What is a Kendama? Kendamanomics goes viral across on TikTok

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You’ve probably seen videos on TikTok of people playing Kendama and attempting incredible tricks. Here’s a rundown of what’s happening in the world of competitive Kendama.

A kendama is a classic Japanese toy made of wood. It has a handle (called the ‘ken’) connected to a ball (‘tama’) by a string. The ken features three cups of different sizes and a pointed spike. Players balance and catch the ball in various ways, and a common trick involves fitting the ball, which has a hole in it, onto the spike.

The kendama is a unique toy often described as a blend of cup-and-ball and yo-yo, requiring players to catch, balance, and perform flowing movements. Originating in 17th-century Japan, it’s now enjoyed worldwide, featuring competitive events, professional players, and a variety of designs. Today’s popularity stems from its appeal to both casual players and those who enjoy mastering challenging tricks.

What is Kendamanomics?

Kendamanomics is an app and online community for kendama players. It helps users learn new tricks, monitor their improvement, compete with others, and develop their skills. The app features different difficulty levels, a library of over 100 tricks, and allows players to share videos of their tricks for feedback from moderators.

Kendamanomics isn’t just about learning new tricks; it also lets you compare your skills with other players on leaderboards. Plus, it includes helpful resources like tutorials, a list of easy tricks to get started, and a shop where you can buy accessories like different Kendama models.

Kendamanomics takes over TikTok

In September, an app’s leaderboard became a TikTok trend, with skilled players sharing videos of their gameplay.

Casey Henson, known as Juggle_Guy on TikTok, was one of the first creators to gain popularity with videos of Kendama tricks. He recently announced he was once ranked the world’s best player and quickly proved it, climbing back to the top of TikTok’s leaderboard within just three days.

A couple of weeks later, David Cherwak entered the competition, also aiming to become the top player. He started out significantly behind Henson, and it took him several days to climb into the world’s top five.

I was so excited to see that David finally climbed to third place on the leaderboard on September 15th! He’s right behind Henson and another player named Mateusz Rudny, which is amazing!

Fans were thrilled to see David release another “point of view” video, and they were even more excited to learn that Rudny had also joined the platform. Although he’s only posted twice, both videos focus on his determination to reclaim the number one spot currently held by Casey Henson.

The competition between the three leading players has inspired many others to share their own progress videos on the app-ranging from those in the top ten to players as far down the leaderboard as sixteenth place.

The videos have quickly become popular, attracting thousands of viewers who are sharing their opinions on the developing competition.

One viewer told Casey in the comments of his newest video that after seeing the other people involved, they still support him the most.

Another said: “I saw you first but Im rooting for Rudny cuz hes polish sorry.”

One user celebrated reaching the third point of view in the story (and mentioned a female character is also involved), while admitting they don’t know who to support.

I’ve been seeing Kendama videos pop up everywhere, and honestly, it’s wild how many people are getting hooked just by *watching* them. People on other platforms are saying the same thing – it’s surprisingly addictive!

The Kendamanomics app is gaining a lot of attention, racking up millions of views across different platforms. It’s become so popular that the app’s creator has now joined TikTok to connect with fans.

I’ve been following the kendama scene, and this competition between the top three players is just the latest thing to blow up online this month! It reminded me of that crazy story earlier in September about those two travelers who accidentally ended up in Tunis when they were trying to get to Nice – talk about a wrong turn!

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2025-09-16 23:49