Draft:Kendama Rhythmic

• Comment: In accordance with Wikipedia's Conflict of interest guideline, I disclose that I have a conflict of interest regarding the subject of this article. JeanPCarrilloG (talk) 00:02, 8 June 2026 (UTC)

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Kendama Rhythmic

Kendama Rhythmic
First KWC Kendama Made by Cobweb Manufacturing
Characteristics
Dexterity Sport, Performance Discipline and Body Percussion
Forms of Play
1 vs 1 Battles Team Competitions Individual or Group Exhibitions
Influences
Kendama Freestyle Kendama Flow Kendama Performance Kendama Choreography Kendama on Musical Tracks and Sound Creation

The Kendama Rhythmic is a practice modality derived from freestyle, flow, performance and choreography kendama styles, along with the use of the kendama on musical tracks and sound creation.

This modality was born with the potential to evolve into an official and independent discipline that takes freestyle to a musical stage. Here, synchronization with the music and bodily movement is prioritized (not only isolated tricks).

Music is no longer merely an accompaniment as in traditional Kendama Freestyle, where it usually plays in the background to set the atmosphere for visual dexterity and agility tricks. In Kendama Rhythmic, music is the core; the strikes, catches and transitions of the kendama are executed on the off-beat or following the musical pulse.

By positioning the kendama as a percussion instrument thanks to the sound produced by the impact between its wooden, polymer or various experimental material components, this sound ceases to be secondary noise and becomes a direct sonic contribution to the song. Its practice simultaneously combines juggling, percussion and rhythmic movement.

History

In 2024, Cobweb Manufacturing began as a startup dedicated to the manufacturing and development of products, especially sports equipment. As its base product, it launched a line of kendamas optimized for this modality, with specific acoustics ideal for following rhythm. It entered the market with a design called JKA, faithful to the concept of kendama as a sport promoted by the Japan Kendama Association (JKA) since 1975, in the country of origin of its “Nichigetsu Ball” (Sun and Moon Ball) version, patented by Hamaji Egusa in 1919 and considered the direct precursor of modern kendamas.

The Cobweb Kendama was created in Colombia with the intention of integrating into the global kendama culture without limitations of gender, race or geographic location. It takes as its foundation the resilience of the human race in the face of conflict, such as World War II, which claimed millions of lives—many in a devastating manner due to the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where millions of living beings were affected, as well as the environmental stability of planet Earth. According to Jean Paul Carrillo Galindo, pioneer, founder and developer of the playing modality and of the two initial designs JKA and KWC of the Cobweb Kendama (the latter released the year after the startup was founded), both were conceived to launch the Kendama Rhythmic modality and pay tribute to Nagasaki Prefecture and the country of Japan, birthplace of the craftsman and developer of the first patented kendama (Nichigetsu Ball).

The message is that belonging to a place of origin such as Colombia, which may seem more distant from Eastern culture due to its social and economic challenges and which has been more behind other Western countries at different moments in history, is not a limitation to being part of the world of kendama.

Therefore, its two initial designs are based on the best of both hemispheres, according to their level of importance in this sport. This gives value to this toy—and now sports article—that has evolved into a discipline of dexterity and urban culture, complementing other disciplines, with international competitions and active communities around the world.

Characteristics

We can start from the idea that Kendama Rhythmic, as a playing modality, perfectly defines the athlete who dances and interprets music through a bodily expression element, highlighting their skill, coordination and creativity. While freestyle seeks pure technical difficulty, this modality prioritizes fluidity, the language of movement and auditory synchronization, bringing it closer to the performing arts, musical art and dance.

In this modality, the practitioner's level is no longer measured solely by the difficulty of the trick, but by their metric precision with the music. It is not about a completely rehearsed routine, but about using the kendama as a percussion instrument that marks the rhythm, complementing the dance. This creates a symbiosis between the sound of the kendama, stage presence, object control and bodily fluidity in sync with the musical base.

Kendama Rhythmic is based on the acoustic nature of this tool. From the invention of this modality, the kendama is classified as a percussive musical instrument. Although the kendama already exists as a sports article, its use in Kendama Rhythmic as a rhythmic and performance musical tool turns it into a new application or extended instrument. It is not a completely new instrument, as it had a previous application as a sports tool, but it is an innovative practice that positions it as a hybrid idiophone of manual manipulation with a strong bodily and choreographic component. Its practice can be considered, in addition to a sport, an artistic fusion.

The kendama is categorized as a musical instrument based on the Hornbostel–Sachs Classification Study, which is the most recognized system currently used by those who study this field. In the future, the kendama could be included in multiple categories. Its initial classification in its simplest form is based on the action in which sound is produced by the direct impact between two solid bodies (the ken or body and the tama or ball).

Hornbostel-Sachs System
Scientific Classification of Musical Instruments
CATEGORY	HOW THEY PRODUCE SOUND	SUBCATEGORIES
1. Idiophones	The sound comes from the vibration of the instrument's own body.	11 Struck 12 Plucked 13 Friction 14 Blown
2. Membranophones	The sound comes from the vibration of a membrane or head.	21 Struck 22 Plucked 23 Friction 24 Blown
3. Chordophones	The sound comes from the vibration of strings.	31 Simple 32 Composite
4. Aerophones	The sound comes from the vibration of air.	41 Free 42 Non-free
5. Electrophones	The sound is generated by electricity (electrical impulses).	51 Electromechanical 52 Electroacoustic 53 Electronic

When presenting the Kendama Rhythmic modality, Cobweb Manufacturing legitimately argues the following:

«We are not using a toy to make noise; we are playing a high-precision struck idiophone (Hornbostel-Sachs 111.14), where the acoustic design of the wood, polymer or various experimental materials determines the quality of the musical tone.»

