This is going to be a little off topic but with the recent flash flood that is happening in the east coast of Malaysia , they are going to need many items that is necessary to their daily life , such as food and clothes. They weren't able to collect their belongings on time and they had to fled from their home before the water level rises higher. Some victims couldn't make it out of their house on time and drowned in their own home. So please take the time to read about it at http://blog.nuffnang.com.my/2014/12/30/bantuanbanjir/ .
If you would like to donate in the form of monetary or non-monetary items , the following page will guide you in the process on how to donate to the flood victims :
I couldn't do much to help the flood victims , but I hope that through this blog , someone could lend a hand. As Malaysians, you should be able to feel their suffering and we should stick together as one during this dire moments. For foreigners , you are most welcome to help us too and we are truly grateful for any form of donation given by you.
2014 has been a great year for me. There are ups and downs but its definately a memorable one. I would like to say thank you to those that have supported Wyvern Strings. If there is anything that can be improved , we will try and do better. We appreciate all the feedbacks that we got so far and we hope to serve you better in 2015.
Have a blast celebrating your new year today but please be careful on the road back home. Yoyo players around the world , happy new year to all of you ! Wyvern Strings will try its best to attend World Yoyo Contest 2015 Tokyo next year. As they say , See you in Tokyo !
Whenever you throw a yoyo , the only way for the yoyo to return back to the hand is by tugging the yoyo up. The tugging feeling that you feel is caused by the friction between the yoyo's response system and the string. Did you know that there are a variety of response system ? If no , we will break it down for you so that you will have a better understanding of the response system in your yoyo.
If you have competed before , then you will know that there is 5 yoyo divisions in any yoyo contest but there are also additional divisions that you might not know. To those that are still new to the modern yoyoing , there is are 5 division for all yoyo contest. So I will be listing down this 5 division with an explanation of each division and I will also include a few extra yoyo divisions for your knowledge.
Single A division (1A)
This is one of the most traditional method of playing with the yoyo. The idea is to perform string tricks with a single yoyo before the yoyo stops spinning. You may retrieve back the yoyo and throw it again to perform other tricks or combos.
Some of you may have tried the latest modern yoyo and I am very sure that you have asked this before. "Why on earth it won't come up ??". Calm down ~ The reason why the yoyo would not come up as easily as before is because modern yoyoing requires the yoyo to spin to longer to perform intricate yoyo combos and tricks. The only way for the yoyo come up is a trick call "Binding".
You have been gone from the scene for many years, suddenly comes back and boom ! yoyoing has evolve so much back from the day you started. Yoyos were more responsive before because it has a wooden axle installed in it and the gap between each side of the yoyo is narrower compared to now. Modern yoyoing has take a huge step by widening the gap and installed ball bearings in all of the modern yoyos.
As you are playing with the yoyo , did you realise or ever wonder , "Why does my yoyo tilt to the side whenever I throw" or "Why is my yoyo not spinning straight ?". It does not mean that your yoyo is broken or there is something wrong with it. This usually happens because of two factors:
1) The way you throw the yoyo
2) String tension
Don't worry , this is common for all yoyo players that just started playing with the yoyo and some professional yoyo players have the same problem too. So don't fret.
In-order to improve your throw, I have a method that I used to practise when I just started yoyoing , and it is working pretty well for me. I have been teaching kids the same method that I have been using before.
A yoyo competition is a battlefield for each and every yoyo player that attended. They have put so much effort in training and constantly perfecting their routine. However , without the proper preparation , all effort will go to waste when they are on the stage. Here are a few tips to get you into tip top condition before any yoyo contest.
1) Always have a proper yoyo maintenance. You would not want to compete with an old rusted bearing , over used strings and wobbly yoyos. This will definitely put your stage routine into the gutter. An unmaintained yoyo will result in a bad performance. Its as simple as that. Each and every part of the yoyo is crucial during a contest. You must always keep a clean bearing in-order to keep it unresponsive (unless it is a 2A division then you might want your yoyo to be responsive unless you are Shinji Saito) otherwise your yoyo will snag back during play , always use a slightly used strings but not entirely worn out to the extent that it will snap on the stage , and ensure your silicon pads is not fully worn out.
This week will be one of the most exciting weekend of the month because this would be the last weekend for the year 2014 ! So Kedaiyoyo and 28spin is having their own yoyo contest at Lot10 and Jaya One , POP store. I have attached a link along with this short article. Please go to their respective webpage / event page in order to register yourself. We will be at both place at different timing , so we hope to see you! By the way , if you see Adam Rei , don't be shy, go up to him and ask for string samples if you have not tried out Wyvern Strings. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year everyone !
