If you haven’t checked out his Instagram absolutely check out the link below. He is a talented thrower and musician who combines both elements in his performances!
What got you into throwing, how long have you been in the hobby?
I have been yoyoing for over 20 years. Long story short, I got into yoyoing because of depression. I was bullied, chased, and always teased for being fat. Yoyoing became that outlet that brightened my life up and assured me my life isnt so bad.
What trick are you working on currently and what is your all time favorite trick?
Reverse Neck Stole. its REALLY HARD! All time favorite trick is the Quintuple or Nothing.
What’s your favorite yo-yo of all time?
YoYoJam Dark Magic.
What’s the most meaningful throw you have?
Special Edition Danny Severance Freehand. Forever a legend. RIP
What’s kind of things are you into outside of yo-yos?
I love making hiphop music. I have several albums and music videos I have dropped in the past 10 years.
Favorite foods?
Cheeseburgers of any size and shape with fries.
Favorite movie?
Forest Gump. Thats my life pretty much lol
What’s your Yo-yo bad habit?
I switch my string out after 2 minutes of playing. The string is FAR from dirty, but I don’t care. I’ve wasted thousands of dollars on string for this reason.
As a musician how do you feel yo-yo’s express your art in your performances?
It coincides with everything. I can speak with my hands through yoyoing like I’m rapping on tracks. There’s a message and you can’t help but want to pay attention and listen to what’s going on.
Best yoyo memory?
Meeting AJ Kirk at the first New York State Yo-Yo Contest/IYYO. It was like meeting a celebrity for the first time. Ill never forget that moment when he shook my hand and wanted to teach me a cool Green Triangle trick.
What’s it been like to watch the growth of the community?
It’s been beautiful. I remember the hardest trick to do was an Iron Whip. Now its Neck Stole lol. Its also great to see players that ive looked up to still out here doing their thing in yoyoing. Its only going to continue to grow especially with players being only 8 years old and placing really high in Pro divisions.
Advice to new players?
Its okay to not be okay. Your gonna fail at alot of attempts for tricks. FAIL BIG for a STRONG WIN.
What do you want to tell the world?
I have a new album coming out very soon. My first single will be a yoyo dance song. Hope you all support it. PEACE LOVE AND YOYOS TO YOU ALL!
Player Profiles is a series of articles/interviews dedicated to spotlighting the vibrant and diverse community of yo-yo enthusiasts. Each article delves into the unique stories of players from different backgrounds, showcasing their journeys, skills, and contributions to the yo-yo world. The series aims to highlight the passion and creativity that drive these individuals, offering readers an inside look at their personal experiences, favorite tricks, and the impact yo-yoing has had on their lives. Whether they’re seasoned competitors or inspiring newcomers, these profiles celebrate the people who make the yo-yo community so dynamic and inclusive.
Trying something a little bit different today, and please let me know what you think.
Along with Player Profiles, I’m going to start doing Company Profiles!
I wanted to start highlighting the amazing, passionate companies that we all know and love. Getting to know how they formed, what their best memories of their business are, and what’s in store for the future.
I am starting this part of the series off with one of my favorite MK1 YoYos!!!
I was learning how to design yoyos for fun, and Jordan Blofeld (Smashing yoyos, OP Yoyos) challenged me to make something that people wanted to buy. That ended up being the Diffraction.
I created the MK1 branding to make it feel more legitimate. It was originally styled as Mk.I – meaning “Mark 1”, or version 1. I only intended to release just the 1 yoyo at first, but I had a lot of fun with the whole process so I kept working on new ideas.
What does a day in the life look like for you running Mk1 YoYo?
I don’t “run” it daily. I have spurts of creative energy where I draft/design/finish a couple yoyo ideas, or I work on logos, packaging, or other bits that go into making a yoyo.
I have a checklist that I work through for preparing a new release, and once everything is ready I place all the orders for things I need. The busiest time is leading up to a release – coordinating retailer orders, social media posts, website setup, and email marketing – and usually a week or so after a release I can get back to the slow cadence of normality.
