Kendama

The kendama (けん玉, kendama^?) is a toy originally from Japan. It is an object usually made of wood, with the appearance of a hammer, topped by a spike and attached to a ball by a rope. The ball has a hole at the bottom, located on the opposite side of the string. In the specific terminology of the game (mostly derived from Japanese), the "hammer" is called ken, while the ball is called tama.

A kendama has three concavities, called "plates" or "cups": one at the end of the handle opposite the pick (middle cup/dish, base cup/dish i>), and the remaining two on both sides of the "hammer head." Of these two, one is larger, which is why it is called big cup/dish, while the other is called small cup/dish.

Usually, kendama is played trying to successfully perform various pre-established tricks, which usually consist of combinations of different movements that, properly executed, end with the ball skewered on the pick or balanced on one of the surfaces of the ken.

Structure and terminology