How to do a 360, 720, 1080 and More...

by Crazy Ivan

It's among the first moves we teach in the world of Myachi.  It's one of the most familiar and most recognizable moves in the game.  It's one of the most common moves that you'll see done and it's also one of the most common moves you'll see done incorrectly.

The 360 is a relatively simple move to learn if you know how to do it.  Adding rotations is one of the most common and rewarding challenges in the game and it's also a great way to master your split second catch as well as building up some incredible hand speed.

But it's also really easy to do this move incorrectly.  Far too few people just toss the Myachi up in the air, swing their hand in a quick circle and then catch it, calling the move they just did a 360.

But for a true 360, your hand must go around the Myachi.  It's not enough just to move your hand in a tight circle as the Myachi is in the air; your hand must actually orbit around the sack so that it is left of, above, right of and finally below the Myachi.

So let's start with the basics.  Begin with the Myachi in Lotus Position on your strong hand.  Toss the Myachi about a foot to eighteen inches in the air and be careful to make sure that throw goes straight up and comes straight back down.  Just try that a few times, trying to keep the toss at the same height every time.

Once you're getting that consistently, you're ready to do the actual 360.  The key on this move, more than any other, is to separate the motions.  Toss up just like you did before and make sure that Myachi is going straight up before you circle around it.

Notice the arrow there.  It goes up a bit and then makes the circular motion.  That is exactly what you want your hand to do.  You want it to go straight up (the throw) and then around (the 360).  You should have more than enough time to get around the sack and be ready for the catch.

It's important to separate these motions as well.  In all there are three steps to the 360 and they should all be done consecutively (and separately):

1. The Throw
2. The Circle
3. The Catch

For many people, the hardest part of this move is slowing their hand down for the catch.  Your hand will have to be moving quickly to get around in time, but you'll want it to be moving nice and slow as you make the catch.  This transition between fast and slow is the most common stumbling block in this move.

But that's pretty easy.  Heck, you could probably learn that move and have it mastered in the time it took me to write the first part of this article.  The real trick is when you start pushing it for multiple rotations.  For most people the 360 is pretty easy.  The 720 is pretty tough.  The 1080 is super tough.  Anything higher will require some serious effort and practice.

Again, remember that your hand must completely circle the Myachi in every rotation.  A 720 with a brief wiggle of the wrist at the end is not a 1080.  You must get a full orbit on every circle for the move to count.

The first thing you'll need to do is maximize the time you get in the toss.  Normally, you could just toss higher if you needed more time for a move, but since your hand has to move over the top of the Myachi in this trick that option is off the table.  If you throw too high, you won't be able to circle it at all.

Instead, you'll want to add height to the bottom of the toss.  That might sound ridiculous at first, but the picture below will show you exactly what I mean:

Notice that in this pic my hand is only about 6 or 8 inches off the ground.  For a 360 I would just throw from waist high, but for the higher rotation moves I have to start and end really close to the ground.  This allows for a lot more time going around the Myachi.  Obviously if you're throwing from a few feet lower, you have that much more time to circle the Myachi.

When I go for high rotations, I lock my wrist and spin at the elbow, but many players have more luck by keeping their wrists loose and using them to augment the circular motion.  Try this both ways and see what works for you.  Just remember, if there's any question in your mind as to whether or not you got all the way around the Myachi, odds are that you didn't.

You'll want to move through the ranks in order.  No reason to try a 1440 before you've hit the 720.  So as soon as you master one move, it's time to work on the next one.  Got the 720?  Time to work the 1080.  Got the 1080?  Time to work on that 1440.  Got the 1440?  Ice down that arm and get ready for the 1800.

Remember that height does really come into play on this move.  It's all but impossible to do a 1440 if you're under five feet tall.  Somebody who is Kid Myach sized (really tall) will have more time to make their rotations than somebody Pinky sized (really small).  The important thing when you go for the high numbers is to fully extend your arm at the top of the throw.

That being said, I have no doubt that eventually someone will crack the 2160 barrier and hopefully someday 8 or even 9 rotations will be commonplace amongst experienced jammers.  Until that day, focus on crisp, quick motions.

And like every move, you need to learn this one on both hands.  It will also help to learn to go clockwise and counterclockwise with both hands.  A person who has mastered the 720 both ways with both hands has opened up at least 26 tricks that I can think of:

1. The 360
2. Reverse 360
3. Weak hand 360
4. Weak hand Reverse 360
5. 720
6. Reverse 720
7. Weak Hand 720
8. Reverse Weak Hand 720
9. Wolverine
10. Double Wolverine
11. Reverse Wolverine
12. Double Reverse Wolverine
13. Sonic
14. Double Sonic
15. Reverse Sonic
16. Double Reverse Sonic
17. Butterfly
18. Reverse Butterfly
19. Double Butterfly
20. Double Reverse Butterfly
21. Alternating 360s (Strong -> Weak)
22. Alternating 360s (Weak -> Strong)
23. 360 Rewind
24. Reverse 360 Rewind
25. Weak-Hand 360 Rewind
26. Reverse Weak-Hand 360 Rewind

...not bad for a days work.

PS If you think of any other derivatives of these moves, leave them in the comments section and I'll add them to the list.  Thanks!

New Playlists

by Crazy Ivan


Just a brief little post here to make everyone aware of a couple of new playlists we've added to our You-Tube channel.  As the Trick of the Day swells the total number of Myachi tricks we've got instructional videos for, it's becoming harder and harder for people to find the right moves for their skill level.  After all, it doesn't do you much good to try to learn the Jedi if you're just getting started.  Similarly, the Batman isn't going to give you much of a challenge if you're an experienced player.

For that reason, we've divided up all the official trick videos into one of four categories:

Myachi Tricks for Beginners
Myachi Tricks for Intermediate Players
Myachi Tricks for Advanced Players
Myachi Tricks for Masters

You'll note that if you check all the playlists that the "Masters" list is woefully lacking.  There are, thus far, only five videos on the list.  That's obviously because we very rarely use super-tough moves on the "Trick of the Day", but over the next few months we'll be looking to expand that category more than the others.

I should also note ahead of time that there are bound to be some disagreements as to what belongs where in a difficulty rating scale.  After all, terms like "beginner", "intermediate" and "advanced" are pretty vague.  There is no definite line that separates beginner from intermediate so there will be some inevitable debates abut certain tricks.

My goal is to make these lists as useful as possible so if I find that I've radically over- or underestimated the difficulty of one of these tricks, I'll be happy to move it to a different playlist.  That being said, I expect that many people will take issue with one or two tricks and one person disagreeing with the tricks placement won't be enough to prompt me to move it.  If, however, I hear from several people that one trick is ranked too low or too high, I'll swap it over.

