JJ and Rudy your MC

Hello readers ,

Last Sunday on the 23rd of July , I had one of the best experience in my life !! I finally met JJ and Rudy !! WOOHOO !!

For those of you that has no idea who are JJ and Rudy is, they are one of the best radio DJ on Hitz.fm from my era in Malaysia. They are an explosive duo that has no stop button when they are live on the radio !! They are the most friendliest radio DJ that I have ever met too.

Anyways , I was lucky enough to have the opportunity and have a chat session with them about yoyos !! Want to know more ? Well here is the full video of the interview. Enjoy !!



For more info on the yoyo class, you may either visit HERE or just drop me an email at www.wyvernstrings.blogspot.com and I will reply back as soon as possible !!

P.S : Follow their weekly program on Facebook RIGHT HERE

Player of the week (July week 3) - Hassan Marialis

      A very good day to all of my readers. On the 20th of July 2017, I started a Facebook poll to determine who will be the player of the week for the month of July 2017 and the title "Player of the week" goes to Hassan Marialis !! With a total of 16 votes.

     I manage to get in contact with him in order to have a mini interview and the purpose of this interview is to have a little insight for his fans to know more about him. How did it go ? Well, read all about it below

5 Ways to prevent your bearing from rusting.

      Iron oxide is formed when Iron and Oxygen oxidizes through time. However, this oxidization is accelerated in the presence of water or when there is moisture in the air. Iron oxide or in common terms, rust, occurs commonly because iron can easily react with oxygen in the air. If a piece of steel is left unused for a long period of time and sufficient amount of oxygen and moist is present, the steel will begin to oxidize and corrosion will start to take place. What will happen in the end ? The steel's surface will be begin to be flaky, friable and sooner or later, it will turn to dust.

      So, why am I emphasizing on this ? In my previous article, the most important part of a yo-yo is the inner spinning mechanism and in the modern era of yo-yoing, the inner spinning mechanism that was once made out of wood is now replaced by ball bearings that is made out of steel. Hence, without proper care of your bearing, rusting will eventually take place and your bearing would not be able to spin as well as it should be or in worst case scenario, it would be stucked.

How do you properly care for it ? Well, here are 5 ways that you could prevent bearings from rusting :

Reliable resources

Hi readers , 

"Where can I get my yoyos ?"

"Is this website reliable ?"

Those are the two examples of a common question for yo-yo players that aren't too familiar on where to get their yo-yos. So, today , I will be giving you hints to identify which web-store or physical store that is reliable and recommended to purchase your yo-yos. I will also be listing the reasons to choose a reliable yo-yo store.

"Why so expensive ?"

In 12 years of my yo-yoing journey, I always come across parents telling their kids ,

"You don't know how to play"

OR

"Aiyah, you buy so expensive for what ? Later we will buy at pasar malam"

What is pasar malam ? It is directly translates as night market. Similar to flea markets in certain countries. Whereby cheap yo-yos that is sold for RM3.00 , equivalent to USD$0.68 (give or take a few bucks due to currency changes). Do you see what is going on right here ?

Parents would not buy a yo-yo for their children that is eager to learn how to play with a yo-yo. From my first statement "You don't know how to play", it is obvious that the kid has zero or minimum knowledge about a yo-yo which triggers their curiosity, hence they would like to purchase a yo-yo. Why do they want it ? To learn my dear parents. They would like to explore the possibilities of a simple toy that goes up and down. This are Malaysian parents.

 As comparison to Singaporean parents, they would ask whether their children would want to buy and learn ? If the kid says yes, they would buy and request for assistance from the shopkeeper and without a doubt, the shopkeeper would teach. Parents would even send their kids to the shop on weekly basis, every Saturday, just learn the basics of yo-yoing.

