Bravo Juggling presents: Stick Heroes / 2012. 03.
Yuho Fukuzawa enriched with his creative ideas the range of one- and double-stick tricks, he's an excellent player of double-stick shower.
This frog-costume video is our favorite.
Name: Yuho Fukuzawa
Age: 20
Nationality: Japanese
Place of living: Tokyo
Your job: The University of Tokyo
How many years have you been juggling with devilsticks: 8 years (since 5/2003), but it was 2 years ago when I started training seriously.
Number of devilsticks you have:
I have 8 sticks now: 2 devilsticks, 6 flowersticks. Recently I bought 5 new flowersticks!
Your juggling achievements (prize / performance / trick that you are proud of / etc.):
I don't have any awards. The act at the university campus festival and videos uploaded to Youtube are my acheivements.
Other juggling equipments you play with:
Flowersticks only. I can not even toss 3 clubs.
Are you member of any team/group/club/association:
I'm a member of "Malabaristas", juggling club of the University of Tokyo.
Why did you choose this juggling tool and where did you first see it?
When I was 8 years old, my grandmother took me to an amusement park in Asakusa, Tokyo. On the stage in there I saw devilsticks for the first time. 4 years later, I entered junior highschool. In Jugglers Group of Kaisei, the juggling club of my junior highschool, I touched the devilsticks for the first time in 4 years and started training.
What are you practicing at the moments?
"2 sticks shower" originated from Ghost. Toss one stick by the half flip from right hand to left and another stick by the idling from left to right. My friends call it "Idling shower". I've been practicing this for about a year, but my best record is about 100 times. I've developed it into "2 sticks box". I'm practicing this now and my best record is only 6 times, probably this is the most difficult trick I can do.
Do you have tricks that you invented?
Although I have devised a variety of tricks, eventually most of them turned out to be a trick someone already produced. But I love these two tricks, I probably invented them.
1. Helmsman
Gripping both ends of a handstick when you are doing the Curl like the Corkscrew and swapping hands according to the rotation. You can also pass it between the legs, behind the back and the neck.
2. Donuts
The trick with 2 sticks. Pass one stick by the Neck roll from right to left and another stick with half flip or idling from left to right.
What are your favorite tricks?
Besides the tricks that I mentioned in the previous questions, I love most of the Helicopter and Saw style tricks. On the contrary, I don't like tossing up the handstick while doing tricks because I'm not good at throwing things.
In what style do you play and what other styles do you like?
I love styles which put on an atmosphere of mystery. I want to play with composure, not straining, and yet to perform fantastic tricks in terms of the technique.
Do you play with firesticks as well?
I've never touched firesticks. If I got it, I would try to do the Curl and burn to death.
What do you do on a normal day, how many hours do you practice?
I practice 2-3 hours twice a week at the juggling club, and 1-2 hours on a normal day, I don't touch the sticks sometimes.
Do you perform with devilsticks?
Yes, I perform with flowersticks in the festival of the university. Also just now I'm making my new routine and practicing it for the festival in May.
Do you teach juggling?
I teach juggling to kids at the community center occasionally. They are so vigorous that I'm dead tired after the teaching.
Why do you like devilsticks?
Because of it's unique and peculiar rotation.
What are your weak points?
Although we must practice with balance between right and left, I always practice to concentrate only on my right hand. Consequently, even in propeller, my right arm performs better than left arm.
How is juggling life in Japan? Are devil sticks popular?
No, toss juggling and diabolos are the majority. But there are many individual players of sticks in Japan and I love them. For example, Nagotsuki is the crazy albert machine.
Tell us a funny story related with devilsticks.
When I was waiting for the train at the station, an unknown man watched and spoke to me. "Are these flowersticks?" He turned out to be a balloon artist. I didn't think I would encounter people who know flowersticks in the place where I live.
What is your goal related with devilsticks? What is a challenge for you?
I can't set my goal until I lose interest in devilsticks.
Can you imagine not juggling devilsticks any more?
No, as long as there are flowersticks in my room I'll continue to juggle with sticks. Though I may come to treat juggling as a small thing in the future, I'm sure that I will have to do juggling in some form.
What is the advice you have for beginner/advanced devilstick players?
Make new tricks by your own effort.