I also intend to add a few more big playlists in the next week or two.  I'll be adding a "Foot Tricks" playlist and a "2 Myachi Tricks" playlist, but if there are any others you'd like to see added to Myachi's official channel, let me know.  Or, even better, make a playlist of your own and submit it to me.

How to do the Ninja

by Crazy Ivan

Created by Butter back in 2004, the Ninja has long been one of the most beloved hand tricks in Myachi.  It's an exceptionally cool move with an exceptionally cool name.  There are a ton of cool variations and combos (most of which also have really cool names) and while nobody will say that the move is "easy", it's also not particularly hard.

That being said, there is one thing about the Ninja that I find most striking: virtually everyone in the game does it wrong.

I blame us for this problem.  In the video "Total Hand Control" that was included with the Myachi 2 pack, the Ninja is mislabeled.  The move that Kid and the poor dude who got saddled with the nickname "K-Fed" are doing is actually not a true Ninja... or at least, it's not the move that Butter invented and that we all fell in love with back in 2004.



The Difference Between a Ninja and a Vert Catch

The move that you see these guys doing above is actually most of the way to being a Ninja but it exists somewhere in the nether region between a Ninja and a Vert Catch.  A Vert catch is an inverted catch where the Myachi goes to the side (like the one you do in a Matrix) and a Ninja is an inverted catch where you go from front to back.

But what they are demonstrating is far from a perfect Ninja.  Some people think of it as a continuum where you've got completely sideways Vert Catch at one end and perfect front to back Ninja on the other end.  To these people, anything that falls on the Ninjesque side of the middle is a Ninja.

It is my fervent hope that eventually someone else also finds a use for this graphic.

Now, for all practical purposes, this is exactly how it works.  In a game of MYACH or in any of the myriad combos that come from the Ninja, everyone basically treats it like that.  If your fingers point backwards at the end of the trick, they count it as a Ninja.

But if Myachi were an Olympic sport, the line would be much more distinct.  In honor of the really awesome move that Butter first did way back when I was hoping to land a full time job with Myachi, I think it's important that we clear up exactly what makes up a "perfect" Ninja.

For a true Ninja you want the inverted catch to pivot at the shoulder.  You catch with your fingers pointed forward and bring the Myachi behind you by pointing your fingers down and then back.  All of the movement should be at the shoulder like so:

Pay no attention to the fact that the Myachi is taped to my hand in those pictures.

You'll notice that throughout the motion the thumb stays pointing the same direction.  From the catch to the finish, the thumb points away from the body.  This is the easiest way to know that you're doing the move properly.  If your thumb moves forward or back, you're not quite getting a perfect Ninja.

Now, all that being said, most people mean "backward angled Vert Catch" when they say "Ninja", so I wouldn't recommend using this blog entry in an argument during a game of MYACH.  When we do freestyle competitions in the future people will be judged by how close to this standard they get when they throw down a Ninja.  We wouldn't dock all the points just because the shoulder pivot wasn't perfect, but they might earn 8.8 instead of a perfect 10.

Some will accuse me of nit-picking with this article and I suppose that I plead guilty to the charge, but if you see a perfect Ninja done, you'll understand why I found it worthwhile to write this.  And if you're still not convinced, watch somebody do a "Daring Ninja" using a true Ninja at the beginning.  If you still don't understand, check the prescription on your glasses.

How to do the Matrix

by Crazy Ivan

As I'm sure many of you are aware, the Matrix is one of the most beloved and sought after tricks in the game.  Of all the moves unique to Myachi, perhaps no family of tricks is as impressive as the Matrix, which makes the Myachis appear to defy gravity.

The trick has frustrated many an aspiring Myachi-er such that I get emails about it at least once or twice a month.  In response to these repeated requests, I put the Matrix up as the Trick of the Day yesterday.  This helped a lot of people, I'm sure, but I still got a few responses from people who want to learn the trick and still couldn't get it after watching the video.

I guess I can understand.  The video is only 2 minutes long and it certainly took me a lot longer to learn than 2 minutes.  I figured the best thing to do would be to tackle it here on the blog where I'm not really limited in time and I can just go back and fix my screw ups (as opposed to having to reshoot a whole video!).

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The Matrix is essentially a 2 Myachi version of the "Fu" or the "Stutter".  It is a 2 Myachi exchange that includes both a Vert Drop and a Vert Catch.  For a true Matrix, the higher hand should be completely inverted at the time of the catch.

There's no question that this is a tricky move and it can be extremely confusing when you get started.  Before you beat your head into the wall trying to learn the Matrix, ask yourself if you're ready for such a challenging trick.  If you can answer yes to the following questions, you're probably ready:

• Can you do the Vert Drop 100% of the time?
• Can you do the Vert Catch 100% of the time?
• Can you do a Vert 100% of the time?
• Can you do a Fu quickly without looking at the Myachi?
• Can you do a single exchange (as is a juggling exchange) on both hands?
• Do you own 2 Myachis?

If the answer to any of these questions is no, then either get back to work on some of the more basic moves or hop on Myachi.com and get yourself another Myachi.  If the answer is yes on all counts, you're definitely ready to learn the Matrix.  It will just be a matter of practice.

The key to the Matrix is centrifugal force.  That's what makes the Myachi appear to float.  Most of us first learned to manipulate this force to wow our audiences when we learned the "Vert".  This ability of the Myachi to stay on the underside of the hand is what makes the Matrix such an awesome illusion.

Now, I'm assuming here that you already know what a Vert Drop and a Vert Catch are, but if you don't go back and take a look at the first video I linked.  In that video, I demonstrate the two tricks before moving on to the Matrix.  Both are relatively easy to learn and I don't mind waiting here until you've got them down pat.

Assuming that you do, let's look at some of the common problems people have when they learn the move.  Along the way, we'll try to correct these problems as well.

#1) Timing

One of the most common issues is failure to time the throw properly.  There is an exchange of both Myachi, but only one of them is thrown.  The other one is dropped.

Now obviously, you can't time the drop.  It's just going to drop when the centrifugal force wears out and gravity takes over.  Once your hand is upside down, the Myachi will drop off as soon as it feels like it.  The key, then, is to time the throw in response to the drop.

Ideally, the exchange should be simultaneous.  The Myachi on your lower hand should be tossed at the same instant that the Myachi on your upper hand drops off.  Of course, in practice, you're not going to get it exactly right, but as long as you're close you can hit the move and still pull off the illusion that makes this trick so cool.

