US ASTROJAX Blog

Myachi - Way of the Hand Sack

What is Myachi?

If you have action figures, it makes an excellent body pillow for a G.I. Joe or Barbie.

If you're a Jaxologist, it is one of the greatest skill toys ever created.

It seems like only yesterday (by yesterday, I mean 1999) that I received my first Myachi in my hometown of Salida, Colorado. It was summer. Fibark was in full swing. The sun was shining and the river roaring as people swarmed around vendors selling at marked-up prices. I was 17 years old and like any teenager with money, it was burning a hole in my pocket. Between $4 funnel cakes and $2 junk toys, I arrived at destiny; The Myachi guys. I was already familiar with hackysack and quite good at it. So when I saw these guys throwing down a version of hackysack that broke the rules (see: playing with hands) I knew I had to see what was going on. 

What I discovered opened my eyes to hackysack play and the world of skill toys in general. What I learned was:

• You can bend the rules of a game if you'll just bend your mind.
• There are way more skill toys in the world than I could've imagined
• I would look pretty lame in comparison to these guys when I try Myachi

 
And I did look lame. It was hard at first. These guys were total rock stars. But most importantly? They were supportive, positive, and they opened my eyes. I plunked down $10 cash (the price back then) and left with my very first purple crush velvet Myachi.

So what is Myachi? In short, it's a hand hackysack. But the beauty of a Myachi is that it functions as a regular hackysack for like, you know, your feet. You can stall, kick, flick, spin it the old fashioned way, and now you can use your hands. There's only one rule-

NO PALMS ALLOWED! 

Or more simply- using the back of your hand exclusively. The first thing you will learn as a Myachi noob is the lotus position. How to form and hold your hand the proper way in order to effectively use your hands with a Myachi. If you've played hackysack but are not familiar with stalls, then the next thing you will (quickly) learn is how to stall. That simple technique that everyone claims they can do but cannot (technique is everything in a stall). Stalls are essential in Myachi. It's not all hits like in hackysack. Can you hit? Sure. It's just not the predominant move. But eventually, you will learn how to catch or stall. When you start getting the hang of it, you will find that you feel (and look like) a ninja with this thing! Once you find your Myachi flow, you'll find your body moving in ways and rhythms you may have never experienced before!

Below I've posted videos of some seasoned Myachi players (see: Myachi ninjas) so you can get an idea of how Myachi works because words just don't do it justice.

Much like hackysack, the Myachi is formed on the ideal of community. There are many skill toys out there that are meant for solo-use. And while you can practice/play Myachi on your own, the real fun comes in getting a group and jammin' together!  Learning new tricks. Showing off new tricks. Everyone laughing when someone gets smacked in the face "on accident". It's revolutionary and much like Astrojax, Myachi is open to new ways of play and interpretation based on the individuals playing. So, check out the videos and if you like what you see, click here to order your very own Myachi from USAstrojax!

 

 

 

Are YOU A Jaxologist?

What is a Jaxologist you ask? Well, Webster's dictionary defines a jaxologist as:

jax - o - lo - gist    noun  

A person that is passionate about the perfection of skill-based toys such as Astrojax or an individual that is ruthlessly dedicated to the mastery of skill toys even at the expense of their personal well-being. Alright, we made that up- it's not in the dictionary, but it should be, because if you're reading this, that's precisely what you are! When we began Jaxology, we did so with one goal in mind- to be the absolute go-to source for anyone looking to master skill toys and learn how to get the most rewarding experiences out of the toys they're passionate about. Here you'll find all sorts of useful information like articles on how to properly maintain your toys, video interviews with renowned professionals, the sickest tricks, and the secret to immortality. ok, you got us- we might've embellished that last one a little too. We're not just about dispersing knowledge to you though because it's boring when one person just blathers on- we're just as excited to hear what YOU have to say! If there's one thing we've learned about skill toys, it's that every day someone, somewhere, is discovering something new. Whether that's a new trick, a shortcut to help out beginners, or just a creative video that makes people stop and think, your voice is important to us. Which, brings us to the most important piece of this introduction; We're passionate about building a community of great people who like having fun, staying active, and helping each other. In fact, it has to be a community because it'd be silly (yes, even for us) to claim we know EVERYTHING there is to know about skill toys. That's why we'll be looking to you and eager to post up your thoughts and advice just as much as we put out our own. Think you've got a great tutorial or just flat-out rant about Astrojax? Check out our writers guidelines, write it up, shoot it to us in an email, and if we choose yours as our post for the week you'll get a FREE *SOMETHING*. How's that for a slice of fried gold? So thanks for stopping by, fellow Jaxologist! We appreciate your checking us out, and be sure to subscribe and hit us up on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter to stay up on the latest videos, tutorials, new toys, and more!