The largest kendama convention in the United States, NAKO (North American Kendama Open), is coming up soon! After the past few years of hosting the event exclusively online, we're thrilled to see people IN PERSON again this year!
This year more than ever, we're working hard at providing a bunch of other activities to get involved with during the event, beyond the main competition. Including jams, side competitions, and much more, there's no shortage of things to get into at NAKO 2022.
Below you'll find a tentative list and details on workshops & panels for Days 1 & 2 of the event at the Delta Hotel.*
*All times & details listed are subject to change. More details about the location/room for each panel/workshop will be available soon. Activities listed below are in chronological order.
Thursday - Day 0 (Sept. 8, '22)
MEET N' GREET: Shop Jam & Tours
Time/Location: TBA / Sweets HQ
2920 Talmage Ave SE, Minneapolis MN
Host: Sweets Kendamas
Description: Everyone is welcome! Come jam kendama with everyone at the Sweets Shop HQ! This is a free-to-attend Pre-Party jam that happens the day before the real event begins.
Friday - Day 1 (Sept. 9, '22)
Creating Safe Spaces! Queer Jam!
Skill Level for Workshop: All Skill Levels Welcome
Description: This jam is dedicated to all members of the queer community! It is dedicated to making the kendama community feel safe and loving no matter how you identify. We hope that this jam space will help curate an opportunity to make new friends, build connections between the kendama community and queer community, and plant a seed of queer positivity and unconditional support into the kendama community! If you are curious or want to learn how you can be an ally, please come join the jam!!!
MEET N' GREET : Games with the Gallaghers
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Presenter: Nick & Zack Gallagher
Sponsors: Sweets Kendamas
Skill Level for Workshop: All Skill Levels Welcome
Description: Come and jam with Nick and Zack! They will be hanging out, answering questions, and offering tips for the tricks you want to learn! Come jam and learn from some of the most consistent players in the industry.
Workshop: Become a SKF Teacher
Time/Location: 12pm-12:30pm / DULUTH ROOM
Presenter: Joshua Grove
Sponsors: Sweets Kendamas / Foundation
Skill Level for Workshop: All Skill Levels Welcome
Description: Sweets Kendamas Foundation has reached over 7,000 students in 2022 alone! We are looking to expand after-school programs around the country and we need your help! Come join this informational discussion about Kendama in education and how you can potentially get involved!
Workshop: SPREAD KENDAMA LOVE AT FESTIVALS!
 
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Time/Location: 12:00pm-12:30pm / STILLWATER ROOM
Presenter: Austin Donovan & Daniel Lawless
Sponsors: Sweets Kendamas
Skill Level for Workshop: All Skill Levels Welcome
Description: Kendama has been spreading like wildfire in the music scene for a while now and Sweets Kendamas is looking for potential help at some summer festivals. Come join the discussion to learn more about signing up to join the festival education squad!
Workshop: Kendama-do, The way of Kendama in the U.S.A
Time/Location: 1:30pm - 2:30pm / STILLWATER ROOM
Presenter: Michael Martin
Sponsors: SKF instructor, Certified Kentei Sensei, JKA certified Kyu/Junshodan testing
Skill Level for Workshop: All Skill Levels Welcome
Description: This workshop will highlight the Japanese Kendama-do philosophy as well as its benefits. Participants will engage with hands on kendama group exercises and demonstrations of various kendama testing. The material covered is advanced, but all skill levels are welcome.
Workshop: Flow Up Glow Up - Beginners
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Presenters: Adriana & Ria
Sponsors: Quad Kendamas, Quill Kendamas
Skill Level for Workshop: All Skill Levels Welcome
Description: This Flow shop will start with beginner friendly flow and work its way all the way into advanced level skills. Come ready and excited to build comfort & confidence in creating flow lines.
MEET N GREET: UNDER 21 JAM
Time/Location: 3:30pm - 4:30pm / SUPERIOR ROOM
Skill Level for Jam: All Skill Levels
Description: If you are under 21, this is your time to meet and play with players under 21!!! Come introduce yourself and make some new friends!
SOBER MEETUP JAM
Skill Level for Jam: All Skill Levels
Host: Community Led
Description: Celebrate sobriety together and meet the community of sober slayers!
MEET N GREET: YO-YO JAM!
Time/Location: 6:30pm - 7:30pm / DULUTH ROOM
Presenters: Adrian Velez, Christopher Chunn, Graham Bull
Sponsors: Sweets Kendamas Foundation
Skill Level for Jam: All Skill Levels Welcome
Description: Yoyo workshop! We’d love to get some more dama players into a transitional skill toy! We will have plenty of beginner-intermediate yo-yos available, so plenty for whoever would want to participate! Come throw with us and learn something new!
