February 4 - Night of the Yoyo, Karate Kids, Art, and Song

Tonight the crowd was informed of the origin of the YOYO, which was invented by a Filipino. It's main use was as a weapon before it evoloved into a toy. The Virginia Martial Arts Institute students and parents were in the crowd. They just came back from a competition in Baltimore where co-owner Jun's son, E.J. brought back a trophy for placing second. Linda taught and inspired some kids to color and draw. Griffin was the guest singer/guitarist who sang some Metallica tunes. Also present was the staff of BC Construction. It was a great night!

A folk tale of the yo-yo is that it began centuries ago as a Filipino weapon. The story is about an assailant in a tree with a heavy oversized yo-yo waiting for a victim to pass below. At the critical moment the yo-yo would be hurled at the victim’s head presumably rendering him unconscious. A near miss would still allow the assailant a second opportunity. Physics of the yo-yo make the story improbable. Although there is no question that the toy existed in the Philippines for centuries, as a popular toy, there is no documented evidence that it was ever used as a jungle weapon. The story was popularized by Duncan yo-yo demonstrators in the ‘30s, many of whom were from the Philippines. It was a great story and helped to sell yo-yos. The word “Yo-Yo” was introduced to America in 1916 in an article in the Scientific American Supplement titled “Filipino Toys”. In 1928, Pedro Flores, a Filipino immigrant began manufacturing the toy as a yo-yo in the United States and the history of the modern yo-yo began. The demand for the toy was so great in 1929 that Popular Mechanics published an article on how to make a Filipino yo-yo. Flores trademarked the name yo-yo and then sold the trademark and company to Donald F. Duncan