Traveling Trunk

The diabolo is very different from the regular yoyo familiar to westerners but has similar components. It is constructed of two discs connected by a long axle. The diabolo also uses a string, but it is connected to two sticks. The sticks are held in separate hands and the diabolo is kept spinning along the string by raising each stick in turn.

The creation of the diabolo dates back to the Ming Dynasty (1386-1644 AD) (54). It was originally made of bamboo but is now also made of plastic or rubber. This simple toy can be used to varying degrees of mastery. After one learns how to spin the diabolo, tricks can be attempted. Unlike a regular yoyo that is attached to a string, the diabolo can be tossed in the air and caught on the string when it drops back down.

Spinning a diabolo takes patience and coordination. Place the diabolo on the floor (on top of the string) towards the right side of your body. One disc should face away from your body and the other should face your body. Holding the sticks in separate hands, raise your right hand slightly. This will roll the diabolo to the left, in front of your body. Then, by lifting the sticks, lift the diabolo one foot off of the ground. To keep the diabolo spinning, raise each stick in turn. It spins best if it is kept spinning at a high speeds (55).

For a video of Chinese yoyo performers, please see the following website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59J8Sn11Na0 (56).