Differen't players have different preferences here.  Some will tell you to throw slightly before the Myachi drops and some will tell you to throw slightly after.  In truth, it doesn't much matter what you do as long as you're consistent.  If you start learning the move by throwing before the drop, then keep practicing the same way until you've nailed it.  If you try something different every time it will take a long time to master the trick.

#2) Position

Once you get the timing down there's another problem that likes to pop up.  Namely, the Myachis run into each other.

Nothing ends this move quicker than accidentally smacking the two Myachis together.  The one moving up from the lower hand gets knocked off course and never makes it to the upper hand.  Meanwhile, the one moving from the upper hand gets bumped away from the waiting hand and changes course in a hurry.

The key to solving this problem comes before you even start the move.  When you're setting up for a Matrix, make sure that one hand has the Myachi toward the back (wrist) and the other hand has it settled toward the front (fingers).  This way if your hands line up mirroring one another, the Myachis will pass without touching.





If you're even having this problem, it's a good sign.  That means that you've already battled through the really tough stuff.

#3) Timing

Let's face it, the thing that really makes this move tough is the fact that it's confusing.  Once the Myachis leave your hands it's pretty easy to lose track of what the heck is going on altogether.  Your brain hiccups and you can't seem to remember which hand is supposed to do what.

There's a pretty easy solution to this one as well and it's going to sound crazy.  Just let one of the Myachis fall.  Do the whole trick, but don't worry about the vert catch at the end.  Bring one hand up, do the Vert Drop, toss the Myachi from your lower hand, catch the one you dropped and just watch that 2nd Myachi arc and fall to the ground.  That's the one that you should have been Vert Catching.

Okay, so what was the point of that?  Well, the only reason your brain gets confused is because it's trying to keep track of two hands and two Myachis and everything is moving all at once.  If you split things up like this it gets much less confusing.  There's really not much going on and when you stop worrying about that final catch, it's pretty easy to see.

Remember, you can do a Matrix slowly.  If your hands are far apart you have a lot more time to actually make the exchange.  You can also wait on the final catch for an extra second.  Let that Myachi peak in the air and start to fall before you make the Vert Catch.  This doesn't look as impressive, but all the constituent parts of the trick are there.

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Remember, the important thing is to get the move.  Worry about hitting first, then concern yourself with making it pretty.  You'll have plenty of time to polish it up once you can hit it so don't expect to throw down a gorgeous Matrix right away.  Like many moves, it starts ugly.

If you still find yourself confused by all that's going on, check the video below.  This shows the move from 2 perspectives and it's slowed way down so that you can really see everything that happens.

If you're still having trouble, don't hesitate to shoot me an e-mail at crazyivan@myachi.com.  I'd like to refine this article in the future so if you're still having trouble, perhaps you can help me figure out what else it needs.  Thanks and good luck!

How to Play Myachi Fu

by Crazy Ivan


As many of you have heard before, I'm working on a detailed explanation of all the Myachi games including official tournament rules, but it's a long project and it keeps finding its way onto the back burner. So between now and the completion of this behemoth project, I'm going to add a few entries that explain the basics of some of our favorite Myachi games.

Myachi Fu is a martial arts based competition that tests a number of different aspects of your Myachi game. It will also test your balance, speed, reaction time and general coordination so it makes it an ideal game for an aspiring athlete.  Or for a clumsy person who is getting sick of being clumsy.

The game is pretty simple but there are some really important rules.  You can play with 2 or more players.  When you have more than 2 players you can play on teams or you can play a free for all where everyone faces off against everyone else.

Each player starts with a Myachi on their hand. The object is to knock the Myachi off your opponents hand without letting them knock yours off.  It's as simple as that.  For a great demonstration, check out this video our good friend (and apprentice Myachi Master) put together:



Even without sound you can get a really clear idea of how the game works.  It's usually played "best of 5" though for time purposes the video does best of 3.

You'll notice that both players use a lot of hand switches and centrifugal moves to keep the Myachi in play.  You can also see a variety of attack types and defensive maneuvers in the video.  Now that you've seen the game in action there are only two more things you need before you start playing: The Rules and the Strategy.

The Rules:

(Because this game requires a lot of open space, it should not be played indoors.  It is dangerous for the players and for all the other stuff that you keep indoors.)

• No Palms Allowed! (1st rule of any Myachi game)
• Trap moves are not allowed.  Tricks where the Myachi is trapped between two body parts such as Hulk, Lotus or Slingshot are not allowed.  The Myachi must remain stalled ad uncovered.
• You can stall on any surface of the body (other than the palms) but you cannot leave the Myachi on a surface other than the back of your hand for an extended period.  Stalls on the lower body, arms, wrists, head, neck, shoulders and body must be returned to the hand within 2 seconds of stalling.
• You cannot strike the other players Myachi.  You earn points by knocking the Myachi to the ground, but it is against the rules to attack the Myachi directly.  You must strike the palm of the hand or manipulate the other player's balance in order to earn a point.
• Strikes can be directed only to the palm and must be done with an open hand.  This is not combat, it's a game.  You'll note that there's a bit of pushing and shoving in the video but strikes are always directed at the other players hand.
• If both Myachis are knocked away together, the player whose Myachi hits the ground last wins the point.  If both Myachis hit simultaneously, no point is awarded.
• If you knock the opponents Myachi off their hand and into the air you must allow them a chance to catch it.  You cannot impede their progress toward the Myachi and you can't knock it out of the air or block their hand as they reach for it.

The Strategy:

(As you can see in the game, height and reach aren't always going to win battles in this game.  There are advantages to being smaller and having the low center of gravity just as there are advantages to being taller and having the greater reach.  Assess your opponent to decide the best strategy for you.)

