The Three Generations of Myachi Master

by Crazy Ivan

It often strikes me how easily the Myachi Masters divide by generation.  We often refer to ourselves as "gen one", "gen two" and "gen three", and there are actually substantial differences between the generations.  From different tricks to different styles of play to different styles of teaching, one can quickly see a clear demarcation between the groups.

Gen One:

Generation one consists of Myachi Man, Kid Myach and myself.  The distinguishing factor that connects more than any other is that we're the only people still involved with the company that ever lived on the Myachi Mobile for an extended period of time.  Animal nearly crosses into this generation, since he was actually working for Myachi before I was and did spend a summer on the Myachi Mobile with me, but since he was not a full time member of the company until much later (and because he's at least a decade younger than any of the rest of us) pushes him into generation two.

Style: Generation one is marked by a style that seems almost simplistic by modern standards.  If there is a common thread that connects the three Myachi Masters in style, it is a reliance on large motions and exagerated motions on fairly basic tricks.
Tricks:The typical holding patterns for gen one Masters are Fu and Fusion and the vast majority of their (our) shreds are upper body.  Many basic moves that you'll catch in a gen one shred are absent in the later generations, as so many more moves existed by the time the other members came on board.
Games: The primary Myachi game for generation one is simple toss and catch or group chaos, though gen one players also tend to play a lot more Myachi Golf than members of the other generations.
Technique: The eldest Myachi Masters are very alike in teaching technique and rely on the big four (Half-Pipe, Cold Fusion, Under the Leg, 360) far more than later generations.

Gen Two:

Generation two consists of Animal, Monk and Maverick.  The distinguishing factor that connects them is that when they began full time, we were almost exclusively working NYC.  They all came on board before we had the House of Skills or the Myachigon, so they connect to a much earlier time in the company.  Another major factor that helps define generation two is that by the time they came on board we were living in homes and getting paychecks.

Style: Generation two is marked by a much more fluid style with far more fast hand exchanges.  While this style was already presaged by Crazy Ivan (who like to write about himself in the third person), members of the second generation took this to a whole new level.  They're shreds are much more often marked by prolonged foot trick sequences.
Tricks: The holding patterns for gen two players are typically more complex than those of gen one.  Instead of one-two patterns like Fu and Fusion, these Masters tend to rely on patterns of 4 to 6 motions and do a lot of "Falling Leaf" style tricks in between their major moves and combos.  Gen two players tend to use arm tricks, two sack tricks and tiger-fist moves far more often than the prime generation.
Games: The primary game for generation two is definitely MYACH.  Before the advent of the new skill that generation two brought, there were far too few talented Myachi players to make for very interesting MYACH battles so it was by necessity that this was not the primary game earlier.  Gen two players also play a lot more cross-athletic types of Myachi games such as Myachi Net and Pong.
Technique: The teaching technique doesn't vary much between gen one and gen two, though gen two Masters are much mroe likely to use the SlingShot and the Trampoline early in their tutelage.

Gen Three:

Generation three consists of Bones, Noodles and now Bamboo (who is in the process of officially earning the title of Myachi Master and will receive it on August 8th... assuming he survives the Wood).  The distinguishing factor in this group is the fact that they all came on board after the Myachigon was built and they were the first generation of Myachi Masters that didn't have to move to a new city to do the job.  We met and trained all of these guys in NYC so they were the first Myachi Masters that just went home after the day was done.  The rest of us came into a job that, in many senses, was a 24 hour a day ordeal.

Style: Generation three is markedly different than gen two when it comes to style.  Gen three Masters rely less on the big, flashy tricks that we see in the prior generation so in a sense they harken back to gen one.  They rely much more on fluid, whole-body motions and prolonged sequences of intermediate tricks that become expert moves because of their combinations.
Tricks: The tricks typical of gen three is largely created by the fact that this was the first generation that learned their tricks with MYACH in mind, so a lot of crazy ambidextrous combinations show up in their shreds than those of earlier generations.  They're shreds are so involved that it's hard to say there really is a holding pattern for this generation.
Games: Although all three members of gen three were big MYACH players early and often in their careers, it is quickly being replaced as their primary game by Myachi Fu.  The yet-to-be-satisfactorily-named cross of Myachi and Lacrosse is also a popular one with gen three.
Technique: Faceplant and the Neo to the early portion of their lessons.

Gen Four:

That actually takes care of all the people who have earned the title "Myachi Master", so little can be said of generation four.  There are a number of contenders, including Unknown, Rush, Skratch, Prime, Metal and Strike, but it would be premature to try to guess who in that group will rise to the rank of Master next.  It's entirely possible that one or more members of gen four will be people we've not yet met.  It's entirely possible, in fact, that one of them is reading this blog right now and will help determine what the style, tricks, games and techniques will be. 

(I mean you, in case you didn't catch that)