Beginner rules

01Format

The Beginner category is a speed ladder on the Beginner tricklist: 15 tricks, played in order.

A heat

• Up to 5 players are on stage at the same time, each followed by a judge.
• On the signal, everyone starts the list from trick 1 and has 1 minute 30 seconds. You must land a trick before moving to the next one; attempts are unlimited.
• Your judge confirms each landed trick out loud, so everybody can follow the race.
• You don't need to land the whole list. When time is up, the player who landed the most tricks wins the heat. If someone lands the last trick before time is up, they win straight away.
• Only the winner moves on; the other players are out.

Rounds and final

• Heats are played round after round, always with up to 5 players and one winner, until 4 players are left.
• The organisers set the size of the heats in each round so that exactly 4 players reach the final.
• The final is one last 1:30 speed ladder with the 4 finalists. The number of tricks landed decides 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.

Tip for speed: learn the list by heart, so you don't lose time looking at it during your run.

02Ties

If two or more players landed the same number of tricks when time is up, they play sudden death: they go on from the next trick on the list, one attempt each at the same time, and the player who lands it while the others miss wins. If all land or all miss, they move on to the next trick.

03Entry and check-in

Check in at the registration desk at least 30 minutes before your category starts. Players who are not there when their name is called three times, over about 2 minutes, lose that round or attempt.

Every player can enter up to 3 categories. Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced and Pro Open are levels, so a player can enter only one of them. Game of Ken and Freestyle are the same category for every player, with no levels: anyone can enter them, with or without a level category.

• Allowed: Beginner + Game of Ken + Freestyle.
• Allowed: Game of Ken + Freestyle.
• Not allowed: Beginner + Intermediate (two levels).

04Choosing your level

Choose the level that matches how you really play. You cannot enter a level below one in which you finished on the podium at any kendama contest in the last 12 months. The head judge can move a player up one level before the category starts if the player is clearly above it. Pro Open is open to every player.

05When a trick counts

A trick counts when the judge sees it done as described on the tricklist and the final catch is held still for a clear moment (about one second). Unless the trick says otherwise:

• Every attempt starts with the tama hanging still below the ken.
• Any grip and either hand are allowed.
• Touching the tama or the string with the free hand, or with the body, is a miss.
• Balance tricks (Lighthouse, Bird, Stilt and similar) must be held for 2 seconds.
• Combos (for example Around the World or juggles) must be done without stopping between the parts.

06Kendama and equipment

• Bring your own kendama. Any brand and any standard size is fine; no glued, magnetic or modified parts that make catches easier.
• Bring a spare string. You may switch to a backup kendama only between matches (heats, battles or rounds), never during a match.
• If the string or the kendama breaks during a match, that attempt is played again. You get up to 3 minutes to fix it; only in this case may you go on with a backup kendama.

07Judges

• Each category has a head judge. Each station or match has at least one judge.
• Judges decide if a trick is landed. Their decisions are final, unless they are changed after a video appeal.
• Video appeals: a player can ask for a video review of a call only right after the attempt, before the match goes on. Appeals made later, or after the match has ended, are not accepted.
• A video appeal is decided by the organisers: the call is changed only if both Andrei Bogdan and Radu Vlase validate the appeal. Otherwise the judge's decision stands.
• Only the player can ask the head judge about a call or make a video appeal, calmly.

08Fair play and safety

• Play only in the marked contest areas and keep a safe distance from people around you.
• Respect other players, judges, volunteers and the public. Unsportsmanlike behaviour can lead to disqualification from the whole event.
• Players under 18 need the consent of a parent or legal guardian; players under 14 must have an adult with them at the venue.

09Prizes

Tons of kendamas to win.

• Prizes are handed out at the award ceremony of the category's day. Winners must be present or send someone in their name.
• Prizes for minors are handed to the parent or guardian.
• Kendama prizes depend on what our partners provide and may differ in brand and model.

10Changes to the format

Depending on the number of players, the organisers may change the number of attempts, the size of the final or the time limits. Any change is announced at check-in, before the category starts. These rules can be updated before the event; the version on this website is the one that applies.

Full conditions: Terms and conditions.