• Use hand switches so that your leading hand is empty as often as possible.  You never want to lead with the hand that has the Myachi on it.
• Use centrifugal moves such as Verts, Cradles and Half-Pipes to keep the Myachi centered on your hand and to keep it ready for a quick movement.  Drops often the result of an opponent striking your hand, but just as common are drops that arrise when a player moves their hand out of the way of a strike too quickly to keep the Myachi under control.
• Use body spins when your opponent is aggressive.  If a flurry of attacks come your way, the easy way to get out without leaving yourself open is to hand switch while doing a 180 away from your opponent.
• Don't overcommit to a strike.  The way to master this game is to watch for errors from your opponent and take advantage of them.  If you commit fully to a strike that means that your momentum is going to knock your own Myachi off.  This is fine if you can knock your opponents Myachi away before hand, but if you miss your attack you've lost a point.  It's better to make measured pokes until your opponent leaves you an opening.
• Use your whole body.  You'll see a great example at 0:23 of the video above where Monk uses a chest stall (a Neo) to keep his Myachi out of Rush's reach.  The rules demand that he returns it to his hand quickly, but for a brief second he has great defense and two empty hands to attack and defend with.
• Never give up.  Even once your Myachi is knocked away the round isn't over.  A leaping stretch or a kick save has thwarted many points in the past.  Again, you can see a great example of this in the video at 1:53.  Mantis has his Myachi knocked away but manages to regain it, bring it under control and continue the battle.
• Use high tosses for quick strikes.  This is a risky strategy to be sure and it's a perfect example of "over-committing", which I just warned you not to do, but it's a good last ditch possibility to have in your bag.  If you toss your Myachi high enough in the air you'll can get a few seconds free to attack in whatever way you choose.  If the attack is successful, the opponent's Myachi will drop before yours hits the ground.  If the attack fails you may still have a chance to catch your big air toss and keep things going.  Again, this is a really risky strategy so I don't recommend using it very often.

A lot more could certainly be written under the "Strategy" heading, but I think that's plenty to start you off.  Look for complete tournament rules coming in the near future and remember:

This is a contact game and like any other contact game there are inherent risks.  Play smart and safe.  Don't let strikes get too close to the body or head of your opponent, be cautious, know your environment and play by the rules.  And if you don't, I'm telling...

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By the way, for another good video example of the game, check out the video below.  The Fu battle starts around 4:29, but trust me, the whole video is worth a look.

How to Learn a New Trick

by Crazy Ivan

It occurs to me that I spend a lot of time on this blog telling giving people advice on how to do this trick or that trick, but I've never really written about the basics of learning a trick in general.  I mean, sure, every trick has its subtle nuances and it helps to get specific advice, but there are some morsels you learn as a Myachi Master that really apply to every trick.

The first and most obvious thing is that you have to practice.  There is absolutely, positively no shortcut for practice.  Tricks will vary in how much practice they require and people will vary in how much practice they require for any given trick, but one way or the other if you want the trick, you're going to have to put in the reps.

But good practice habits make a huge difference.  If you practice correctly you get more out of every minute you put into the game.  The beauty of Myachi is that you can really good just by jamming here and there, but if you want to take your game to the next level you're going to have to get serious about your practice time.  There are a few things you can do to start.

Keep a record of your practice.  It's really hard to stay fired up about practicing every day if you don't keep track of your daily progress.  Because some tricks take days, weeks, months or even years to master, it's really hard to see the slow and incremental steps you're taking toward them.

So what should your practice log look like?  Well, all I can do is tell you what works best for me.  I pick between 4 and 10 tricks that I really want to learn.  I write them down on the left side of a paper and then I do each one as many times in a row I can do them without a drop.

Every day, I'll try to beat my previous record.  I don't beat my record on every trick every day, but I usually best at least all but 1 of them.  Then, after a week or two, I can look back at a trick and see that even though I could barely manage to do it 3 times in a row 10 days ago, now I can hit it 12 times or even 20.

Of course, the practice log works best if you practice every day.  Now, there's a difference between practicing every day and jamming every day.  If all you're doing is the same tricks that you've already mastered you're not going to learn anything new.  Sure, you'll polish your Clipper Delay like nobody's business but it'll take a long time to get to the River Dance.

A good rule of thumb is that (for the purposes of this entry) if you're not dropping, you're not practicing.

Now obviously a lot of your success will be based on motivation.  If you're motivated to practice you will and if you're not, you won't.  It's as simple as that.  There are a lot of things that you can do to stay motivated and keeping that practice log is only one of them.

Another good idea is to practice to music.  When you've got your favorite tunes going in the background practice time goes much quicker and you have a lot more fun with it.  If you're not having fun with it you won't do it for very long.

Music also helps to tune out your conscious mind... you know, the voice that likes to tell you stuff like "you'll never get that move," or "we could be playing XBox right now."  If you drown that voice out with some familiar lyrics it helps a ton.

You'll also want to set aside time to practice.  If you practice at the same time every day it will quickly become part of your routine.  You should also be sure to stretch before you practice and wear comfortable clothes.  If you're working on really strenuous tricks (and let's face it, all of them are strenuous when you're trying to learn them), be sure to keep plenty of water on hand.

Alright, so you've got your practice log, you know what tricks you want to do, you've got free time and you're wearing your practice sweats.  Now the key is to stay at it.

To be honest, that's only tough for a couple of weeks.  If you keep at it and keep challenging yourself you're going to start mastering some pretty awesome tricks.  The reward of mastering something you've been working at for weeks will be enough to keep you practicing after a little while.

Just be sure to keep challenging yourself.  Let's say one of the tricks you wanted to master was the Toe Stall.  On day 1 you could only get 2 in a row.  Now you've been practicing for two weeks and you've gotten 20 in a row and even then you only dropped because your leg was getting tired.  So now it's time to make the trick tougher.  There's really no point in hammering at the same trick once you've mastered it.  Now try a variation like a lefty Toe Stall, a Crazy Ivan or a Toe 360.

Remember, there is no end to the challenge.  You will never master everything so make sure you're having fun along the way and savoring every new difficulty.  I would never recommend giving up on a move once you've started to learn it, but I will give you one warning and this is one of the most important points I'll ever make to you:

Don't bite off more than you can chew.  There is a proper order when learning a trick.  If you've been practicing the same trick for a month and haven't made any real progress on it it's probably time to go back and master a simpler version of the same thing.  Nothing is too tough for you, but there are things that might be too tough all at once.  Obviously the Crypto is going to be easier to master if you already have the Step Over.  It's not that you can't learn the one without the other.  Heck it probably won't even take any longer.  The difference is that if you go in order from easiest to hardest you (a) learn more tricks and (b) don't get as frustrated along the way.

One final piece of advice before I send you on your way.  Practicing is a lot more fun if you do it with someone so never forget to STWAKOJ.

How to do a Toe Stall

by Crazy Ivan

The first move most hackey-sackers do when they get their hands on a Myachi is a Toe Stall.  It's pretty instinctive if you're familiar with footbag and the flat shape of the Myachi just begs to be stalled.  It was the first move I did when Myachi Man introduced me to the game back in 04 and it serves as the basis for my signature trick.

That being said, for those who come to the game without foot skills at the ready, the Toe Stall can be a source of frustration for quite some time.  It seems simple, but if you don't know a few basic pointers going in, it will take a lot of effort to learn.

Luckily for you, there's the Myachi blog.

So before we even get started, let's take a look at the basic equipment.

