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
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 :
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
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.
"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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
I was browsing through my Facebook and I came across a status from a friend from Brunei ( HI STUART !!) , ehem. Anyways , he got asked a couple of times from first timer spinners or beginner level yoyo players :
"Do you have a yo-yo that spins really long ?"
I have encountered such question before whenever I am doing a yo-yo demo or during a yo-yo meet and to me , it is really common. Kids, you do have a valid question and I do not mind letting you know that YES , we all have yo-yos that spins really long but this is because of the modern technology that is installed in the yo-yo.
This modern technology is not some rocket science that makes the yo-yo spins really long , but instead it is just an ordinary Ball Bearing which was installed in most modern yo-yos.
What are modern yo-yos ?
This are the yo-yos that are currently available in the market that does not use the traditional wooden axle as their spinning mechanism.
However, the spin time of a yo-yo does not solely depend on the type of bearing used, but instead , your throw down plays a role too. If you throw it harder, the faster it will spin. You will definitely get a longer spin time compared to softer throws. Do keep in mind that , the harder you throw , the chances for your string to snap is greater.
Now, in our perspective , and by "our" , I am referring to all senior yo-yo players especially to those that competes , do not need a yo-yo that spins too long.
WHY ?
It is because of the combos that we do. When the yo-yo is moving around during combos is performed, there will be more friction between the yo-yo's wall with the string, which will decrease the spin time of the yo-yo. The longer your combination of tricks, the yo-yo spin time will be slower. This is common and we need to catch the yo-yo to complete the combo. To start a new combo, a new throw must be performed. So there is no need for a long spinning yo-yo for us.
The only reason that you would want a yo-yo that spins really long is for a "Long Sleeper" contest. Then yes, you might need to throw the yoyo harder to make it spin faster. Another factor is the yo-yo's weights. I have explain the concept of weight rings and here is the link for your reference : "Weight Rings & Side Effects"
My advice is that you do not need a yo-yo that spins too long because you will be doing a more intricate combos when you have reached the level of a pro. Just learn how to throw a Long Sleeper and a Breakaway properly. Its the basics that will determine your throw.
If you have further enquiries , do not hesitate to drop us a comment here or send me a message at wyvernstrings@gmail.com
Worst sound for any yo-yo player in the whole wide world (well unless you are sponsored and gets free yo-yos everyday) . Ladies and gentleman , readers, kids , kittens , aliens ..... that is the sound of a yo-yo hitting on a hard surface. As a prize, there is a huge scratch mark on your yo-yo.
So what do you do ?
Simple
Just perform a rim repair on the yo-yo. How ? I have attached a video that shows you how to do a rim repair step by step.
Yes yes , I know , I have been away for a very very long time. Please accept my humble apologies. I have written something similar to what I am about to write today but unfortunately that website is down and I could not retrieve back what I have written before.
Yo-yo bearing plays a huge roll in a yo-yo. As I have mention before , without the bearing , a yo-yo is just a piece of metal screwed together and tied at the end of the string. Which technically doesn't serve any purpose unless its a fixed axle yo-yo. A proper maintenance for a bearing is crucial. Therefore proper lube for different type of bearings is a must know knowledge for any yoyo player.
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.
