Added: 2 years ago
From: softypapa
Views: 19,644
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  • they had chain saws back then??

  • Haha, your balance sucks man.. :D

  • In japan we use super secret Japanese craft to construct the bamboo stills -buzzsaw- "ZZZZZZZ!!!!!!" haha

  • I knew this couldn't be happening in the USA as a cadre of lawyers & naysayers always keep fun at bay! But, in their defense, they're concerned with safety. There was great humor & levity in UR video so as not to seem like 10 minutes at all. I've have to watch more of UR stuff. That wasn't Home Depot in the shot,was it? All of popular journalism on wood crafting hobby sing the praise of pull saws from Japan, to see a craftsman with circular saw on a traditional job seemed a black comedy.

  • How is this old fastion... other than the bamboo everything else wasn't...

    Love it though...

  • @bighousedaddy It's old fashioned in the sense that the modern versions of these stilts are usually made of steel pipe with metal and rubber footrests. Most elementary schools have these though it's becoming rare to see them made out of bamboo and wood held together with simple loops of wire. ~Kurt :-)

  • Good Tru-stride stilts

  • Looks like fun.

  • Wow Nice

  • awesome! nothing like family!

  • 竹馬懐かしいなー。

    I used to play with takeuma when i was kid.

  • I made some brutal stilts from watching this video. I'm surprised they held up as well as they have.

  • @LesbianSerialKiller I am delighted to hear that you were able to make some nice stilts using the information shared in this video. I too was surprised to learn how durable such stilts can be. Have fun! ~Kurt :-)

  • Tanoshisou! Thanks for sharing!

  • "Don't ask me. No excuses." I hope to see more of Yumiko, she's hilarious! Your father-in-law is pretty cool, too- I saw the video of the shoji expo. Is there any footage of his work I missed?

    Hilarious to see you on the stilts, too- I'm surprised you were able to keep your balance in such extreme positions for those few seconds- must be all that bike riding!

    ~Kat

  • Hello Kat, It's great to hear from you and I hope that all is well in your part of the world. Thanks for watching this video and for your comments. Yumiko does have a good sense of humor and I always like to get her take on things. I think that the only cause of my balance is the inertia gained by the extra weight around my middle. A bonus I would rather do without. :-) Have a great day! -Kurt :-)

  • We have always admired such skill.

    We were happy to see that ToysPeriod, a leading toy store has featured this film on their blog as an example of Folk Toy manufacture.

    The film was well done, and edited.

    Tim and Maria, Cleveland, USA

  • Hello Tim and Maria,

    Thank you for viewing and commenting. I apologize for my long delay in response. I really appreciate your sharing the information about the ToysPeriod site as it was a delight to see the video being used in such a good way and to help others learn about these little-known skills. I will be sure to share the page with my father-in-law who will likely blush to see his face on the web. :-) Thank you again for writing.

    Sincerely,

    Kurt :-)

  • ur hilarious on those stilts.

  • LOL! 8:00~8:15 :D

    Keep trying, so that you will be suddenly able to ride it one day.

    Funniest ever!

  • Hand holding parts being drilled is risky business.

  • When we were kids, boys would get together and make those takeuma ourselves because our parents were too busy all the time.

    Once we got to learn how to ride them, someone would make his taller than others just for bragging rights. Others would respond by making taller ones and the competition begins. And next things you know, we are starting from a roof top.

    It's actually easier to balance on taller ones, believe it or not.

  • Hello allgoo19, Wow! I would love to have seen you riding such high stilts! Amazing! -Kurt :-)

  • softypapa: "Helloallgoo19, Wow!.."

    It's not as amazing as you think. You probably have seen guys at carnival walking on long wooden legs without handles to hang on to. I have never tried those but it's probably harder.

  • Wow! Very interesting! Kurt you could start your own show and become the Huell Howser of Japan!!

  • Hi Heather, I love Huell's shows and really miss watching his interesting and inspired views of California life and history. Thank you for your very nice words. -Kurt :-)

  • Looks like fun !

    Hope you guys are OK with all the earthquakes and stuff.

    Be safe and thanks for the video.