It is totally understandable that the price of a yo-yo this days could be over the top but do understand this when I say that yo-yo is no longer made out of cheap plastics that you could buy off the "Roti man" honking around your neighbourhood. In this era, yo-yo materials are made out of high quality durable plastic that can withstand a certain amount of impact if it ever hits the ground. I am talking about a basic yo-yo that usually cost about Rm20 or Rm40.

As for the yo-yos made for a professional, it is commonly made out of aluminium grade 7075 or 6065. A yo-yo that is made out of aluminium have higher price compared to plastic yo-yos because instead of using plastic moldings to create the shape of the yo-yo, a huge CNC machine is needed to cut out the shape of a yo-yo from a cylinder of aluminium. This also includes the intangible skill of a machine operator to handle the machine and a group of yo-yo designers to design the shape of the yo-yo, whereby the aim is to produce a better performance yo-yo from the previous yo-yos made by a company. Hence the price of a high quality metal yo-yo could be within the range of Rm100 up to Rm800. Rest assure that your children do not need to upgrade to a high end yo-yo until he is recommended to do so based on the skills that he or she has by their instructor or yo-yo professionals.

This is a documentary produced by CLYW x ONEdrop in the making of "The Summit"

I used to be one of the kids waiting for my turn to buy a RM0.20 yo-yo , that doesn't spin. I feel satisfied and eager to learn even though it just goes up and down. We, as a yo-yo professional would like to expand the knowledge of yo-yo theories and fundamentals to the younger generations. If a parent would stop them from learning, how would they ever improve or gain a new skill in life ? Let's just say that it isn't a yo-yo , what about ballet ? Or piano ? Or inventing a new machine that could save million of lives ? Now imagine, what would happened, if you would have stopped them from learning something that they might be passionate about ?

The answer is, you may have stopped them from achieving greatness in the future.

Now ask yourself this, would you want your children be passionate about something that they could be great at ,

 OR

Would you rather stop them from learning something new and believe in the fact that they are not allowed to be out of their comfort zone and explore.

I shall leave that question to the father reading this, or to the mother reading this, or to the both of you.

(NOTE : We would like to point out that the choice to purchase a yoyo at a higher price is subject to the discretion of the parents to work within their budget. It does not mean that a parent is compulsory to purchase the yo-yo upon request.)

Feel free to drop me a message, or comment, or inquiry if you have any further questions that need to be clarified at wyvernstrings@gmail.com

Till next time,

Wyvern Strings x SPIKE Kendama

We have been working on this project for about a month or so and we are finally proud to announce , our very first kendama , Wyvern Strings x SPIKE !!

Before that, here is a little introduction of SPIKE. What is SPIKE ? I am going to quote from their webpage on what SPIKE is all about. Just to avoid any confusion based on my own explantion.

"SPIKE kendama is a series of unique kendama targeted for the upcoming kendama community in Malaysia, it is partnered with Yoyoskeels originals."

"Run by Ewin EE and Muhammad Shakeel, SPIKE kendama has a wide range of products from the regular kendama, to the pill kendama, and to the jumbo kendama ever since it is established in 2014"

"SPIKE Kendama aims to become the best locally made and assembled high quality kendama and not forgetting the vision to spread the love of Kendama in Malaysia" 

Wyvern Strings was given the opportunity to work with SPIKE Kendama with the same vision and intention which is to spread the Kendama culture around Malaysia. 

The Kendama is made out of 100% walnut and based on what we were told, it is very rare to obtain a walnut material to produce a kendama out of it. It takes an enormous amount of skill work and dedication to the production of the Kendama.

The tama has a bright yellow colour to compliment the crazy grains on the ken as well as the sarado. It blends perfectly together. We are aware that "Balance" is everything for a kendama. Hence, you will not be disappointed with the performance of this kendama.

Currently there is only 30 pieces made and order can be made through wyvernstrings@gmail.com or visit www.kedaiyoyo.com to place an order. Do not forget to mention Wyvern Strings to Kedaiyoyo or hashtag us in your instagram #wyvernstrings.

