technique
It is recommended to learn the following techniques first, in this order:
These are the fundamental core techniques for playing asalato.
You do not need to learn all of these techniques to begin learning rhythms, and it is recommended that you practice rhythms while learning new techniques.
Individual technique pages contain YouTube videos of techniques. It may be helpful to use the YouTube player function to slow down the video or loop the video (right click > loop) when learning techniques.
Below is a comprehensive (although not complete) index of techniques for the asalato. For most purposes, learning all the techniques with a prevalence of core and standard are sufficient for most players.
| air-turn | hit | hard | core |
| air turso | hit,coil | hard | extended |
| alternate shake | shake | medium | standard |
| ankle catch | catch | very hard | extended |
| boca | pitch | easy | standard |
| bones shake | shake | hard | extended |
| chest bass | knock | hard | extended |
| chest slap | body | hard | extended |
| clap | body | easy | extended |
| click knock | knock,click | medium | standard |
| click shake | shake,click | easy | standard |
| click slide knock | knock,click | medium | extended |
| click | click | easy | core |
| close shake | shake | easy | core |
| dead-end | hit,coil | medium | extended |
| den-den knock throw | throw | very hard | extended |
| den-den knock | knock | hard | standard |
| den-den | hit | easy | core |
| double shake | shake | hard | extended |
| elbow catch | catch | hard | extended |
| eye pose | pose | hard | extended |
| fake air-turn | hit | medium | standard |
| fake flop air-turn | hit | medium | extended |
| finger coil | coil | medium | extended |
| finger pitch | pitch | easy | standard |
| finger turn | coil | hard | extended |
| fist catch | catch | medium | extended |
| flip-flop knock | knock | hard | extended |
| flip-flop throw (armaround) | throw | very hard | extended |
| flip-flop throw tap | tap | very hard | theoretical |
| flip-flop throw (underarm) | throw | very hard | extended |
| flip-flop throw (underleg) | throw | very hard | extended |
| flip-flop throw | throw | medium | standard |
| flip-flop | hit | medium | core |
| flip throw | throw | medium | standard |
| flip | hit | medium | core |
| flop air-turn throw | throw | very hard | standard |
| flop air-turn | hit | hard | standard |
| flop grab click | click | hard | standard |
| flop heli | shake | easy | standard |
| flop knock | knock | medium | standard |
| flop peace | hit | hard | extended |
| flop shake | shake | easy | core |
| flop wrist click | hit | hard | standard |
| flop | hit | medium | core |
| found object | knock | hard | extended |
| goofy grab click | click | medium | standard |
| goofy wrist click | click | medium | standard |
| goofy | grip | easy | standard |
| grab | grab | medium | core |
| heli knock | knock | hard | standard |
| heli throw | throw | hard | standard |
| heli | shake | easy | core |
| hong kong | coil | hard | extended |
| jakaska | rub | hard | extended |
| kengo special | coil | hard | standard |
| knock | knock | easy | core |
| kojiro | hit | hard | extended |
| middle knock | knock | hard | standard |
| musashi | hit | hard | extended |
| open shake | shake | easy | core |
| pass catch | catch | hard | extended |
| pass | pass | easy | extended |
| pause throw tap | tap | very hard | theoretical |
| pause throw | throw | hard | standard |
| peace throw | throw | hard | extended |
| peace | hit | hard | extended |
| rub | rub | hard | extended |
| shake | shake | easy | core |
| shower throw | throw | very hard | standard |
| side shake | shake | easy | extended |
| slide knock | rub | easy | standard |
| snap click | click | easy | standard |
| spin | shake | medium | extended |
| stomp | body | easy | extended |
| sweep shake | shake | medium | extended |
| tabasco | shake,click | easy | standard |
| tamb shake | shake | easy | extended |
| tatsk | shake | hard | extended |
| thumb click | click | very hard | standard |
| thumbaround | coil | hard | extended |
| tick-tack | rub | easy | extended |
| top catch | catch | very hard | extended |
| tri-beam | pose | hard | extended |
| whip catch | catch | very hard | extended |
| wrist contact shake | shake | easy | extended |
| wrist shake | shake | easy | extended |
| yo-yo | hit | medium | standard |
The asalato is not an instrument with a long history of written tradition. In particular, a vast majority of techniques have inconsistent names, or names that conflict with other techniques. I have taken the liberty of adding names to or renaming many techniques to follow a consistent pattern of organization.
However, I realize that these techniques have histories that are far outside my influence. Please do not take the names of these techniques as definitive; they were created solely to have a sane categorization system.
The logic behind this naming system was as follows:
- What is the most widely-used name for the technique? If it is a name that is unique and identifiable, keep it.
- If the name would be easily confused with another technique or makes the execution of the technique unexpected or unclear, rename the technique as closely to expected within existing asalato technique names.
- For example: it is unclear what an air-turn throw indicates: the movement of an air-turn suggests it could either be a heli throw or pause throw, and I have seen both techniques called "air-turn throw", which can be confusing.
- The same goes for techniques with no existing name.