WFD Speed Drumming Champ Eric Okamoto on NBC's WNCN News 17

[bluuuuarrg]

the way that he sits in the thumbnail looks like steven hawking lol

[percmanDOTcom]

@bluuuuarrg

AS long as its Dr. Hawking! He is doing great for a handicap!

I have alot of respect for that man! He's a genius!

I have to get another drum throne.

Percman

[stringsification]

Just met Eric yesterday at summer mamma. Real deal man. Eric your sick bro. I know your gunna break the record this weekend. You got it bro

[SAHBfan]

"....your gonna tear muscles. Just like any other sport..."

That says it all to me ^_^

[Stoner0Jesse]

no troll

but my old teacher

used to be able to do near same wif this guy

but, he would be like 60 rite now

so don't know if he can do it.. lol

and this guy looks pretty young

very amazing xD

[percmanDOTcom]

@Stoner0Jesse

Woe, 60 years old! That's excellent!

Thanks,

Percman

[Stoner0Jesse]

no troll

but my old teacher

used to be able to do near same wif this guy

he would be like 60 rite now

so don't know if he can do it.. lol

[ninjagrowguy]

lol, Can you believe he has to warm up? WOOOWIE!!!! he has skills, but come on! Show some footage of NAMM instead. He's good, but really?

[percmanDOTcom]

@ninjagrowguy

Boo McAfee owns the rights to all WFD events. The only released video by permission is from this link.

Thanks,

Eric

[pyromanizak]

That was like me 10 seconds ago when i was drumming on ritalin LOL

[percmanDOTcom]

@pyromanizak

LOL!

[impleasen]

these news people are so phoney, they are not very constructive people, they can't even change a light bulb without burning their hands....

[arconda666]

Super fast!! COmpliments!!

ArcOndA

[percmanDOTcom]

@arconda666

Thanks!

Eric

ciao!

[777glenno]

check my records out Eric. love what ya started, now see where it's gone :) (I've done 1504 singles and 1712 doubles...)

[percmanDOTcom]

777glenno,

Sounds great! I saw your video. Are you also doing it on a drumometer\metronome for 60 seconds?

[percmanDOTcom]

Also, unofficially, my new totals are 1799. I was aiming for 1800.

Thanks,

Eric

[777glenno]

no, I dont have a drumometer :( going to get one soon. but yea, I know the speeds you're talking about and can play them easy as you might see from my doubles vs singles vid :) but yea, I've gone beyond and am imagining some freaky speeds to achieve!

[percmanDOTcom]

777glenno,

EXCELLENT!

Keep me posted.

Eric

[percmanDOTcom]

That's because you passed the indoctrination by the media!

Hey everyone, check this out!!!!!

[dirtbikemike69]

Whoa! I was expecting him to talk like an asian..

[percmanDOTcom]

@dirtbikemike69

Actually, they were all overdubbed in English so they could be view globally.

Thanks,

Percman

[hyrael2]

a World record for each rudiments ?

[percmanDOTcom]

Just in Closed double strokes and paradidles.

Although I am working on breaking those and adding double paradidles and others if possible.

Thanks Hyrael2,

Eric

[lesleyblood1]

I think the paradiddle would be easy enough( double storke or triplet 1/16th...the single stroke would be hard)

good stuff

[percmanDOTcom]

Lesleyblood1,

Thanks,

Eric

[chiefindianlung]

haha, look at the news guy try to play!

[saikoro1279]

um

wtf does the news caster mean when he says "i wonder how his parents must have felt when he was growing up"

that dioesnt really make sense xD

[percmanDOTcom]

Oh well, I am taking it in a positive way, that he meant it in a light hearted manner.

Thanks,

Eric

[yalelax2012]

it means he was making a lot of noise ... drumming

[percmanDOTcom]

Yalelax2012,

Probably,

Should have played on an electronic kit.

Eric

[bikerbill666]

he aint exactly sadistik exekution speed!

[percmanDOTcom]

Bikerbill666,

Oh well.....

Thanks,

Eric

[targetleo]

his chinese dud is fast.... lol were can be fast like him???

[likesXtoXsk8]

nice job im preety fast my self with dem paradidles myself and im in grade 7 and i play percussion in band

[percmanDOTcom]

Thanks!

Sounds good, are you competing in All-State?

Eric

[vincentXXX666]

OMG that huge huge skills

[percmanDOTcom]

Vincentxxx666,

Thanks! Takes a while to work out.

[snip3pr0]

Where we can get that drum thing

[hangukawesome]

I really want lessons from you

lol you are a freaking beast

27 strokes per SECOND!!!

[percmanDOTcom]

If you are ever in the Cary, NC area, feel free to look me up for lessons!