MEET N GREET: 21+ JAM
Time/ Location: 8:30pm - 10:15pm / The Hotel Bar
Skill Level for Jam: All Skill Levels Welcome
Description: If you are 21+, this is your time to meet and play with other 21+ players! Come introduce yourself, grab a drink and make some new friends!
Workshop: String Theory
Time/Location: 8pm - 9:30pm / SUPERIOR ROOM
Presenter: Will Schlageter, He/Him
Skill Level for Workshop: Intermediate - Advanced (ability to goon circle is highly recommended)
Description: Kendama has seen insane amounts of innovation in the realm of string tech over the last 3 years. Will is going to be doing a deep dive into this rare class of tricks to get all who attend comfortable with goon pinch, loops, late goons, and with the ultimate goal of teaching everyone how to do a re-goon. Time will be put aside during the workshop to discuss other string tech tricks such as yoink, cloud bounce, and comets as well as tricks that haven't been done yet and the future of string tech.
Workshop: Perfecting Your Late Goon Form
Time/Location: 9-30pm - 10:15pm / SUPERIOR ROOM
Presenter: Atticus Tyler
Skill Level for Workshop: Intermediate - Advanced +
Description: My workshop is aimed towards those who understand how to do late goon, but need practice in maintaining a consistent form. I will take some time at the beginning to describe my late goon form and show examples of other player's form. I will highlight similarities in a clean late goon form. The rest of the workshop will be dedicated to 1 on 1 advice sharing/coaching.
FRIDAY SIDE COMPETITIONS
KAIJU ONLY!
Time/ Location: After Premiers / ST. PAUL ROOM
Host: Joshua Grove
Sponsors: Sweets Kendamas
Skill Level for Workshop: All Skill Levels Welcome
Description: A Kaiju competition has been a long awaited event and we are here to experience the craziness of it all! Players will be going head to head in an open style competition to see who the best Kaiju player is. Kaijus will be supplied by Sweets Kendamas to compete with. Winner TAKES ONE HOME!
DAMA BLITZ
Time/Location: After Premiers / ST. PAUL ROOM
Host: Terra Kendama
Skill Level: All Skill Levels Welcome
Comp Description: Dama Blitz is a fast paced game of endurance and consistency. Players will compete head to head or in a free-for-all 4 player match to see who the last person standing will be!
Magic the Gathering Meetup
Time / Location: After Video Premieres - Minneapolis Foyer
Host: Community Led
Description: Bring your decks and may the best player win!
Saturday - Day 2 (Sept. 10, '22)
Workshop: KENDAMA KENTEI CERTIFICATION COURSE
Time/Location: 9:30am - 10:30am / DULUTH ROOM
Presenter: Joshua Grove
Sponsors: GLOKEN & Sweets Kendamas Foundation
Skill Level: All Skill Levels Welcome
Description: Get certified to test people in the Kendama Kentei system! Cost to take the course is Free, Cost to receive the official certification is $50 (this covers certificate costs from Japan).
Workshop: Breathe Like A Bear with Bjorn
Time/Location: 10:30am - 11:30am / STILLWATER ROOM
Presenter: Bjorn Reece Sorenson
Sponsors: Sweets Kendamas
Skill Level: All Skill Levels Welcome
Description: Join Sweets team member Bjorn in a mix of movement, breath, and meditation. In this session, we will connect to our body, mind, and spirit! You’ll leave feeling like a cute and peacefully ferocious bear!
Workshop: GET PAID TO TEACH KENDAMA!
Time/Location: 10:30am - 11am / DULUTH ROOM
Presenter: Joshua Grove, Austin Donavan, Daniel Lawless
Sponsors: Sweets Kendamas / Foundation
Skill Level for Workshop: All Skill Levels Welcome
Description: Sweets Kendamas Foundation has reached over 7,000 students in 2022 alone! We are looking to spread after-school programs around the country and we need your help! Sweets Kendamas is also looking for help in spreading kendama at summer festivals! Come join this informational discussion about Kendama in education and how you can potentially get involved!
MEET N GREET: SHREDWIN
Time/Location: 11:30am - 12:30pm / COURTYARD
Presenter: SHREDWIN
Sponsors: KROM KENDAMA
Description: Come Meet, jam and learn from the amazing Shredwin! One of the best players in the world will be here to answer questions, Jam out and play dama! Come get warmed up jammin with shreddy!
Workshop Title: FILMER PANEL
Time/Location: 11am - 12pm / DULUTH ROOM
Presenters: Cooper Eddy, George Marshall, Zach Magnuson, Parker Johnson
Sponsors: Sweets Kendamas, Kendama USA, Grain Theory
Skill Level: All Skill Levels Welcome
Description: The Names of the panel should say it all. Don’t miss this panel!
Workshop: Feel the Burn - Intro to Wood Burning
Time/Location: 12:30pm - 2pm / SUPERIOR ROOM
Presenter: Alissa DeCoteau, She/Her
Skill Level : All Skill Levels Welcome (13 years old and up)
Workshop Description: Learn the basic tools and techniques of wood burning, choose one of three mandala templates, and burn away!!