Walk me through your creative process.
Yoyo concepts can come from a couple places – either a shape I saw or imagined, or an idea one of my team members had, or a market niche that I want to find something for. I do most of my work digitally, first drafting in FreeCAD and then checking visuals in Blender to see if the design has both the numerical and aesthetic features I am looking for.
Recently I am also trying to spend more time linking together the concept/yoyo/colorway/name into something cohesive. This usually means custom packaging, which is a whole separate big design process.
What’s your favorite memory of running Mk1?
Meeting tons of cool people at the US National yoyo contest, and seeing part of my team (and sometimes future team members) in person.
What’s your favorite release to date?
The Ring-Bearer. I got to work on something that I didn’t even realize was possible until I emailed Middle-Earth Enterprises. Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit have been special to me since I was little. The yoyos came out beautifully and I’m excited to work more with this license in the future.
What’s your next release and what makes it so exciting?
The Asterisk, a signature yoyo for EOS44. It’s always really cool working on a signature or collaboration yoyo – a lot of my best work has been with a tight feedback loop with another person. The design for this yoyo is 90% EOS, though.
Feedback on the prototypes has been really positive, and the packaging that me and EOS designed together has a lot of really cool & fun details.
What’s in store for Mk1 in the future?
Probably more Lord of the Rings themed stuff.
Definitely more tug-responsive yoyos.
Plenty of exciting collabs!
If you could go back and do one thing differently what would that be?
Order more of the PK Sliver colorway the first time around.
What sets Mk1 apart from others?
One of my long-term goals is to elevate yoyo-design as a discipline. I’ve done some work with this in the form of tutorial series and freely-available design files, but there’s much more work to do!
Any advice for aspiring companies/creators?
Plan out your costs & sales estimates in a spreadsheet. Use very conservative estimates so that you don’t get surprised.
Player Profiles is a series of articles/interviews dedicated to spotlighting the vibrant and diverse community of yo-yo enthusiasts. Each article delves into the unique stories of players from different backgrounds, showcasing their journeys, skills, and contributions to the yo-yo world. The series aims to highlight the passion and creativity that drive these individuals, offering readers an inside look at their personal experiences, favorite tricks, and the impact yo-yoing has had on their lives. Whether they’re seasoned competitors or inspiring newcomers, these profiles celebrate the people who make the yo-yo community so dynamic and inclusive.
Matt is great thrower, incredible guy in general, and one of the kindest/funniest people I’ve had the chance to interact with.
If you haven’t ever visited his insta/youtube/tiktok you better change that today – his posts will have you rolling on the floor, along with seeing some great tricks!!
What got you into throwing, how did you find the hobby?
I started throwing when my father got two premium nice yoyos for Christmas when I was around the age of 13 to 14. Even though I grew up around other skill toys, his Yo-yo quickly turned into my yo-yo as I could not put it down. The only tricks dad knew how to really do was double or nothing or trap. The other stuff was simple picture tricks.
What is your goal in 2025 for yourself?
I hope to continue to grow as a man and as a Yo-yoer. I hope to continue to work towards my second master’s degree and am debating starting a part time online law degree. I mean hell why not try to make the world a better place if I can?
I hope to make moves on a signature yo-yo for me as well as continue to grow all of my relationships around me. Other goals I have is to be more patient, be more understanding of peoples emotions as well as just trying to be a more understanding person in general.
If you could only have one yo-yo for the rest of your life what would it be?
G2 Mongoose
What trick are you working on currently?
Rancid Milk. I have seen so many legends just killing this trick on Instagram lately I really got insprised to try to perfect it myself. Not an easy trick, but very rewarding.
What’s the trick that gives you the hardest time?
Whichever one I am learning at that time. I am the type of person where I have to break each element of a trick down step by step, so I would say they all give me difficulty in the beginning. But Three Six Mafia taught me you got to keep grinding and hustlin or these haters gonna pile up on you.
What’s your favorite yo-yo of all time?