1. Shoes - The type of shoes you're wearing will make a big difference on this trick.  A shoe with a rounded toe will make it harder than a shoe with a flat toe.  A shoe made from a slippery material will make it harder than a show made from something grippy like suede.  A shoe with a lot of padding on the toe like a skate shoe will make it harder than a shoe with really thin material across the toe.
2. Myachi - The Myachi you're using will also make a difference.  I guess it goes without saying that it is easier to do any move with a broken in Myachi than it is to do it with a new one.  For foot work, though, you'll want something with a fabric that doesn't slide at all and something with a lot of give and yumminess.
3. Feet - You'll need two of them to make this trick work.

So now that you've got all the stuff rounded up, let's take a look at the motions.

You'll want to start with your foot off the ground and your knee bent.  The bend in the knee is crucial.


See... now you're seeing where that second foot comes in handy.

 Soccer players who do this move often try to do it without bending the knee and it's possible, but it's much harder.  Keep in mind that with a soccer ball you can pinch the ball between your toe and shin.  With a Myachi it's all about giving with it.

By starting with your foot well off the ground you give yourself plenty of room to follow that Myachi down.  When it hits your toe, physics demands that it will want to bounce back.  The only way to keep that from happening is to absorb the impact of the Myachi.

Notice the bend of the foot here.  The toe is up and the heel is down.  This way, if the Myachi rolls a little bit it will roll back toward your leg instead of off the end of your toe.  This will maximize your chances of nailing the trick.

Oh, and since we're looking at my scuffed up hiking boots at the moment, I think it's time to point out that you shouldn't wear hiking boots when you're learning this trick.  You'll be spending a lot of time balancing on one foot for this one, so it's best to wear shoes that are really light when you practice.

Now for the most important part, the timing.

Timing is crucial in this move.  There are two very distinct motions that happen and they can't happen together:

1. Drop The Myachi
2. Lower the Foot

There should be about one second between these two motions.  You go from here:

To here:

Your foot doesn't have to move until the Myachi gets there.  Sometimes it help to actually count out the motions.  "One..." when you drop the Myachi and "...two" when you drop your foot.

Keep in mind that when you're learning it's okay to be really cheap about it.  If the Toe Stall is giving you a lot of trouble, try bringing your hand really close you your foot.  Sure, it doesn't look very impressive when you do a Toe Stall from three inches off the foot, but it's not about looking impressive yet, it's about learning the trick.  Once you've got this mastered, learn it from six inches away, then from nine, then from twelve.  Before long you'll be getting over the head tosses into a perfect Toe Stall.

Alright, so there's one more problem that you might end up having.  You're doing all the things we talked about above and you're cradling the Myachi in nice and slowly.  It's stalling on your foot and you think you've got it and then all of a sudden, BAM, the Myachi bounces off or rolls away at the very end.

Pretty common problem and pretty easy solution.  See, you have to stop your foot before it gets all the way to the ground.  You can get the foot stall perfectly, but when your foot slaps the ground, the impact is often plenty to jar the Myachi and send it bouncing away.

Be sure to stop your foot before it gets all the way to the ground.  In case you haven't noticed, this move is all about balance.

Notice the "not on the ground-ness" of the foot here.

Like any other move, this will be pretty easy for some people and really difficult for others.  If you have trouble with it, don't sweat it.  Some of the best players in the world really struggled with basic foot stuff early in their Myachi career.  There's no move that you can't master with a bit of practice (and some good advice!).

How to do a Daredevil

by Crazy Ivan

One of the most impressive (and therefore one of the most sought after) moves in the game of Myachi is the Daredevil.  This spectacular swap was once known as the "shadow pass" but was upgraded in name when we decided that daredevils are cooler than shadows.

The move is simple to describe, but very difficult to learn.  It's a pass from one hand to the other that travels behind the head and (and this the important part) does so without you ever looking at the Myachi.  The whole point of the daredevil is that it's done blind, which is why we named it after a blind superhero.

But when you first learn this move, you'll have to cheat.  At first you'll be giving yourself a high, slow throw and you'll watch the hand toss it, you'll whip your head to the other side, and you'll watch your other hand miss it (and eventually catch it).

See, learning the Daredevil is actually something of a process.  You normally learn 4 tricks, each a bit more difficult that the first.  The first step in that process is the trick that I describe above and the last is the full-blown Daredevil.  What remains are two tricks that together serve as the backbone for learning this move.

A properly performed Daredevil really snaps from one hand to the other.  It looks best when it is done quickly and when you maximize the separation between the throwing hand and the catching hand.  That being said, when you first start you will be doing this trick, you'll do the opposite.  You'll throw soft and slow and you'll have your hand as close together as you can comfortably get them.

Like many moves, this is one that looks better the better you get at it.  The first time you hit a Daredevil it is probably only going to impress you.  Once you've got it mastered, it'll impress everyone.

So let's start with the most basic form of the move.  If you're right handed, you'll probably want to start in your right hand.  Eventually you'll learn it both ways and some right-handers find it easier to learn when they throw from their left hand (since that means they can catch in the right), but for most people having an accurate toss is the most important thing.

So with the Myachi on your right hand, reach both hands back.  It's kind of a weird bend on the shoulders so to make it easier, duck your head forward a bit.  Now give your Myachi something of a rainbow toss over the top of your head.  Watch the throw so that you can predict where it will land and then snap your head around quick and look for the catch.

Odds are that in the first few tries, the Myachi will be nowhere near your catching hand.  You'll probably throw too far or hit yourself in the back of the head.  Don't sweat it; it's the same process we all went through.  Dropping is all a part of learning.  Just keep practicing.  Remember, there's no short cut in Myachi.  Either you put in the practice, or you don't get the move.

You'll want to work on that one for a while until you're catching at least half of your throws.  You're looking for clean catches here so if you're still chasing after it you'll want to reign in your toss a bit.  Once you can get a solid catch about half the time, you're ready for the next step.

The Next Step:

Now we're going to add the blind element to this trick, but don't worry, we're going to add it a little bit at a time.  Now that you can "cheat" a Daredevil (catch it while looking), try the same thing, but this time, don't look at the catch.  Look at your throw and watch the Myachi as long as you can, but try to catch it without looking.

Keep in mind that this is all about timing.  If your aim is good (and by now it should be pretty solid) the most common problem won't be that you miss your hand, it will be that the Myachi hits your hand and bounces off.

If this is the case, it means you're not giving with it fast enough or it means you're giving with it too early.  What makes this step so difficult is that it's hard to see what's messing you up.  Since you can't look at the catching hand, you sometimes don't know if you missed by an inch of a foot.

