Most people start playing kendama for one simple reason: it’s fun.
The sound of a clean spike. The feeling of landing a trick you’ve missed a hundred times. Watching a clip online and thinking, “I want to try that.” That spark is what brings nearly every player into the game.
If you want to compete at the highest level or even become a sponsored or pro kendama player, it’s critical to remember why you started. Losing that initial joy is one of the fastest paths to burnout. The players who last, grow, and eventually represent brands are the ones who keep that original spark alive while building something bigger around it.
So what does it actually take to go from casual player to competing at the highest level of kendama?
Let’s break it down.
Being “Pro” in kendama means representing a brand by exclusively promoting and using their products. While it’s completely fine to show appreciation for other brands from time to time, your responsibility as a pro player is to elevate and promote the brand that supports you.
In return, brands provide opportunities. At the most basic level, sponsorship often starts with free kendamas. As relationships deepen, benefits can include:
Brand apparel
Invitations to outreach events (festivals, concerts, school demos)
Travel expenses and accommodations for competitions
Event registration coverage
Booth work and event involvement
Part-time or full-time brand roles (media, teaching, warehouse work, product setup, wholesale, etc.)
Pro model royalties (which vary widely by brand and are negotiated privately)
Formal contracts exist with some brands. Others operate on relationship-based mutual respect. As of 2026, making a full-time living purely from being a pro kendama player is rare. However, over the past decade, several pros have worked part-time or full-time within kendama companies in various roles.
Being pro isn’t just about landing the hardest tricks. It’s about representing something larger than yourself.
Sponsored and pro players stand out because they bring something unique to the table.
Yes, many of them compete at an extremely high level on stage. But that’s only part of the equation. High-level tricks landed in video edits, creativity in trick conceptualization, strong cinematography, polished editing, event hosting skills, graphic design talent, community building, and even outside connections with shops and brands — all of these attributes matter.
The difference is not simply having those skills. It’s how players use them.
Some players with slightly lower competitive skill get sponsored before more technically advanced players because they:
Are kind and positive
Actively support the brand they hope to represent
Contribute to the community beyond landing difficult tricks
Being active, involved, friendly, consistent, and patient matters. Patience is huge.
Competition success carries immense weight.
Performing under pressure on stage, in front of a live audience, with judges and peers watching, that’s a different skill entirely. Brands and pro teams understand how difficult it is to execute cleanly in those moments. So when you perform well, it definitely doesn't go unnoticed.
Filming high-level tricks at home is impressive. But on camera, you can attempt a trick for hours until it lands. On stage, you often get one shot. That composure separates top competitors from the rest.
That said, online presence is becoming increasingly important. Social media has global reach. Brands need content. High-quality videos, creative edits, and consistent posting can absolutely lead to sponsorship opportunities, specially at early levels.
If you want to get noticed:
Film high-quality promotional clips for a product your favorite brand sells.
Tag them across Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok.
Be consistent.
Don’t expect instant results.
One post rarely changes everything. Long-term consistency does. Online is where you gain traction. In person is where you build life-changing relationships.
Both matter.
From brand-new player to consistently placing in the Top 8 at major events, it can take around four years, sometimes less for outliers who train intensely.
But make no mistake: this requires serious dedication. Hours and hours every day. Regular event attendance. Structured practice.
If you play casually and lightly, you may never reach that level. That’s okay, not everyone wants to. But if your goal is elite competition, your effort must reflect it. Think about the mentality of people like Tiger Woods or Kobe Bryant. You must be gruelingly committed to achieve greatness.
At higher levels, practice becomes structured.
When trick lists are released for competitions:
Beginners should run through the list daily leading up to the event.
Advanced and Am Open players often run through the list three to five times per day.
Pros frequently practice landing each trick three times in a row, back-to-back with no misses.
In competition, you may need to land a trick multiple times consecutively if your opponent does the same. Some elite players push themselves further. Going four, five, even six consecutive makes per trick during the weeks and months leading up to an event.
That level of preparation builds stage composure.
Many aspiring sponsored players make avoidable mistakes:
Not using the brand they want to represent
Not attending in-person events
Not posting about kendama online
Not interacting with the brand’s existing team
Trying to force sponsorship too quickly
The biggest differentiators are activity, positivity, consistency, and patience. Sponsorship is rarely overnight. It’s built through visibility, trust, and consistency.
Not everyone will become a Top 8 competitor. But everyone can make an impact.
You can:
Volunteer at events to become a familiar face
Help competitions run smoothly
Photograph players and matches
Design event posters or apparel
Paint or customize kendamas
Create cinematic edits
Host local jams
Start your own annual event, retreat, or class
The key isn’t just creating something. It’s sharing it. Visibility matters.
Brands notice contributors who elevate the scene.
Burnout looks different for everyone. Some players burn out from grinding Instagram tricks. Others burn out from intense competition prep. Some struggle creatively and feel stuck.
If this happens:
Step back and remember why you started.
Rewatch your old clips.
Learn a trick from a favorite player’s feed.
Get off social media for a while.
Meet friends in person and just jam.
You don’t have to let outside expectations dictate how you enjoy kendama. You can play purely for yourself.
Keeping the game fun is what allows longevity.
To compete at the highest level of kendama, you need:
Skill
Consistency
Stage composure
Creativity
Community involvement
Patience
Visibility
And a reason bigger than attention
But above all, you need to remember why you started.
Every pro player once landed their first spike. Every sponsored player once watched someone else online and felt inspired.
Greatness in kendama isn’t accidental. It’s built over years of intentional effort — both online and in person — fueled by the simple joy that got you hooked in the first place.
And that joy? That’s still the most powerful tool you have.