Till next time,

Need a new yoyo ? Earn it

"That yo-yo looks so good ~ I wish I can buy it but I don't have the cash"

" Omg.... I wish I have more money to get that yoyo ! It looks so tempting !" 

Sounds familiar ? Trust me kids, I have been through what you are going through right now. You do not have sufficient amount of cash to buy a yo-yo that you desire the most and to make it worst, the yoyo is on discount but your parents still would not buy it for you. 

If you are thinking

"I can't buy it, so maybe I could try asking someone to give it to me" 

Then my dear friend, you have just dug your own grave. If you have not read my previous post on "It's a big NO NO", then I would highly recommend for you to read it first. However, if you had read it, then you should know by now that it is a bad move asking for a yo-yo from someone without making any effort obtaining a yo-yo.

So, in order to help you guys out, I will be listing my very own top 10 ideas for you to get that extra income to purchase the yo-yo that you have always wanted. Do take note that the idea contributed here varies by age and by your current location.

How professional are you to be considered professional ?

Hi readers,

"PROFESSIONAL YOYO PLAYER"

That is something that you hear everyday whenever a person comes up to you and ask how long have you been playing with the yoyo. You will be telling them "oh , I have been a yoyo professional for almost a year" or 3 years or 25 years BUT what does it mean to be a yoyo professional ?

Is it the age factor ?

Is it the years of experience factor ?

OR

Whether a person is sponsored by a yoyo company is considered as a professional ?

The truth my friend, there is no proper guidelines to determine who is a yoyo professional or not. I have been playing with the yoyo at the age of 10 and that would be 17 years of experience in total. I could be calling myself a yoyo master but on contrary, I still have doubts branding myself as a yoyo professional. To me, it is similar to the education system, it is a never ending learning process.

Yoyofficer Yo-yo Contest 2015

Hi readers ,

On the 25th of July 2015, Kedaiyoyo.com will be organising a yoyo contest, presenting Yoyofficer and the event will be taking place in Sungei Wang Plaza , Concourse Level. As far as my understanding, there will be one main division, which is Single A (1A) Division and a few other exciting side divisions.

A little introduction of Yoyofficer

What is Yoyofficer ?
Yoyofficer, properly pronounced as Yoyo Officer, is a professional yoyo manufacturer from China and it was incorporated in the month of April 2012. Their yoyos are created with the aim to provide the smoothest anodization out in the market and by incorporating excellent design at a reasonable price that's suitable for all ages to purchase it any part of the world.

2006 - 2015

Hi readers,

I've always enjoyed going for Asia Pacific Yoyo Championship and thankfully I manage to go for 3 of it. It isn't much but I have met many new yoyo players that I eventually could call friends. It is amazing how people have improved throughout the years. Anyways, unfortunately I was not able to attend this year's AP but on the good side, Brian Low from Singapore has released his own edit of AP and it is really entertaining. 

First , lets have a little flashback. The video below is the main reason why I wanted to compete in yoyo events and have the desperation to attend AP in 2009. 

This video is made by Ian Poh

Next video is how everyone has improved and grown up. Even though it is at a different place with newer competitor face involved, the fun never ends. Once you have watched this , you will understand why I always have the urge to go for AP every year.

THIS

IS

AP

2015

Till next time,

Yoyo Ranger - MAFIA

Hi readers,

There is a buzz going around Facebook and I have just came across the latest yoyo made in Malaysia by Stanley Low Jia Cheng, founder of Team Tr-Yo, and he is from Terengganu. This yoyo goes by the name of Yoyo Ranger.

What you are looking at is the latest signature series of Ryan Han, Sarawak's very own yoyo mafia.
Ryan Han is the founder of Sarawak Yo-Blitz team and he has been educating Sarawak's younger generation to compete nationally and internationally.

 I have tried playing with this yoyo and I must say that I'm impress with the performance of this yoyo. It is slightly lighter than what it looks like but it is stable. The beadblasted surfaces makes it easier for finger grinding tricks or finger spin tricks. I would love to get my hands on it someday and maybe I could elaborate more on the feel of the yoyo but for now, below are the yoyo's specs that I have obtained directly from Stanley.