Still, practice will hone your skills better than anything.  It won't do you much good to ask a friend to watch and tell you if you're missing long or short.  Even if they're a Myachi expert it won't help because you're probably not missing the same way every time.  The best remedy is more practice.

Once you've gotten pretty confident with that version and you can catch blind at least half the time, you're ready for the next step.

The Next Next Step:

Alright, so now we're going to undo what you just did.  The good news is that in this step, I'm gonna let you look at your catching hand.  The bad news is that I won't let you look at the throwing hand.  By learning it this way, you're essentially learning the blind throw and the blind catch one at a time.

If you've already practiced the blind catch, this one will probably come to you pretty quickly.  You'll notice that now the trick is starting to get easier the less arc you put on it.  This is kind of the opposite of how it was when you first started trying and were able to look at both hands.  The reason is that a straight line won't deviate from its trajectory like an arc might.

Practice speeding up the toss a bit and exaggerate that soft touch on the catch.  Watch that toss and aim for about an inch behind the back of your neck.  Long hair doesn't make this any easier.  Once you're catching that about half the time, you're ready for the final step.

The Last Next Step:

Now it's time to go back to that move that was driving you nuts to begin with.  Time to look forward altogether and trust your touch to do the trick.  By now you've done it enough times that you know how hard you have to throw it and you know how much time you have before you need to make the catch.  Now it will just be a matter of dialing it in.

One thing that often helps is to move both hands together.  When you make your toss, move your opposite hand up as though it were tossing a phantom Myachi as well.  When you make your catch, move your throwing hand down as well.  Not only will this help when you start learning the Jedi, but it also helps keep your timing consistent.

To make this move look its best, move your hands as far apart as you can.  The wider the throw, the better.  Don't forget to keep those fingers spread wide and those thumbs up.  For added style points, when you show this move to somebody, try to look them right in the eye when you do.  Trust me on that one.

This is one of the more frustrating moves, but once you have it, you'll be throwing down dozens of variations to it in no time.  Just don't stop practicing.  If it seems way too hard or if you're practicing a lot and don't seem to be getting any better, you may be trying for too much too soon.  It might be best if you go back and master some simpler moves first and then come back to the Daredevil.

And remember... no peeking!

 

How to be a Myachi Master: Lesson One

by Crazy Ivan

In the increasingly complex quest to succinctly define my job, I've decided to present a series of entries that guide the Myachi Maniac through the path toward Myachi mastery.  This is not, strictly speaking, a formula for getting great at the game of Myachi, but rather of obtaining the coveted rank of "Myachi Master".

Apparently, MM, Animal, Monk, Mav and I were on the white team this day.

For most people, the idea of playing with toys for a living has a certain appeal and I'm constantly bombarded with questions about how one becomes a Myachi Master.  In truth there doesn't seem to be any single answer.  Every Myachi Master has achieved his or her rank in a different way so no single path can be claimed as the correct one.

There are, however, certain similarities; universals that we all encountered in our efforts to earn a living doing something we loved to do to begin with.  This series will focus on those things because whether you follow the path that one of us did or forge your own, there are certain attributes that every aspirant will have to focus on.

The most important aspect of becoming a Myachi Master (and the focus of this first lesson) can be summed up in a single word.  To the surprise of many, that word is not "practice".  It is a common misconception among Myachi Maniacs and other followers of the game that being a Myachi Master is all about skills.  Now, clearly skills are a common thread that binds all Myachi Masters, but it isn't the only one and it is by no means the most important one.

Practice is extremely important and it is one of the pillars that Myachi is built upon, but ultimately practice is something you do with an inward focus.  You practice to improve yourself.  Myachi is about constantly striving to get better, but Myachi is not a solitary game.  The first word on the mind of an aspiring Myachi Master shouldn't be "practice" or "skills", it should be "share".

The mantra of a Myachi Master is not "hey, look what I can do", it "hey, look what you can do".  For us, it's all about spreading the word.  In the infamous Myachi salutation "STWAKOJ", you'll notice that spreading the word takes precedence over jamming.

It's a running joke amongst the Myachi Masters that you spend every day learning ever more complicated tricks so that you can go to work every day and do Half Pipe, Cold Fusion, Under the Leg and 360 for 8 hours.  It's a bit of an exaggeration, but in many ways it's true.  We don't want to go out there and throw down our toughest tricks.  That would intimidate people and make them feel like Myachi is a game that is too hard for them.

Instead, we try to focus on building the skills of people around us.  The crazy tricks just act as a lure to get people looking in our direction.  Once they are, the most spoken words in Myachidom come out: "Have you seen this game before?"  We each say it several hundred times a day.  We say it more often than "Hello", "Excuse me" and "That couldn't have been a UFO because it said Good Year on the side" combined.

That's the opening line of the official Myachi Pitch that all the apprentices learn on day one.  "Have you seen this game before?"  If they say "yes", you simply say "awesome," and toss them in.  If they say "no thanks" it gives you a perfect opportunity to explain why it is the coolest thing on this side of the Arctic Circle (excluding the Antarctic).

So if you think you see Myachi Mastery in your future occupational plans, I have an experiment for you to try.  Go out to a public place like a busy park or a mall and start throwing down a solid shred that includes plenty of the stylish basics like Fu, Flow and Cold Fusion.  As soon as you catch somebody gawking in amazement, make it your mission to prove to them that they can do everything they just saw you do and you can teach them in five minutes or less.

The first job of Myachi Master is teacher and the biggest obstacle to teaching people something like Myachi is getting over their instinctual belief that it's something they can't do.  People will always make excuses like "I'm not very coordinated", or "I'm not good at stuff like that".  After a while you learn ways around every excuse.  In the above examples I'd use "Well Myachi can help you with that" for the former and "dude, there's no 'stuff like this'" for the latter.

Now, you might think that people would be really uncomfortable with you suddenly trying to teach them how to play Myachi out of the blue, but you'd be surprised what a great reaction you get.  Well, maybe you wouldn't.  After all, it's pretty likely that you learned the game when some random stranger asked you "have you seen this game before?"

Share your stories!  If you have a great story about teaching someone to play, leave it in the comments section below.  Remember, a blog isn't an article, it's a conversation.

Getting the Most Out of the Myachi Blog

by Crazy Ivan


I was talking with a good friend (and big fan of Myachi) earlier this evening about this blog.  He's a far more informed computer-ite than myself so I was listening to an impressive collection of ideas and advice he had for how I can make the most out of this site and how I can help all of our readers get the most out of it as well.