I have came across this situation so many time whereby a kid refuses to cut his yoyo string because according to him that a longer string will make the yoyo spin faster. Technically you are right kid , but the chances of you destroying the yoyo before it spins faster is much more likely to happen. This only applies for beginner players because for a Professional player , they know how to handle their throw and they have practised "Breakaway" and "long sleeper" trick so many times till it becomes a second nature to them.
So , instead of complaining bout your string is being too long and you can't handle the yoyo or the yoyo is bad for you or you can't play, here are a few string cutting tips in-order to improve your your throw.
Firstly , place the yoyo onto the floor and put your forefinger on you belly button.
Next make a wrap at the top part of the string around your forefinger and tie a knot in the string which will result in a new loop. Use a scissor or a string cutter to cut off the excess string but please be careful if you are using a scissor. My advice is to get yourself a string cutter from Duncan or purchase a multi-tool from Yoyofactory in-order to avoid any serious injury. There are some players that uses nail cutter which I think it's another brilliant way to cut your strings plus you will not be stopped at the airport check-in for carrying sharp objects.
The official guideline to measure a string is an inch above your belly button and all the way to the bottom whereby your yoyo that sits on the floor. However there is no one rule of thumb for the length of string for each yoyo player. Some yoyo players prefer a longer string length to perform complicated intricate string combos but some yoyo player prefer to use a shorter length for speed play of combos.
In order to be a professional yoyo player , you have to be well verse in your basics. No matter how silly or how boring it seems , the basics is very very important. This includes knowing your string's length. If you are confuse on the instructions that I have mentioned , you can either come up to me or any senior yoyo player during our regular yoyo meet at 28spin POP store or Kedaiyoyo in Sungei wang , 6th floor, OR you can refer to video below.
In the modern yoyoing world , each and every yoyo , from the basic to the professional yoyos has a bearing in the centre part of the yoyo. The evolution of yoyo from wooden axle to the modern bearing has change the tide for all yoyo contest. So , I think it will be a good idea to tell you about the type of bearings that is available for your yoyo.
A spec bearing is the most common bearing and it is installed in most of the yoyos by many yoyo companies. If you read from my previous post on "Bearing maintenance" , you should be able to open the bearing caps and see what's inside. There is 8 ball bearings in it which allows the yoyo to spin at a longer period of time compared to the olden wooden axle. Above is an image on how it looks like inside.
Our Malaysia National Champion 2014 , Zafran Aqil has made a new video using Wyvern Strings. There is not much words to be said because the video is just too awesome to say anything. Watch it and you will know what I mean. Thank you so much for the support to everyone that supported Wyvern Strings , and thank you Zafran for using Wyvern for this video.
I recently came across a question on Facebook asking on how to pry open Duncan caps. I used to have a problem with this too but with the help of Duncan Crew Malaysia Dimi and Azrul , I manage to learn a few tips on how to pry open the caps.
One of the most common and the most traditional method to pry open the caps is to simply pop the caps out using the pre-installed Axle in the yoyo. It is a little risky but this is the simplest method to open the caps. What you need to do is to unscrew your yoyo , take the side whereby the axle is installed , placed it on a hard flat surface , cup your hand onto the top part of the yoyo and apply some pressure downwards till you can hear a small "POP" sound which indicates that the cap is out. (I would not recommend you to do it on a wooden table or a soft surface because you will create a small hole on the surface). In order to avoid any damage done to your axle or the surface of the floor , place a small cloth to reduce the damage that will be caused to the axle and the the surface of the floor.
There is a risk to this method, whereby the cap of the yoyo might crack if you apply too much pressure to it. My advice is , do not attempt to hit the axle onto the floor just to pry open the caps, gently place it on the surface and just push downwards at one pump. Imagine you are doing CPR on someone. Too much pressure , the heart will rupture , too little pressure , there is no effect. So , just push the yoyo down one time and that should do the trick. Once that is done , take out the axle, place it on the other side of the yoyo and repeat the same step.
Another method is the usage of a needle or a box cutter (but this is a little bit dangerous , so kids , please have your parents or your senior to help you out on this). Look at the above picture. Can you see the small thin gap line around the cap ? Stick the needle in that gap and try to pry open the caps. Usually it work but the procedure is time consuming because the needle might not be strong enough and it could bend , plus using a box cutter blade is rather dangerous.
The last method is an unconventional method. This idea came from other yoyo players from the regular Malaysia Yoyo Club meeting and other yoyo forums. As for me , this method was shown by a friend , Ryan Lim from Yoyofficer. What you need is a butter knife and a lot of heat. Yeap , you read that right , a butter knife. Preferably a butter knife that your mother will not stabbed you with if you ever touch her precious cutlery set and setting it to blaze just for your yoyo. That , ladies and gentleman , is a bad idea. So kids , please ASK your parents permission before taking a butter knife out of the cutlery drawer.