Malaysia Rep

Hi readers ,

AP2015 has just ended and all of our Malaysia's representative are now back home. I would like to say that I am very proud of all our Malaysian player that went up on the stage and put up a good show. Those of you that did not make it to the finals, don't feel down because this is not the end. Hei , you guys are competing against the best in Asia. That's definitely something to be proud of.

Anyways, so far I could only obtain two videos of our Malaysians that made it through to the finals which is Zafran Aqil and Ho Swee Jim. I have not seen any video from Dimi nor Azrul posted on Facebook yet but once I am able to find the link, I would definitely post it here for you guys to see it. 

I have included a video of Zafran and Jim below for your viewing. The reason that Zafran looks really tense is because the pressure going up against Asia's best could be overwhelming. Hence the lack of smile, but off the stage, he is the best chap to talk to in any yoyo event. 

Representing Yoyofactory Malaysia

As for Jim, mind twisting combos that he puts up on stage is just amazing. After going through preliminary round against 150 other player from 13 different countries, I can't even describe the amount of time dedication, practising to compete and this is the result, you have to see it for yourself to know what I am talking bout. 

If you guys like what you see, feel free to send them greetings, kisses, hugs, your best wishes, fan mail, love letters, or just plain friend request on their Facebook  ! I'm pretty sure they are more than delighted to have more fans

Zafran Aqil 

Ho Swee Jim

Ahmad Dhamiri Nur (Dimi)

Azrul Hafriz

Till next time,

Ease of accomodation

Hi readers,

What's important for most yoyo players that travels overseas for a yoyo contest ? Money ? Well , yeah , thats partially true. I would say accommodation would be the answer. It is part of my experience to hunt for hotels that provides the best price to stay closest to the contest venue or atleast somewhere appropriate and it is troublesome to go through google to search for it.

Looking through google for a hotel one by one can be a real hassle. So, we would like to make your life much easier. Without going through the hassle looking through google, this blog has place a search engine to look for a hotel on your next destination. 

I always have the thought that "how great it is if we could just book it directly from a link that is prepared in the blog / forum / yoyo website". That's how I came up with this.

That's a wrap, folks.

Hi readers,

AP2015 has officially ended yesterday. Congratulations to all of the champions for each of their respective division. Mad props to Iori Yamaki taking the title of champion for the Single A division. It was a really close battle between him and Ahmad Kharisma, which came in at second place and last but not least, 4 times world champion, Hiroyuki Suzuki (Mickey) is currently placed third for the Single A division.

If you have seen a different result , whereby Hiroyuki Suzuki is ranked 4th for AP, it has been noted in the official AP Facebook page that there was a miscalculation in the score sheets. Hence, as a rectification, he is currently ranked 3rd for AP2015. For more details, click here.

Too bad I wasn't able to make it for AP this year around but it definitely look like a fun, enjoyable and more relax event this year. Everybody had fun hanging out with each other. We have seen some new faces taking the stage to a whole new level this year. I hope that next year would be a much more exciting event. 

What will happen now is that, the champions are seeded for World Yoyo Contest 2015 , that will be taking place in Tokyo, Japan, in August.

I'm sure you are eager to know the score sheets, so take a look below.

Asia Pacific Yoyo Championship - Day 2

Hi readers,

I have just watched a few videos of AP 2015 and I must say this, I am really impress will all of the players that has made it to the final. We have yoyo baby , Kazuya Murata adoring people around him, we have Shu Takada, and not to forget , Kendama Pro Player , reprsenting KendamaUSA Dave Mateo is in the house !

 Just an update, our Malaysia National , Zafran Aqil will be competing tomorrow in his single A division and guess what, we have another Malaysian finalist that will go head to head with Asia's best yoyo players and his name is Ho Swee Jim. 