There were some really cool suggestions and many of them will be implemented over the next week or so, but one of the really important things we kept coming back to was that many or most of the people who read this blog are probably not really regular blog readers.  People show up here because of their love for Myachi, not so much because of their love for reading blogs.

So it occurred to us that many of the people who are reading this might not know how to use (or might not have noticed) a few of the features that the Myachi Blog has.  This entry is meant to be a quick primer about all the various functions that we have here and all the various ways that you can interact and get in on the action.

 #1) Follow Us 

Last count we had 22 followers which means that the next 38 people who sign up to follow us are still in on our Pakisack giveaway.  When you follow the Myachi Blog you can get email updates every time there's an update so you never miss a thing.

#2) Leave Comments

Below each entry is a link that invites you to "leave a comment".  Remember, unlike a book, a blog is a two way street.  If you have questions that the entries don't answer, if you have additional advice that might help a reader or if you just want to let us know what you do and don't like about entries, by all means, leave a comment.

 #3) Share Us With Your Facebook Friends 

Next to the "leave a comment" link is a series of boxes that allow you to easily share any quiz, pic, video or blog entry that you see on this site.  This helps us because it brings more traffic to the Myachi Blog, but it also helps you because... well... because it brings more traffic to the Myachi Blog and you like making us smile.

 #4) What Did You Think? 

Alright, so I know that you want to leave a comment, but you're a happening individual with places to go and people to see.  Maybe you want to let us know what you think but you don't have the time to write out whole words and assemble them together with punctuation and what-not.  That's okay because we've got you covered as well.

Beneath each entry are 3 boxes marked "informative", "funny" and "cool".  If you thought the blog entry was informative, funny or cool, you can let us know by just clicking on that box.  Your vote will be tabulated and you will be helping us steer the content of this blog in the direction you like the most.

 #5) Check the Pages 

In addition to the daily posts, we also have a few pages linked on the right side of the page (over there -->).  It's right below the headline that reads "Pages".  There's some basic info there about the blog and the game but there's also some other cool stuff in there.  If you haven't checked out the Tricktionary yet go right ahead.  Seriously.  Do it now... midread.  I'm willing to wait.

The Tricktionary will be ever expanding with new tricks and video links added every week so be sure to check in early and often.  We will also be adding new pages as resources for jammers and collectors the world over so always glance over there when you check in and see if anything's new.

 #6) Shoot Us an Email 

Send your emails to crazyivan@myachi.com or to aaron@myachi.com... I get both of them.  If there is a question that you want to ask, a topic you'd like to see covered on the blog, an error that you've noticed or if you just want to let us know that you're enjoying the material, send an email and remind us why we're doing this thing.

And look for some cool new stuff coming in the margins of the blog in the next few days...

How to Make a Great Myachi YouTube Video

by Crazy Ivan


I have a feeling that this is a subject that we'll be coming back to again and again on this blog but I thought I'd get the ball rolling with a quick introduction to what makes a Myachi video fun to watch.  Remember that a lot goes into your ultimate view count and there's more to it than throwing down a clean jam.

I've broken things down to 7 major points and provided a video that exemplifies each point.  Special thanks to all the Maniacs whose videos make this blog possible.

#1) Background

If I had to venture a guess, I'd say that about 2/3rds of all the Myachi shreds on YouTube take place in either somebody's bedroom or somebody's basement.  That's cool because some of these videos contain spectacular shreds, but you have to throw down some incredible skills to make a static camera video memorable if the only thing in the background is your dresser and a few sweatshirts on the floor.

Shooting outdoors gives your video some flavor but it still depends on what's in the background.  If we're just looking at the back of your house it's not as interesting as it would be if there was a forest behind you or maybe a playground.  Better yet, a landmark that is unique to your hometown or general whereabouts.

For a perfect example of this, I'm turning to a pretty recent video.  This is our good friend Downtown showing that if you take the time to think about your backdrops your video will be unforgettable:

#2) Editing

The least interesting Myachi videos and the ones that get the least play are the ones done in a single shot where the camera is mounted.  This works great if you're just putting down an instructional video or if you're giving people a general sense of your skills, but if you're trying to put together a top notch video you're going to want to get several good shots from several different camera angles.  Ideally, you'll do like Downtown did in the video above and get several different backdrops as well.

The quality of a video can be made or broken in the editing room.  Okay, so your YouTube submission probably isn't going to an "editing room" per se, more like iMovie or something like that.  Still, the choice of cuts and clips can make a huge difference in how much play your video gets.

Now, Downtown did a pretty good job with that in the video above so I'm really just giving a second good example of how to edit a really fun video.  This is a much older vid and you can see that despite lacking the precise skills that Downtown displays above, these guys still manage to put together a mad entertaining video:

#3) Variety

If you just hop in front of a camera and start jamming odds are that you'll do what most people do.  You'll throw down a really sick jam for half a minute or so and then you'll start running out of ideas.  You'll come up with some more tricks, but there will be a lot of "holding pattern" tricks in between.  A Fu for a few seconds here, a Fusion for a little too long there.

To put together a truly epic shred, you're going to want to give some thought to what tricks you're going to do before you even start.  The best of the best plan out their entire routines and know exactly what tricks they're going to do before they even start the camera.

Even if you don't do that, it's a good idea to have several series of 7 or 8 back to back moves that you practice so that you won't accidentally do the same few tricks several times in the same shred.  It's probably also a good idea to know what trick you want to start with and what you want to end on.  One absolute must is a big finish and if you don't think it through you might get to the end of your shred and realize you've already use all of your biggest tricks.

For a great example of that we're going to turn to one of those "best of the best" folks I was talking about earlier.  Mantis shows here that skills can make up for breaking those first two rules we were talking about:

#4) Flow

Alright, so if you just watched Mantis' video you're probably thinking to yourself, "yeah, it's easy to make a great video when you have skills like that" and not everyone is going to be able to bust out the multi-Myachi tricks right away.

There's no denying that skills make the video.  You can do a lot without huge tricks but there are already people out there like Mantis prying eyeballs away from the newbs.  But there are also people out there that make their tricks look so good that a relatively simple move can be a thing of beauty.  These people get there by having good flow.

Linking tricks together and flourishing them by moving your whole body makes a big difference on your final product.  When you're doing a 360, make a huge circle.  When you're doing a Fu do it as fast as you can without losing control.  When you do a Flying Clipper, set it up slowly.

Now for my example I've actually chosen a dude with some really serious skills.  He might not be the best example of how to turn a small amount of skill into a big video because he busts out of the gate with some pretty big tricks.  He is, however, a perfect example of how to make a routine flow.

