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Q: What are some good beginner tricks?

A: The most basic tricks are the Trapeze or Waterfall and also the Forced Sun for beginners. Some teach Under The Leg first, which is good too. A lot has to do with what looks fun for the beginner.
A trick that many want to learn first is the High Toss:
High Toss.
Keep working on more and more spin. Spin is a big 'key' to diaboloing.
Add Spin.
Here are some beginner chinese yo-yoing terms:
Beginning T erms.

The basic page has good info for beginners
Beginning Basics.
The trapeze is a great trick to learn that has a bunch of variations.
Beginning Trapezes, Right Trapeze, Trapezes.

If you have trouble with Trapezes. Try the Waterfall
Waterfall.

After learning the Trapeze look at all these cool variations:
Alternating Trapezes, Chinese Suicide, Trapeze Cradle.
The Sun is another great basic tricks with several variations.
Forced Sun, Beginning Suns, Suns.
If you are having trouble following animations, you can slow them down and stop them with the Movie Contols on the Flash page.
FLASH Movie Controls
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Q: My string is dirty, what kind do I replace it with?

A: Cotton and nylon string are both good for diaboloing. These can usually be found at your local hardware store. String will also be available on this site very soon.

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Q: Is there a good Forum where they talk just about diabolos?

A: Yes, Diabolo.ca is the place to be. Chances are, if you have a question about diaboloing, it is answered at diabolo.ca. If you can't find it, you can easily ask about it and the replies will come in from the many that frequent the site. Diabolo.ca The Diabolo Forum
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Q: How do you pronounce diabolo?

A: Here's the six ways I hear it pronounced.
The capital Lettered syllables are pronounced strongly.
1) dee-Ah-blow
2) dee-ah-Bow-low (or) 3) dee-Ah-bow-low
4) die-Ah-blow
5) die-ah-Bow-low (or) 6) die-Ah-bow-low
I'm in the United States so there may be many other ways.
I say #1 dee-Ah-blow and most people I see say it that way. We kind of leave off one of the 'o's. Those that say it, "dee-Ah-bow-low" or, "dee-ah-Bow-low", are probably more correct.
In my opinion, it can be said any way you want. It all kind of adds to the mystery around the diabolo.
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Q: How do I knot string onto my CRYSTAL COLOR HANDSTICKS?
A: First, run the string threw the metal cap of the handsticks. Next, make a small knot on the other side of the metal cap. Then, screw the cap on (If it does not fit, try using a wrench to screw it on, or make the knot smaller)
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Q: What is the best length of string for my sticks?

A: String length is a personal preference. It has a lot to do with your height. Stand on one stick and tighten the string straight up. Measure to where the string ends on your other stick. In my opinion chest high is a minimum and nose high is a maximum. I use about shoulder high length. You need to find a length that works best for you. It is not really a science, you are looking for the length that 'fits' you. I sometimes use a longer string when working on around the arm/leg/body tricks. I use a shoulder length string when doing two diabolos, but some people use different lengths for one or two diaboloing.
I suggest having at least two sets of sticks if possible. Each set should be a different length. When having problems with a trick, give it a go with your other set. I have been surprised that a little extra or less string can mean all the difference.
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Q: How can I get more spin? Most tricks don't work because I can't get the speed up.