Anyways , what you need to do is to heat up the butter knife (or other squarish metal that you can heat up) , and apply a slight pressure at the side of the caps. This is to create a small square gap that is used to pry open the caps.
I have attached a video along with this article as a guide and hopefully this will give you some insight on the methods that I have mentioned. At the beginning of the video is the first method to open the caps that I mentioned above.
Note : I do not own any of the picture posted above and I have no intention of any infringement of copyright law. The picture was posted solely for education wise and it used as a reference for the readers of this blog. Please click on the link for the original content of the pictures. Some of the methods are dangerous and should not be perform alone if you are under the age of 16. Please have your parents or your senior to help you out.
What I will be writing today will be the most anticipated and the most debated issue on any yoyo forum or Facebook page, plastic yoyos or metal yoyos. There are always contradicting opinions on which type of yoyos that plays the best for a yoyo player. Questions has been raised such as , which type of yoyo is your favourite ? , which yoyo do you prefer ? or the most popular ones , why do you choose plastic or metal yoyos ? Well , this article will be your answer. I will be making a comparison between a plastic yoyo and a metal yoyo along with the pro and cons of both type.
In this article , when I make a reference to a plastic yoyo , it means this includes Hybrid yoyos (plastic yoyos that is combined or infused with metal weight rings) but exclude delrin yoyos. We will soon go into details on delrin but for now would be 100% plastic yoyos and hybrids.
As the title goes , today , I will be explaining the methods of proper bearing maintenance. The bearing of a yoyo is also another crucial part of the yoyo. Just like the yoyo string , without the bearing , the yoyo will not spin. To any new yoyo players , this would be a great read for you and to the seniors , this might also be a good share of knowledge to any of your juniors.
So, lets start with the basics, What is a yoyo bearing ? Its simple , yoyo bearing is the small little metal piece that is in the middle of the yoyo that makes the yoyo spin. The most common bearing that is placed in any yoyo is Specs Bearings and it looks just like the picture below.
Yoyos were made into weapons ??? Hide yo wife and kids !! Im just kidding , easy there readers ~ There was a concept for yoyos turned into a weapon but it wasn't an actual weapon as you perceive. If you know what I am talking about then you can imagine what I am talking about. Yes , I am talking about Yoyo Girl cop , otherwise known as Sukeban Deka : Codename = Seki Asamiya.
This movie is a Japanese live action feature film that was produced in 2006. This movie is about a female student , armed with a high tech steel yoyo , must infiltrate an elite high school to find the terrorists and stop their evil plan. Technically the yoyo is used as a weapon to hit any villains and inside the yoyo is her Authority Badge as a cop plus the usual normal yoyo string is replaced with chains.
This is another yoyo that was used as a weapon by the terrorist. As you can see the counter weight looks dangerous but in fact its made out of rubber and it's a pretty good counter weight for counter-weight division. Its made out entirely of rubber however it is still dangerous to swing around this type of charp counter weight. It doesn't seem like an actual yoyo but infact , this yoyo was produced and there are yoyo players that acquired this particular yoyo. In Malaysia , as far as I know , there is only ONE yoyo player that has this yoyo. You wanna know who is that ? That's your job to find out :)
There were other yoyos that was used as weapons in Animes besides Yoyo Girl Cop. I know this is going to be a little bit childish but PowerPuff Girl Z , Blossom, uses a yoyo as a weapon.
I came across this question numerous times through Facebook. I understand that its getting a little annoying for some people to answer the same question over and over again. So , I've decided to write a small article on how to change , when to change , and why do you need to change your strings.
"How to change a string ?" :
This is definately one of the most basic thing you can ever do in-order to play a yoyo. Without a string , a yoyo is just a round shaped plastic or metal that rolls around. I have attached a video to this article to show you what's the proper way to tie a yoyo string to the axle. (I do not own the video and the purpose of this video is solely to educate the readers of this blog. Please visit the following website for the actual video posted by yoyoexpert.com: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dt-Cyu0GDz0)
"When to change ?" :
This is the golden question on all beginner yoyo player's mind. Don't worry ~ you are not wrong for asking. The answer to that question is depending on HOW frequent a yoyo player plays with his/her yoyo. The more time a yoyo player spends playing with the yoyo , the more frequent the yoyo player has to change his/her string.
It is simple to determine whether the yoyo string is worn out or not. All you need to do is look at the string. Is there alot of string fibre sticking out ? Is the string tension looses its springiness ? or Is the colour of the string is starting to fade out plus black stains on the string ?
This are the few indicators to any yoyo players that the string is worn out and it's a good time to change your strings. Another advice is that , do not soak your string in water or oil. This will increase the deterioration time of the string which will cause your string to snap.