#5) Humor

One thing that nearly every good YouTube video has in common is that it can make you laugh.  Adding a bit of humor to your video can make up for pretty much anything.  Now, this can be done by doing fun and creative moves, it can be done by leaving in a little out take reel at the end or it could be done by inserting some kind of gag in there.

It can also be the whole video.  There are plenty of good examples I could have chosen that incorporate elements of humor in them, but for most of them I would have to set it up and say, "check out what he does at 1:14" or something like that.  Instead I chose one of my all time favorite Myachi Videos and it's all gag:

#6) Skills

I've already touched on it a bit, but I certainly can't overemphasize this point.  The better you are with a Myachi, the more impressive your video is going to be.  If your video ranks high enough on the skill scale it won't matter what kind of background you use or how many different angles you edit in.  It won't matter if people laugh because they'll be too busy saying "did he really just do that!?"

Now, don't fall into the trap of thinking that skills means difficult tricks.  Obviously difficult tricks are great, but it's every bit as important to show people something they haven't seen before.  Bringing in some other skill or adding an original trick can really be the highlight of a video even if it isn't the toughest move you throw down.

For a perfect example of skills I didn't have to look very far.  I've already shown you plenty of extremely skilled Myachi players in this entry so there's really only one person I can put in here that won't be eclipsed by the talent that came before him:

#7) Creativity

This is really sort of a catch all category that reaches out and sticks a finger in every point I've made up until now.  Being creative is something that you should be applying to every level of your video.  Creative backgrounds, editing, photography, flow, variety and tricks will ensure that your video is something that the Myachi community will remember and pass along.  As the game increases in popularity there's more and more competition so you'll have to work harder and harder to think of something that hasn't been done before.

One of the key factors that brings it all together is how much time and effort you put into your video.  People will be able to tell if you just jammed in front of your webcam for a few minutes or if you really set out to make a good video.  If you didn't put much effort into making it, people probably won't put much effort into watching it.

On the flip side of that coin is the fact that if a video is well made, people can't look away.  They will appreciate the effort you put into your video and they will be far more likely to "like" it and/or share it with their friends.

For a good example here I'll use another recent video.  This one comes from our good friend and Myachi Master in Training Rush and it's a fun video just for the game of Fu that it captures.  Still, you can see that the added bit of elbow grease and editing time he put into it really elevates it from a mediocre video to a really good one.

Obviously this is a big subject and there's plenty more to say about it, but for now I'll leave it there.  If you would like to add some advice, feel free to join the conversation in the comments section below.  Look for more pointers in the future.

How to do a Behind the Back

by Crazy Ivan

The first thing I do every morning is check my various in-boxes.  First I check my email, then I check my pms on the Myachi forum, then I check my messages on Facebook, then I check Myachi's messages on Facebook and our @mentions on Twitter, then I check my messages on YouTube then I check Myachi's messages on YouTube.  We get a lot of cool, unique comments and questions, but as you can imagine there are a lot of questions we hear over and over again. 

One of the things I hope to do with this blog is provide a good resource to direct people to when we hear those familiar inquiries.  I take pride in the fact that every message that gets sent our way gets read and almost all of them get answered, but I can't always be as detailed as I'd like when I return the message.  By addressing a few of these questions on the Myachi Blog, I can go into as much detail as I need to (complete with pics and video) and then refer people back to the blog when we hear those questions.

The questions I get usually fall into two categories: Tricks and Trades.  Over the next few weeks I plan to plump this blog up with several articles that hit the key questions in both categories and this blog will start things off.  There are a lot of tricks I get asked about quite often, but perhaps none is as common as the Behind the Back.

The Behind the Back:

This move is easy for some and drives others crazy.  Like many Myachi moves, the difficulty in this one is going to depend on your body type.  If you're thin and flexible (like me) you'll probably nail this one without much trouble.  If you're normal (like Animal or Monk), it will challenge you a little bit more.  Fear not, mesomorphs among the masses, for you too can learn to hit this move quickly and (relatively) painlessly.

The key to nailing the Behind the Back is in how you hold the Myachi.  If you're having trouble doing it from a Lotus position, you can try a little trick that Monk hit upon to make the toss much easier.  Start with the Myachi resting between your thumb and your index finger and then form your hand as though you were holding a book.

Is that a 5.0 Hound's Tooth?  I'm so jealous!

By holding your hand this way you'll be making the toss a lot easier because the reach behind your back will be far less awkward.  For many people who are having trouble with this move, simply changing to this hand position will solve the problem and they will hit it immediately afterwards.  Go ahead and give it a try.

Alright, so maybe you got it, maybe you didn't.  If you missed, I'm willing to wager it was because the Myachi hit your shoulder after you threw it.  That's a pretty common problem and it usually comes from not throwing high enough.  It can also be the byproduct of improper form.  For some reason, people's instinct when they go for a behind the back is to lean back, but in truth, that's the opposite of what you want to do.

See, when you lean back you are moving your shoulder into the path you want the Myachi to take.  Instead of leaning back (which is instinctual for most), you want to lean forward (see figure B).

See?  Figure B.

One of the big impediments to doing a Behind the Back is your other arm.  If you're throwing from your right hand, your left arm will get in the way.  If you're throwing from your left arm, it will be the right arm messing things up.  It's like you can't win.  But fear not, fair Maniac, because I wouldn't have brought up the problem if I didn't have a solution.

There are actually two ways you can go about getting your opposite arm out of the way as well.  The most common is what you see in the picture above.  Actually, more accurately what you don't see in the picture above.  You can't see the left arm at all because it is draped across the body where it can get the heck out of the way.  This is probably the best way to go when you're learning, but there is also another stance that works equally well.

Instead of moving your left arm to the right (or your right arm to the left), you can also lift it up like you see in the photo below.  If you lift your arm high and move it back you'll be able to get a Behind the Back to go through the voided space between your body and your arm.  This is easier for some people, but for a lot of Behind the Back variations it won't work very well.  It's perfect for things like the Musketeer but it won't work if you're trying to go from the Behind the Back to, say, a Melon Stall.

Only reach as far as you comfortably can.  Believe me, it's
not worth pulling a muscle just to do a Myachi trick.

The only other thing you'll need to master this move is practice.  You've got all the know-how you need.  Just pay particular attention to the height that you're throwing to.  If you're missing, ask yourself how you're missing.  Is the Myachi not going far enough behind you?  Is it coming in too fast?  Is your throw inconsistent?  By asking yourself these questions (and more importantly, by answering them) you'll be able to act as your own tutor and you'll master it in no time.

Remember the old Juggler's Rule as well: If you learn it on the right side, be sure to try it on the left side as well.  You don't have a move mastered until it's ambidextrous.