ATTN* $10 for class supplies, Limit to 10 people
Workshop: Kendama Fit - Strengthen Your Body to Strengthen Your Game
Time/Location: 1pm - 2:30pm / DULUTH ROOM
Presenter: Emmanuel Maldonado, He/Him
Skill level: All Skill Levels Welcome (as long as there are no pre-existing injuries)
Sponsors: Therabody, Technogym
Description: My goal is to educate about how the body moves and provide a framework to exercise it to help reduce kendama pains. This workshop will focus on identifying the most common kendama pains and teaching a full body movement program to strengthen your body and help progress your play.
Workshop: Vertical Work “It's all in the Knees"
Time/Location: 3pm - 3:45pm / DULUTH ROOM
Presenter: Cassie Destremau, She/Her
Sponsors: New Laced Kendamas
Skill Level for Workshop: Beginner - Intermediate
Description: Using your knees to take advantage of the vertical space in front of you is a really important and fun aspect of kendama! We will work on how to do that no matter your height and skill level to make your tricks flow and feel better.
SpikeBall Sesh!
Time / Location: 4pm - 5pm / COURTYARD
Host: Gabe Klemm
Description: Spikeball is an extremely fun and fast paced game that will leave you wanting more the second the game is over! Come learn how to play or hone your skills with other players.
MEET N GREET: Juggling with Lisa Komatsubara!
Time/ Location: 5pm-6pm / SUPERIOR ROOM
Presenter: Lisa Komatsubara
Sponsors: Kendama USA
Description: Lisa Komatsubara is a world class juggler coming all the way from New Zealand! This meetup will be a great opportunity to learn a wide variety of juggling techniques and challenge yourself! So come and get your juggle on! Meet some of the local jugglers!
The Swap Meet ( Buy Sell Trade )
Time/Location: 6pm -7:30pm / SUPERIOR ROOM
Host: TBA
Description: This is the perfect place for you to come and buy, sell or trade some kendamas / accessories!
Workshop: Flow Up Glow Up (ADVANCED)
 
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Time/ Location: 8pm - 9pm / SUPERIOR
Presenter: Adriana & Ria
Sponsors: Quad Kendamas, Quill Kendamas
Skill Level for Workshop: Advanced+
Workshop Description: This Flow shop will start with beginner friendly flow and work its way all the way into advanced level skills. Come ready and excited to build comfort & confidence in creating flow lines.
Fingerboard Meetup!
Time / Location: 9:00pm-10:00 pm / SUPERIOR ROOM
Host: Community Led
Description: Bring your boards, Bring your ramps and features, and sesh! Please be respectful of hotel features and furniture.
Pokemon!
Host: Community Led
Description: Bring your Cards, trade, share battle, meet up and GO!
SATURDAY SIDE COMPETITIONS
Add On Tournament
Time/Location: ~10:00 pm / DULUTH ROOM
Presenter: Michael Reeves
Sponsors: Kendama Depot
Skill Level: All Skill Levels Welcome
COMP DESCRIPTION: Add-On Tournaments are an eccentric kendama experience that more and more players are calling their favorite competition format. Participants can expect an extensive test of their trick diversity, where players are incentivized to perform not only their most unique, but even more, their most consistent tricks. Add-On Tournaments create a balance between competition and collaboration, from which we guarantee players of all skill levels will not only have a fun time, but also leave having their kendama play expanded. The rules and mechanics to Add-On tournaments are still being developed, each trial, with feedback from participants, so we are inviting you to join us in creating what we believe is the coolest competition in kendama.
Smash Tourney
Time/Location: ~10:00pm / SUPERIOR ROOM
Presenter: Caleb Jefferies & Chris June
Sponsors: Deal With it
Skill Workshop: All Skill Levels Welcome
Description: Come throw down with the smash tournament!
Twitch Chat IRL Meetup
Time / Location: 11pm / SUPERIOR ROOM
Host: SweetsRage
Description: What up chat!? Come hang out and chat it up live in the room with the one and only Matt Sweets!
SIDE COMP: PINK SLIPS
Sponsors: Not For Kids
Skill Level: (13 years and up or parent permission) All Skill Levels Welcome
Comp Description: Just like drag car races! Lose the game lose your dama. This game type was an old tradition from world yoyo contests 2013 and prior. The way it works is essentially a best banger competition 1v1, the winner keeps the setup! Damas of similar price range to keep it fair, three tries to hit your coolest trick on someone else. Comp will be age 13 and up unless a parent is present or signs approval. More rules will be explained at the comp! Good luck!
Late Night JACKBOX
Host : TBA
Description: Come laugh with your friends over ridiculous games that can be played by heaps loads of people at once! Bring your phone and a charger!
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