gone...

Aight,
T

Tjuggles · Post by **Tjuggles** » 15 Jan 2007 20:22

Adam, (and everyone else)

I posted in my blog too, but

This Saturday (1/20), we are going to get together to shred. Im not sure where, so contact Kenzo or myself if you can make it.

Oh, Adam, you got a lot better at juggling since the last time we met. I am jealous. I am going to start thinking more in terms of siteswapping, and see how that turns out.

I practiced some 5 ball yesterday, and my flashes are coming together a little bit better. I am having less difficulty making good throws, which feels nice.

So yeah, props on the juggling, and Im glad we got to shred this last weekend.

TJ

Adam · Post by **Adam** » 19 Jan 2007 07:21

Had a solo session on campus today. It was pretty cold, so I was happy to find an empty room to play in. The room had a good echo, which made me focus on the rhythms that my feet make as I play. I had quite a bit of luck hitting some nice drills:

whirl>pdx whirl rpt.
spinning butt>infinity rpt.
merkon>toe whirl rpt. (This is tough!)
sidewalk>ripwalk rpt.
pete and repeat
whirl>drifter rpt.
pdx illusion>toe whirl rpt.
paradon>blur (one side only)
pdx egg bs

I've also been doing lots of juggling recently. I'm working on the siteswap (6x,4)(4,2x). It's quite tough. I'd like to get four-ball mills mess started soon also.

After my session I had some good Thai curry. There is an incredible Thai restaurant in Kyoto. They have a coconut-milk curry that is very addictive. I love coconuts, so if anyone wants to make me happy, buy me something with coconut in it. Just had some coconut cookies as I was writing...

In other news, I had my final oral exam for my master's program. It went pretty well. I look forward to graduating in March.

Need to start work on a guitar CD soon...

coconuts...

Tjuggles · Post by **Tjuggles** » 20 Jan 2007 12:05

I got some coconuts for ya...

Tjuggles · Post by **Tjuggles** » 21 Jan 2007 17:40

Hey Kankeri.

(Towards Adam, but of course everyone is welcome)

I am still assuming you (Adam) are still down to meet up this Thursday? If so, please let me know (I will probably mail your phone though) so that I can bring my shoes to work with me, then we can meet up somewhere in Kyoto. I have a meeting that day, so its likely that I will get out early, maybe around 4 or 4:30. I will let you know for sure Thursday.

T

Oh yeah, I got 8 catches of 5 ball cascade! I can't wait to beat your 100!

Adam · Post by **Adam** » 22 Jan 2007 04:24

TJ--

Props on the five-ball. Try to qualify (flashx2) it! I've been trying to get my head around four-ball mills mess. See your blog about kicking on Thursday.

Adam · Post by **Adam** » 22 Jan 2007 04:47

Had a good session today, although it was drizzling like it always freakin' does when I try to play!

I warmed up with some downtime tricks first. I was playing with paradox drifters and found them easier if I set the bag to pass over and then under my dex leg just behind the knee. Actually, this is something I've been thinking about lately, perhaps as a result of all the juggling stuff I've been doing.

Set position can be thought of in terms of three parameters: height, distance from body, and side-to-side arc. I notice that in the tricks I am most confident hitting, I have a clear image and feel for how the set and the dexing leg relate. For example, some tricks--like drifters--are easiest when the bag is set with a slight inside arc towards the final clipper foot. In juggling, there are inside, outside, and up-and-down throws--and I think this can be applied to footbag also. Giving the bag an inside arc does NOT mean a sideways set--it is a controlled up-and-down set with a slight arcing motion.

I find that the essential element of most tricks, especially downtime tricks, is having a clear sense of the path of the bag to the dexing leg to the point BEFORE the dex. It's as if you align the set and get the dex leg into position, and then the dex just takes care of itself.

I also was doing some stepping work and noticed that proper stepping feels like you are "under" the bag. Staying over the bag is a common tip for stepping, but I find it more accurate to say that you stay under the bag. If you are aligned right, the bag just pops up pretty easily along your centerline.

drills today:

dlo>drifter rpt.
pdx mirage>toe whirl rpt.
ripwalk>whirl rpt.
stepping clip>infinity rpt.
pixie muted clip>pdx mirage rpt.

Torques felt good on both sides today too.

Tjuggles · Post by **Tjuggles** » 22 Jan 2007 15:42

Good stuff Adam. I know this one guy who lives in Hirakata that can do four ball mills mess. He tried to show me, but my eyes started doing consecutive (async) circles, so I had to stop. It looks really cool though.

This Thursday, Im not sure how much time we will be able to shred, being that I wont make it out to Umeda until around 5 or 5:30. I will do my best. Just let me know where you guys are playing.

TJ

Adam · Post by **Adam** » 27 Jan 2007 00:56

Had a fun session on Thurs with TJ and Kenzo. I felt pretty cold most of the day, so maybe I didn't get enough to eat or something. I was chilled until the time I got home. Nevertheless, I had a pretty good day. I focused on playing guiltless most of the day and didn't find it too hard.

I was filming TJ and Kenzo towards the end of the session, and I asked them to hit a quad dex. They both got really into it--TJ was quite close a few times to pixie paradon swirl. Kenzo hit probably one of the first four-dex tricks in Japan (Babakei hit pixie paradon swirl two years ago). A beautiful blurriest swirl:

http://www16.tok2.com/home/kankeri/Blur ... 0swirl.wmv

He was so close to hitting it flipside too!

Adam · Post by **Adam** » 27 Jan 2007 01:03

Had a solo session today. Most tricks felt pretty solid--I was trying to be aware of staying balanced on my support foot. It seemed to help quite a bit.

Atomics felt on today. One thing that helped me was to feel the weight of the bag as I set and try to get the setting leg planted quickly. I was hitting back-to-back atomic tricks, which is unusual for me. I'd like to work on rubberman.

Was experimenting with torques and found that they are easiest when I get the dex leg into position quickly and then just twist into the dex--when done correctly it feels like two distinct movements. Kind of like how Kenny does them on the old Tricks of the Trade video.

I'd like to work on this drill in my next session:

sidewalk>blur>parkwalk>blizzard>dimwalk rpt.

Ten tripless is an attainable goal! If I can just get my flip stepping under control...

C-Fan · Post by **C-Fan** » 27 Jan 2007 10:47

That drill is pretty similar to the "lon smith drill" (not the official name). Some variation of those tricks. 10 tripless is a good goal for sure, I know you can do it. Just space out your breathing. That's the trick to long strings in general.

As for the first quad dex in Japan...the pps Babakei hit a few years ago was pretty darn iffy. The swirl didn't really happen. Maybe he hit better ones off camera, but I'd have trouble counting that one as legit.

In a curious bit of trivia, the first quad dex ever hit on Japanese soil was clownface, when Sunil visited in summer of 2003. Pretty cool.

Adam · Post by **Adam** » 28 Jan 2007 23:59

Ken,

Thanks for the tips.

I wonder if that video of Babakei is still around somewhere. Did you see Kenzo's video?