TEDxUbud Black yo-yo performance

Among the highlights of the past TEDxUbud 2013 was this performance done by one Japanese artist calling himself "Black," and he's playing a Yo-yo. Even though I've heard about him before during the TEDxUbud countdown, I'd never had a chance to finds out more about him, and I'm glad I didn't. Just with good movies, I prefers to knows nothing about it before watching it myself.

Black immediately catches the audience's attention upon entering the stage wearing a slick black & red Samurai attire. He brought the playful spirit back to the audience that has spent most of the day sitting and listening to the presentations.

Black then proceed to share the story of how he used to be just a regular Japanese teenage with low self esteem, has nothing impressive to feel special, until one day he encountered yo-yo playing, and gave it a try. While he was suck at first attempts, after a week of trying and think he can be good at it, he then decided to make it his focus. Thousand hours of practice later, facing various ups and downs moments, he managed to snatch the World Champion title, twice!


Watching his performance, which was a beautifully choreographed between a very high technical skill, with theatrical performance, jaws were dropping and the audience were literally went into hysteria.

Nowadays Black decided that he'd become a full-time entertainer with his yo-yo performance. He also once landed an audience with one of world's most toughest gig to get into: The Circus du Soleil, and passed! (byms)