Chinese Yoyo

The Chinese yoyo is also called a diablo or pull-bell. The diablo is a "cousin" or Western variation of the Chinese yoyo, of much more recent origin but the same tricks can be done with both. Although there are a number of differences between the two yoyo types, virtually all of the same tricks can be done on either. It seems that Chinese yoyo users usually speed up the yoyo by moving their arms up and down with the strings wrapped around the axle of the yoyo, where diablo users seem to cross the strings and move them from side-to-side.

For an idea of what can be done, watch this Chinese Yoyo video from the CCTV 2007 Chinese New Year Celebration. I liked watching them juggle Chinese Yoyos starting at 4:38. If you watch the whole clip you will also see them jumping robe and building pyramids.

There are more video clips on the web of folks working with Chinese yoyo, some to show off particular tricks and others for instructional purposes. I like the Harvard Chinese Yoyo Club's Tricks and Videos.html.

The Gibee club has almost all diabolo videos, for more watch at the English version of Diarhythm, a Japanese diabolo movie site. Dave Barnes Videos: with two diabolos and with three!

For Beginning Instructions:
Chinese Yoyo.org You may also want to look under “Mini-workshop” at their Dual yoyos page.

Harvard Yoyo Club's Beginner’s Guide to Chinese Yoyo.

This one is probably only of interest if you actually have one: How to get the string on the Chinese Yoyo. An important part of "how to start".

About.com has some nice pictures but the links were not working for me.

Paper "Chinese Yoyo":
I have never been able to track down the origins of this name and will not vouch for the "authenticity", but here are directions if that is what you want.

Updated: March 2007