Thanks,

Eric

I have been really behind in responses for texts, being really busy. sorry.

[morganchavis]

I'm from NC too. Nice to know there's something of interest here.

[percmanDOTcom]

Morganchavis,

NC is a great place to live with nice people. Rated in the top 5 in America.

Eric

[morganchavis]

Really? I don't think it's all that fun..I'm really just complaining about bands, not too many good ones come from here and if they do, they don't get big like they deserve to. Sorry to ramble.

[teachingfeller]

Did you march?

[teachingfeller]

Congratulations. Two questions: did you compete in any foot categories? I know tim watterson has held that title for a while. Also, was mike mangini there?

[percmanDOTcom]

Thanks teachingfeller.

Yes I marched in the ECU Marching Band [drum corps]. I was on snare both years. Also, I only compete in the hands category. I leave the feet to Tim and Mike. Mike Mangini and Tim were there when I set the first record in 2005 of 1500 and 1559. But in 2007, Mike Mallais hosted.

For some reason, some of my replies are not being posted. Oh well....

Thanks,

Eric

[Trivmvirate]

Very interesting, Awesome stuff.

[percmanDOTcom]

Dear Trivmvirate,

Thanks!

Eric

[numblinkin]

i wish i could do that man...

[BigBird1337]

My goodness. What is your technique for those singles?

[CoIinThomasLyle]

i respect this guy alot! his technique looks tight, odd. mines loose. ive been trained to play loose. But obviously this guy is better. maybe thats why he has to warm up for so long.

[percmanDOTcom]

Dear ColinThomasLyle,

Thanks!Your Right. Looser is better. I had to warm up for so long because people [news, onlookers, drummers, friends etc..]kept asking me questions in the middle of my warmups. I had to stop, then restart all over again [for hours]. They left that part out of the interviews. I didn't want to be rude and ignore them. Oh well......

Thanks,

Eric

[proto35]

its intense for paradiddles, but for doubles, it is abit easier.. but of course.. mad training is required

[percmanDOTcom]

Dear proto35,

Exactly! Also, making sure all the strokes are identified by the Drumometer at that speed with the metronome.

Thanks,

Eric

[percmanDOTcom]

Hi Adam,

Sorry for the delay. Hope all is going well with you.

Eric

[jraybay]

he makes it look easy. I tried that and it's not that easy :\ .

[percmanDOTcom]

Thanks jraybay. It takes a while to get used to the math behind it. BTW, unofficially, I did a run [drumometer metronome at 150 x 12, or double stroked sixtuplets = 1800]and hit 1799. Hope to see you at the World Finals.

Thanks,

Eric

[jraybay]

my arms got tired and I couldn't count any longer lol. :( . jeez thats alot lol. I dunno if they hold something like this in canada where I live :\

[percmanDOTcom]

Dear jraybay,

So far, they are held at NAMM, but who knows? I think preliminaries could be.

Thanks,

Eric

[acstarkatncsu]

I took lessons from Eric. Hes mad goofy

[percmanDOTcom]

Thanks Mr. Stark! I hope all is well with you.

Mad, Goofy, in that order?

[acstarkatncsu]

haha. "mad' referring to "very"

Ive been good eric. Im at the Jazz band here at nc state drumming. I've gotten really good at those duckweighs you taught me.

[acstarkatncsu]

haha "mad" being an adjective referring to "very"

Hey Eric, Im doin great. Im drumming at NC State in the Jazz band. I've got really good at those duckweighs you taught me...

[sarge5000]

"so far i'm the only one whose been able to do this at these numbers" - now i see what you mean - it's sanjay - but i don't think it's that big a deal.

[percmanDOTcom]

Thanks. I guess it could be misconstrued.

[SethDavis1200]

Your catagory? Interesting.

[percmanDOTcom]

Closed double stroke rolls.

Thanks,

Eric

[percmanDOTcom]

Seth, is that you?

Thanks,

Eric

[Drummerthatismetal]

Dang dude! Your got skill! The 1600 they said, was that for 60 seconds?

[breezecool21]

Dear Drummerthatismetal,

Yes. The way I do it with the WFD is call out the number I want to reach, say 1620, set the metronome to 135, and try to get within a couple of strokes of 1620 in 60 seconds. In this case, I actually hit 1620 on the nose. That way, it helps prove the accuracy and that I was not trying to buzz.

Thanks,

Eric

[Drummerthatismetal]

Okay, thank you!

[percmanDOTcom]

Dear Huntsman,

Thanks for all your encouragements on Youtube.

Come on out to NAMM!

Eric

[huntsman0603]

Great job Eric! Keep it up.

[percmanDOTcom]

Thanks for all Your encouragements on Youtube.

Come on out to NAMM!

Thanks,

Eric