Pro Open rules

01Format

The Pro Open is open to every player, from any country, and is played in the Open format from the very first round: there is no Spike Off. It uses the Pro Open tricklist, which has a main list and a bonus list. There are no points: what counts is how many tricks you land.

Qualification: main list

• Every player plays the 15 tricks of the main list, in order, with 2 attempts per trick. Every trick is attempted.
• Players are ranked by the number of tricks landed. The Top 16 go to the final.

Top 16 final: bonus list

• The Top 16 play the 10 tricks of the bonus list on the main stage, 2 attempts per trick, taking turns trick by trick.
• The final ranking is decided by the number of bonus tricks landed; if two players are level, the main list result decides.
• If 16 or fewer players enter, everyone goes to the final.

02Ties

If players are still level for 16th place or on the podium, the player who landed the hardest trick (the one furthest down the list) is ahead. If that is the same too, it goes to sudden death: the head judge picks a trick from the bonus list, each tied player gets one attempt, and the first player to land when the other misses wins.

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

1st place: $1,000; 2nd place: $500; 3rd place: $300.

• Prizes are handed out at the award ceremony of the category's day. Winners must be present or send someone in their name.
• Cash prizes are paid in US dollars or in Romanian lei at the exchange rate of the National Bank of Romania on the payment day, in cash at the event or by bank transfer within 30 days.
• Any tax the organiser has to withhold under Romanian law is deducted from cash prizes. Winners may be asked for an ID to receive a cash prize. 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.