The Chinese yoyo, marketed in the West as the diabolo (commonly misspelled as diablo), is the Eastern counterpart to the Western yoyo. It is a traditional Chinese toy consisting of a spool which is whirled and tossed on a string tied to two sticks held one in each hand. It has several Chinese names, including 扯鈴, 中國搖搖, 響簧, 斗空竹, and 空竹.
Some Chinese yoyos are designed to make a whistling sound when spinning at high speed. They are often used in acrobatic or Chinese ethnic dance performance. The performance of Chinese yoyos is often considered a form of juggling. A huge variety of tricks are possible using the sticks, string, and various body parts. Multiple diabolos can be spun on a single string.
Chinese yoyos come in different shapes and materials. Large or heavy yoyos tend to retain their momentum longer, whereas small or light yoyos can be thrown higher and are faster to get spinning quickly. Rubber yoyo's are less prone to breakage, and metal yoyos can be set on fire.
Commonly-used Chinese yoyo terms:
- Suicide - To temporarily let go of either or both sticks and then do a trick and catch them again.
- Grind - To balance the yoyo on a stick
- Snaps, Burners, Thrusts, Pulls - Methods to accelerate the yoyo.
- Sun - The yoyo is pushed round in a large circle.
- Cradle - The line is tangled to form a shape and the yoyo itself is tossed on or in the shape.
- Whip (catch) - The yoyo is tossed into air and caught with a whipping motion of the line towards the diabolo
- Orbit - The yoyo is tossed and caught repeatedly in a circular motion
- Over (bodypart) - Advanced orbits to go around some body part, usually the hand, arm, or leg
- Knot - The line is tangled in a way it creates an illusion that the yoyo is jammed; it can then be released, usually with an upwards toss motion
See also
- Diablo is a computer game.
- Diablo is an Italian car made by Lamborghini.