For the past 2 years, Ahmad Kharisma from Indonesia, representing Yoyorecreation has putting been up an amazing performance on the stage so far and I'm expecting crazy body binding, hand twisting and mind boggling combos again for this year. It will be an exciting event tomorrow and I am definitely pumped to see who is the champion for this year's Asia Pacific Yoyo Championship 2015. 

As for yesterday, one of my favorite yoyo player has blown the minds of spectators in Bugis+. He is the 12 times world champion for double A division and he is from Japan. Could you guess who is he ? He is no other than Shinji Saito !!

I am always a big fan of his 2A performance and I'm always captivated by his performance. The fluid motion and the way he controls his yoyos is just spectacular. Another idol of mine is Rei Iwakura. For now, I have not seen any pictures of him posted anywhere related to AP2015 but I really hope that he will be competing this year again.

There was a time that he made it just in time to compete for the finals and he was the champ for that year. Anyways, if any of you that is reading this is in Singapore right now. You would not want to miss this opportunity to meet the biggest players of Asia Pacific in Bugis+.

Tomorrow will be the final day of AP2015. This would be the day where everything would be decided on who will be the champions in their respective divisions. As a consolation, here is a video of Shinji Saito tearing up the stage today ! Enjoy !

Insane tricks by Shinji Saito

Till next time,

AP 2015 first day

Hi readers,

Today marks the first day of AP 2015 in Singapore, Bugis+ Mall. To those of you that is competing today , once again , GOODLUCK ! Especially to our Malaysia representatives. 

To those of you that couldn't make it today , don't worry , there is a live stream going on right now and if you want to show your love and support, all you need to do is click here.

Till next time,

Yoyofficer are back in stock !

Hi readers,

The most anticipated Hatchet 2 and Kilter 2 by Yoyofficer is now available at www.28spin.com. As an additional hype for you guys, whenever you purchase a Yoyofficer yoyo , you will be able to obtain a Rm10 rebate (discount) by keying in this code :

ILUVYOYOFFICER

(valid from 25/06/2015 to 30/06/2015)

What I have right now is a Kilter 1 and I have been playing with it for the past few weeks, the difference between Kilter 2 and the predecessor yoyo is the obvious shape. It is much rounder now compared to the previous Kilter and by the looks of it , they are still maintaining that cosy hold on the yoyo. So far , based on my experience, the Kilter plays similar to the feel that you can get from Yoyojam Next Level. 

There is just something about the yoyo that has a very centered feeling to it. The side rims are not too thick and the inner part of the yoyo is thinner as usual. I will definitely recommend to get your very own Kilter from 28spin before stocks run out.

As for the Hatchet 2, I have not tried it hands-on at the moment , so I am just going to quote the description that I found on 28spin webstore.

"YOYOFFICER redesigned their popular Hatchet model to serve as their new flagship competition level yo-yo. It has always been a competition favorite among their team members and with the new design changes it is sure to be your favorite too! The Hatchet 2!The original Hatchet design was always popular so YOYOFFICER did not want to change it to drastically when designing the Hatchet 2. They kept the same dimensions but redistributed the weight to amp up performance. They cut down the center weight and pushed it out to the rims to give the Hatchet 2 improved stability and spin time while maintaining the perfect level of maneuverability. They also managed to reduce the weight a little which gives the new Hatchet 2 a slightly faster and even a little floatier feel on the string."

For more information in regards on the product , click here

Till next time,

Where to stay for Asia Pacific Yoyo Championship ?

Hi readers ,

Asia Pacific Yoyo Championship is just 2 more days away (internally screaming) , ehem. Anyways, I know some of you are excited as I am and some of you could be more excited that me but have you figured out where to stay ? No ? Well, don't worry. Below are the list of hotels ranging from high-end hotels to budgeted back packer hotel that is near Bugis+ or near a MRT station for your convenient sake. Hopefully this will help you to budget for a proper hotel during your stay in Singapore.