  • It's harder to learn when you get older. Just like learning to ride a bicycle, once you get the hang of it, you won't forget so easily.

  • at 9:48 what dose the sing say? one symbol is bamboo and the other is horse right? so what dose is say when those symbols are together?

  • davevegas03: "at 9:48 what does.."

    bamboo=take

    horse=uma

    takeuma=stilts

    taketombo=bamboo+dragonfly

    It's like hand helicopter. It's made of wing(usually 5-6") and a stick attached in the center of the wing. You roll the stick between the palms real fast and the whole thing flies.

  • Hello allgoo19 and davevegas03, Thanks for answering this question, allgoo19. I'm sorry for my late reply. -Kurt :-)

  • Thanks again and don't worry about taking more than a few mins to respond I know your bizzy

  • davevegas03: "Thanks again and don't.."

    No problem. ^_^

    It actually took less than a few minutes.

  • Good stuff!

  • Great video Kurt.

    I've seen these type of stilts a few times, but was never brave enough to try. Maybe I should some time. Looks as if your father-in-law is quite a talented man :) I love how your videos really give us a view of Japan most of us don't get to enjoy.

    Simply wonderful :)

  • Hi Kurt,

    Priceless!. I had a good laugh looking at you trying to stand on the Stilts; also you brought some very nice memories of when I was a child, I used to spend hours on the Stilts.

    Take care.

  • Brave parents to put their kids on these ;)

    They look scary to me.

  • Hi Kurt How very fun! To bad you never got that center of gravity down so you could get up on them. How fun! :D

  • Hi Kurt

    Its cool that your father in law makes such things for the kids. I bet he was pleased watching them use the stilts.

    Not as amused as watching you of course ;-)

    If you want to try to use them as well I might have a tip out of own experience:

    hold the sticks lower. Your hands were about shoulder high, the way your wife has them is much easier.

    The rest should be practice.

    -DocGt21

  • Hello DocGt21, Thanks for the tip! I tried your suggestion and indeed the stilts were much easier to handle. Thank you very much for sharing this good advice! -Kurt :-)

  • thats right papa, no excuses!

  • your father-in-law is awesome! does taketombo mean bamboo dragonfly? also, the footage of you on the stilts is priceless.

  • Hello cryptoclassic, Yes, taketombo does indeed mean "bamboo dragonfly". I'm happy that you enjoyed the video. Thanks for watching! -Kurt :-)

  • lol. seem lik fun. do the japnese still do the stilts when their is an event with the familys?

  • Hello kidzero22, I have never seen stilts used with family events though I do often see them made available to kids at schools and community centers. -Kurt :-)

  • can you make a video of how to make wooden japanese shoes

  • Hello beargoat90121, This is a great idea though I don't know anyone with this skill. If I meet someone and they are willing to let me video their work then you can bet I will do it! -Kurt :-)

  • Great Video Kurt. My dad made me and my brothers stilts when I was 8 or 9. We stood with the poles behind our arms and the foot blocks turned inward. We had a blast with them. Keep trying , I know that you can do it..... Doug :o)

  • Hello Doug, Thanks for sharing about your own stilt riding experience and method. I will have to try that out which I hope will be easier for me. Thanks again! -Kurt :-)

  • Hi Kurt! Great video as usual! I'm sure I'd have lots of trouble on the stilts too! Oh,was the typhoon really bad in your area? Take care!

  • Hello gtpluvr, Those stilts were really hard to figure out. Perhaps if I was ten years old again I could learn faster. Thanks for your concern about the typhoon which did not affect our area badly. -Kurt :-)

  • Hi Kurt! Thats true! At a younger we would have better luck learning the stilts. Looks fun anyway! I'm glad to hear your area was not affected by the typhoon! Take care,Jim.

  • Another awesome video Kurt :)

    I couldn't help but laugh a little when you tried to get on the stilts. ^^

    Your video's keep getting more and more interesting, keep up the good work!

  • Hello hoji808, My wife really got a kick out of watching me try to ride those stilts. I'll keep trying and perhaps one day figure out how to do it. Thanks for your nice words! -Kurt :-)

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