The modality especially evaluates Audio-Motor Rhythmic Synchronization, understood as the human being's ability to coordinate bodily movements and sounds produced by an instrument with the pulse, accents and variations of a musical track. In Kendama Rhythmic, this skill is manifested when the athlete makes the impacts, catches, transitions and bodily movements coincide precisely with the musical structure, or when they adapt immediately to an unknown or randomly selected track.

Descriptive Names for the Community

The names used to describe the people who practice this sport and the elements that comprise it within this community have a deep and respectful meaning aligned with the etymological origin of the kendama.

Its denomination originally comes from the Japanese expression ken-tama. Over time, this word underwent the Japanese phonological phenomenon known as Rendaku, by which the initial consonant of the second element of a compound word becomes voiced. As a result, ken-tama came to be pronounced and written as ken-dama. In some translated historical texts, the form dama-ken can also be found. Finally, the modern denomination kendama was consolidated, widely established in Japan during the 20th century and later disseminated internationally. These are grammatically neutral terms, although their etymology allows for symbolic associations.

• Ken: Sword; symbolically associated with the masculine element
• Tama: Ball; symbolically associated with the feminine element

These refer to the traditional dualities of East Asia (Yin and Yang) and (Onmyōdō), which are reflected in the philosophy of the kendama “Nichigetsu Ball” (Sun and Moon Ball), alluding to the difficulty in its practice in which the simple and the complex complement each other by uniting both energies.

Terminology of practitioners in the community:

• Kenrhythmic: For men
• Damarhythmic: For women
• Kendamarhythmics: Full group

Forms of Play in Rhythmic Kendama

They are applied to 1 vs 1 battles, team competitions and individual or group exhibitions.

Exhibition or Routine Kendama Rhythmic (Showcase)

Individual or group modality in which a previously prepared routine synchronized with a musical piece is presented. It integrates kendama technique, rhythmic percussion, bodily movement, artistic expression and choreographic creativity within a structured proposal.

The objective is to achieve a harmonious interpretation in which the movements, catches, transitions and sounds of the kendama relate to the music in a fluid and expressive way. Technical quality, naturalness of execution, stage presence and connection with the audience are valued. The execution time is 1 minute and 30 seconds per round, or the total duration of the musical track.

Random Kendama Rhythmic (Random)

Modality is based on improvisation, in which participants create movements, sequences and rhythmic patterns in real time, adapting to changes in the music without a pre-established choreography.

Its objective is to demonstrate technical mastery, creativity and adaptability, while maintaining musical coherence and bodily control. Improvisation requires building a continuous interpretation in which the movements and sounds of the kendama integrate with the music spontaneously.

It can be developed through randomly selected songs, unexpected changes in rhythm or musical genre, tempo variations and challenges proposed by judges or organizers. The maximum execution time is 1 minute and 30 seconds per round.

KENDAMA RHYTHMIC EVALUATION CRITERIA
CRITERION	DEFINITION	PERCENTAGE
Musical Execution of the Kendama	Use of kendama sounds to complement and dialogue with the music.	25%
Musicality	Ability to adapt movements, tricks and kendama sounds to the rhythm, energy and changes of the music in real time.	15%
Technique	Quality of execution, bodily control, precision and cleanliness of movements and tricks.	15%
Interpretation	Ability to express the character of the music through movement, attitude and stage presence.	15%
Creativity	Originality, improvisation and variety of resources used during the presentation.	15%
Difficulty	Complexity of the tricks, combinations and transitions performed.	15%
Total		100%

Trajectory

• Kendama Freestyle: Modality based on improvisation and free creativity, where the player combines tricks without a fixed sequence, prioritizing originality, technical difficulty and personal style.

• Kendama Flow: Modality focused on the continuity of movements and fluid transitions between tricks, seeking visual harmony and a sense of constant motion.

• Kendama Performance: Style oriented toward live exhibitions and shows, where technique, creativity and stage presence are combined.

• Kendama Choreography: Modality based on choreographies synchronized with music or previously planned scenic sequences.

• Kendama on musical tracks and sound creation: Use of the kendama as an instrument by incorporating its strikes and sounds into experimental compositions and musical tracks.

Controversies or Criticisms

Although the Kendama Rhythmic modality and the designs developed by Cobweb Manufacturing may generate debate within traditional sectors of the kendama community due to the use of polymers and experimental materials, the performance reinterpretation of the sport and the proposal to classify the kendama as a rhythmic and scenic instrument respond to the natural evolution that multiple sports and artistic disciplines have undergone throughout history. Some criticisms focus on the possible loss of authenticity compared to the use of classic woods.

Cobweb Kendamas: KWC Collection (Cobweb Manufacturing).

However, the Kendama Rhythmic modality seeks to expand the cultural, sports and artistic possibilities of the kendama without replacing its Japanese roots, but rather complementing them and projecting them toward new generations and global contexts. The use of more resistant and reusable materials reduces forest overexploitation associated with mass wood manufacturing, a problem related to biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation. In addition, the integration of rhythm, dance and percussion transforms the kendama into an inclusive and contemporary tool of expression, capable of connecting sport, music and creativity in urban settings, thereby strengthening the cultural expansion of this sports article beyond its traditional formats.