High-end

The Sultan

Holiday Inn - Orchard

Orchard Hotel Singapore

Mandarin Oriental

Average 

Amaris hotel

Village hotel

Hotel 81 Bencoolen

Plush Pod

Hotel IBIS Singapore - Bencoolen

Fragrance Hotel - Bugis

Backpacker

Capsules @ The Little Red Dot

G4 Station Back Packer's hotel

Hotel Backpackers SG

Five Stone Hostel

Blissful Loft

5footway.inn

The Pod - Boutique Capsules

You should be able to find the nearest MRT station from the hotel locations that I have indicated above. Otherwise, it will be a breeze walk for you from your hotel to the contest venue. Based on my experience, Singapore is a safe place to walk around during the day as well as night time. However , a precaution is always a good idea. Try not to walk alone after midnight hours but instead walk in pairs or in a group (but try not to block the road if you are walking in a huge group).

My personal choice would be "The Pod - Boutique Capsules" because it looks neat and fancy at an affordable price. Anyways, try and make new friends wherever you can, and if you are staying in a backpacker hostel/hotel, try to keep your voice down because there are other travellers getting their rest. Make sure your personal belongings is safely locked in the lockers provided or keep it close to you.

Till next time,

Ramadan 2015

Hi readers,

Wyvern Strings would like to wish all of our muslim friends and customers a blessed Ramadan 2015. May your fasting period goes smoothly and any deeds performed during the Ramadan month will be 10th fold. 

Ramadan 2015

As a precaution for all yoyo players that is fasting , make sure you are properly dehydrated after Maghrib and try to minimise the amount of practise during the day. Reschedule your training time to night time instead. I know most of you are eager to compete for Asia Pacific Yoyo Championship 2015 (AP2015) but your health comes first. Otherwise , your body will not be fit for the contest and this will affect your performance on the stage.

Plan your route to the contest venue to avoid long walking distance from your hotel to the venue. This is to avoid fatigue from the amount of walking and to conserve your energy to compete. 

Most important of all , have fun !!

Till next time,

Asia Pacific Yoyo Championship 2015

Hi readers ,

I'm pretty sure that most of you had been hearing all the buzz that is going on Facebook and other yoyoing social network including other blogs, BUT if you have no idea what it is, Asia Pacific Yoyo Championship is 2 weeks away !

What is this championship all about ?

It is one of the of the most anticipated yoyoing contest in the Asia Pacific region and it has been constantly held in Singapore. For the next 3 days of the event , participants will be competing for the title of Asia Pacific champion and a ticket to participate in the World Yoyo Contest 2015, Tokyo, Japan.

Competitors from 13 difference country ( Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Australia, Brunei, and not forgetting Singapore ) will gather at one spot to battle out for the title of Champion in their respective division in the Asia Pacific region.

The contest is a 3 days event starting on the 26th of June to the 28th of June in BUGIS + , Singapore. Early bird registration fees is S$50 for one division and additional division would be an additional S$10 each. As for regular registration, it would be S$60 for one division and any additional division, S$10 per division.

AP2014 video clip

For further information in regards of the event including rules & regulation and competitor list , CLICK HERE

Our Malaysia Yoyo Championship has just ended recently and the champions will be seeded into the finals. So show your support to our Malaysian players and let's give them the strength to bring back the champion title.

Malaysia Representative :

Ahmad Dhamiri Nur (Dimi)

Muhammad Shakeel Mohd Rose (Shakeel)

Ewin Ee

Fa'iq Farisan Bin Nik Mohd Azmi

Low Jia Cheng

Toh Zhen Jian

Chew Zi Hao

Ho Swee Jim

Yap Chun Hang

Zafran Aqil

(current list as of 15/06/2015)

If you are still planning on where to stay , maybe this will be helpful for you.

CLICK HERE

To our muslim friends, its the ramadhan season, so stay hydrate before the contest and goodluck to everyone !

Till next time,