"Why should I change my strings ?" :
A yoyo string is essential to all yoyos because, as I said earlier, without the string , the yoyo could not be played permanently till you replace it's string. The reason why do we need to change a yoyo string is because if the string has stretch its limit to the max , the string will snap and when that happens , the yoyo might hit someone or hit onto something (example : your father's precious car or tv , your mother's precious vase or worst... the shop's window glass in a shopping mall)
As a professional yoyo player, we have the responsibility and the obligation to be aware of our surrounding before throwing. We would not want anybody to get hurt because of our incompetence. Hence , string maintenance is crucial. Do NOT take this lightly because this will determine whether you will be a mediocre yoyo player or a professional yoyo that will lead the future generation.
The reason I am writing this article is because I feel that our younger generation has not been provided with the proper guidance of yoyo maintenance. As a yoyo player to another yoyo player , your should have an understanding of your own yoyo. Its a toy that is passed down from one generation to another. You are lucky to pick up yoyoing or have this inborn talent within you. Don't put it to waste. Appreciate the toy , appreciate the art and most importantly , appreciate the knowledge that was bestowed upon you by your seniors.
As mention previously , Wyvern Strings strives to produce long lasting play strings , slightly heavy feel for slacks or suicides tricks , slick feel for fast play and vibrant colours that is clearly visible to all yoyo players.
So , now , we would like to introduce our line of string colours in order to ease your decision making.
Single colours :
1) Neon Yellow
2) Lava Pink
3) Neon Green
4) Neon Orange
Duo colours :
1) Autumn Adder
Autumn Adder is a combination of Lava Pink and Rose Red colour. The inspiration comes from the name itself, Autumn Adder. It is a name of a snake which is also known as African Hairy Bush Viper. The redness of the string brings out the striking colour of the Lava Pink. Its made out of 100% polyester and this is personally my favourite.
2) Snowflake
As cheesy as the name goes , this string does gives out a cold vibe. Thus the name Snowflake. I would say that if there is any blue colour lover out there , this would be a perfect string for you. Its made out of 100% polyester and this colour comes in duo colour , its either dark blue with white or baby blue with white. Isn't it the perfect string theme for christmas ?
3) Chinese Dragon
Red and gold has always been a sign of prosperity in any Chinese culture. It is a mixture of gold and rose red. It is also made out of 100% polyester and if you are an iron man fan , I am sure that this colour will fit your need. Not only does it looks really nice but it plays well too.
4) Amazon frog
Calm down ~~ Its not literally made out of frog but the colour represent a poisonous amazon frog that could kill 10 full grown man and its mainly used at the tip of a dart by the amazonian tribe people. This strings are not poisonous but it is definately a lethal weapon for any yoyo players. Its made out of Electric blue thread and Neon Orange thread.
5) Night Shadow
It looks yummy and mysterious at the same time. I would have called it Ribenna but that doesn't sound mystery enough. The combination of this string is Black and neon pink. This colour is very limited and so far there is only one person that is using it but that does not mean that Wyvern will not be producing it anymore.
Orders can be made through sending us an email at wyvernstrings@gmail.com or you could visit 28spin booth in Jaya One , POP store or Kedaiyoyo at Sungei Wang , 6th Floor. Prices is available at our FB page : https://www.facebook.com/wyvernstrings .
Hello there ! We are proud to announce that Wyvern Strings has it's own blog now ! To those of you that does not know what we are doing , here is a little insight. Wyvern Strings produces yoyo strings. We are based in Malaysia and all of our strings are purely handmade. Wyvern Strings was established in June 2014 by Adam Hamzah.
Adam Hamzah is a professional yoyo player that teaches yoyo to younger generations and now he is the owner of Wyvern Strings. He has been playing with the yoyo for 15 years (since 1998) , he has been competing since 2008 and he has been teaching yoyo classes since 2010. Wyvern Strings aims to produce durable yoyo strings that has a long lasting effect during play , a slight heavy feel string for slacks or suicides tricks , slick feel for fast play and not to forget , vibrant colours that is clearly visible for every yoyo players during play. Wyvern Strings can be purchased through our FB page ( https://www.facebook.com/wyvernstrings ) at the moment and the price-list is highlighted at the top of the page. If there is any further queries , please feel free to drop us a message at wyvernstrings@gmail.com. We do attend regular yoyo meetings that is organised by 28spin at Jaya One, POP Store and Kedaiyoyo at Sungei Wang , 6th floor but this is subject to changes by us without discretion. Currently Wyvern is provided locally and a few in Singapore but our main objective is to be recognised globally. We hope that we can get as many support that we can get from worldwide yoyo players and thank you to those that has supported us since we established. Till we meet again , Wyvern Strings