A: This problem is one of everyone's problems when first learning. Some beginners get around this by putting a full wrap around the axle with the right stick. If their string is good and a bit slippery this will work, but beware for this practice will cause the diabolo to quickly 'wrap-up' into an instant tangle. Here follows a few points to follow that may apply to you.
1) Start with a Rolling Start. I have seen beginners that didn't know how to do a Rolling Start. The Rolling Start (for right-handers) is where you lay the diabolo off to the right and roll it in front of you toward your left side and then lift it.
2) If you are right handed, pull only with your RIGHT when adding speed. Think of your LEFT as an even'er. It keeps the diabolo from hopping up and down too much as you add speed. Yes, you have to pull up with the LEFT, but not as much. Gradually add longer pulls with the RIGHT and move the LEFT hand in a way so the diabolo just bobs up and down. If the diabolo is jumping around too much, shorten your pulls with the RIGHT until you can control the diabolo from doing that. With practice you will find you can pull longer with the RIGHT and still control with LEFT.
3) A very important point is that your stick ends need to be fairly close together as they move up and down. If your sticks are too fair apart, then the diabolo won't bob up and down, it will jump about.
4) Do a Clockwise Sun (CW Sun). The same movements of your Right and Left hand can be done with the extra twist of string that the CW Sun creates. The twist on the axle actually helps control the diabolo from bobbing about as pull with the right. Other moves for more speed out of the CW Sun are seen on the Adding Spin Page.
5) Use a 5 inch diabolo. Instead of a smaller diabolo. The extra weight usually helps the beginner with momentum and the heavier diabolo is not effected by extra hard pulls as bad.
6) Make sure your string is not dirty. Change it. Also buy extra string so it is there if you need it. The slicker the string the less drag it causes. With clean string you can often add a wrap around the axle without it 'wrapping-up' on you. This also allows you to successfully do Chinese Whip Thrusts, which may be the best movement for premium speed.
7) Many diaboloist learn to add spin with the Horizontal Power Whips. It is a very common way to gain speed, but it takes practice and a learned rhythm.
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Q: I wonder why every time I wrap the string for more speed the diabolo gets rolled up.
A: REASONS for 'Roll-up' after a full wrap around the axle.
1) Your string is dirty. After I change my string I can do a wrap for speed without a roll-up, but after about a half hour of play the diabolo starts rolling up on me. My string starts to look gray when it gets dirty.
2) Your string is too fat or fuzzy. With the string wrapped, two diameters just won't fit in the 'throat' of the axle. The 'throat' is the narrow area where the diabolo cups approach the axle.
3) Your diabolo's throat is too narrow or has a rough spot in it. There are many types of diabolos with different angled throats leaving less or more room for your string to wrap. Also if there is a rough spot where the string catches, it will cause problems during the wrap. The diabolo I use the most is the Henry Circus which has a narrow throat. The Henry Circus and Jazz are very good yet will roll up easier than the Renegade or the Mister Babache Jumbo, because of their throat size.
SOLUTIONS:
1) Change dirty string.
2) Don't use the wrap for speed. I know this is hard to do because the wrap works so good for speed, but the resulting roll up IS JUST NOT WORTH IT! This means learning different methods for gaining speed see Adding Speed.
3) Only do about two or three pulls then unwrap real quick.
4) The Chinese Whip Thrust is a speed gainer that uses a wrap on the axle. The trick to the Chinese Whip Thrusts is how one of the sticks are kept forward so the 'spring' shape of the wrap is more open. (Make a wrap, stop, look at the wrap, and realize how your pulls need to be so the string doesn't lay over on itself.) The Chinese Whip is difficult for me with my Henry diabolo and my Dube' string (which is a bit fat), but many diaboloist use this trick all the time. I have better luck with a Renegade or Mister Babache Jumbo.
5) Find some slick string or spray Armor-All (USA auto interior product) on your string and/or axle. Smaller harder string is usually slicker.
6) Change to a diabolo with the smooth wide throat.
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Q: How much physical abuse can a chinese yoyo / diabolo take?

A: Our products are made from top-notch High Density Polyurethane Plastic (HDPE), and alumninum. They can take years of trick-playing and combos. However, repeatedly throwing the yoyo very high (30+ feet) could result in damages to the yoyo. When practicing high throws, do so on grass. Also, irregularly harsh abuse may result in yoyo damage. Furthermore, playing the yoyo by the Ocean can result in damage from salts, which may corrode the metal axle of the yoyo. When playing near the beach, remember to wash off your yoyo/ diabolo with freshwater, and dry it off.

By any chance, if your yoyo does in fact seperate, you can use a wrench to screw the nut on either cup, to fix the yoyo.

Q: Which names for tricks are right? I learned it as a Stop-over, but you call it a Trapeze.

A: A tricks name is what you like calling it. Especially so you can remember it or relate it to other diaboloist you know. Many of the tricks on diabolo tricks are the names for tricks that I first learned them as. Some names came from diabolo instructional books. Many names are from those folks that discovered a move they thought was neat and sent it in to Diabolo Tricks. I have tried to make trick names on the site to follow some standard, yet others like the El Fonce make no sense. I believe that naming and remembering your tricks is a needed bit of organizational discipline important to knowing a lot of tricks. Audiences love hearing the names of tricks especially if they are funny names. Some diabolo performers announce good visual tricks while performing them like the Coffee Grinder, for example.
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Credit to Jim of DiaboloTricks.com