The Freehand Zero. My whole yo-yoing journey revolves around this yo-yo. I have been lucky enough to own hundreds of them and have had the pleasure of selling Zeros at two different retail locations. The Freehand zero is what helped me make so many connections with the older Duncan Crew and I will forever be thankful for those friendships I made during the days of chasing those Escolar Dreams.
What’s the most meaningful throw you have?
My dad worked for a company called Colson Casters practically his whole life, when he passed his 35th anniversary with the company, instead of a watch he had a Stainless-Steel yoyo made with his company’s logo and the phrase 35 years engraved on the Yo-yo. My dad has now passed, and I have lots of other yoyos that belonged to him, but the stainless-steel work anniversary stays in the cabinet. I feel like it’s my legacy to protect what he worked so hard for.
What’s your worst habit with yo-yos?
I will get a knot in your Yo-yo and hand it back to you. Don’t think you’re special though I do that to my own as well. I get knots constantly and put them back in my case. So, in a few days when I pick that yoyo up, I often get surprises.
What’s be kind of things are you into outside of yo-yos?
Just try to be a good father and husband. I have a full-time job and I’m in school, so that adds a little pressure to say the least. But also, my wife is our town’s mayor, so we are constantly juggling other people’s needs and wants.
I have always been interested in collecting toys, particularly toys that my father wanted in the late 60’s and early 70’s. I have a massive love for MEGO’s, but particularly the Planet of the Apes line. My father told me a story in my childhood where all he asked his parents for, for Christmas was a Dr. Zauis figure…. but when they got to the store all they had was a Gorilla Soldier. This story lead me down a rabit hole of ape collecting, with the heart of it being hunting specifically for Gorilla Soldier Megos. I will include my old collection photos below (these have all been sold for yo-yos) hahahaha
What fictional character best fits who you are?
Dale Gribble but my wife made me quick smokin darts.
Favorite restaurant and order?
I’m a little trashy so I’m gonna go Olive Garden, because hell we are family, right?
And I’m gonna have the Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara with Angel Hair Pasta…Keep the soup, mamma didn’t raise no quitter, bring the salaaaad.
Favorite movie and or Book?
The 1968 Film, The Planet of the Apes.
But really if you have a spare day watch all five of the original films. John Chambers did some of the most amazing makeup/fx work that had ever been done for its time, and if you give any of these films a chance I hope you will agree. The actors sometimes had to sit in makeup chairs for up to 5 hours……If I sit on my toilet scrolling on Instagram for 30 minutes my wife is gonna have to come help me get up.
What does yo-yo’ing mean to you?
Everything. It’s how I have expressed myself for over 20 years. I have been so blessed to meet so many wonderful people in this community who are now brothers to me. I am so thankful for everything this community has ever given to me and I hope that my content gives joy like you guys have given me over the years.
What’s your favorite memory from your time in the hobby ?
I have so many….I think I’m gonna give two here My first experience ever meeting a yoyoer in person was me going to meet Bo Jack in Nashville. The year is 2009 my friend, and I had never met bo jack, didn’t know him or anything about him, other than he had the largest Freehand Zero Collection at the time. I also need to mention that the only way we had ever communicated before meeting was on AOL messenger, where I still remember my username was Carey The Moose.
So my mother being the protective type let me drive 6 hours to Nashville to meet Bo Jack for the first time. “Don’t worry mom, he’s got all the FHZ’s MIP, there is no way he will kill me”. Thankfully he didn’t kill me, and Bo Jack went on to be a legend in our business.
Running the Duncan Crew for a few years and getting to head the project that originally brought Duncan to Disney Parks in the early 2010s. Years later…and I mean years…10 plus. I go to Orlando to meet up with Bo Jack and homie said, “Dude, we got to take you to Disney since you’ve never been” I bring this up because I got to attend Bo Jacks wedding a few years ago, where he married his beautiful wife Kristen, and that night at Disney, guess who went with us….Kristen….I got to third wheel one of there first dates…how special is that. I will include photos of my journeys.
First Photo: In Front of Duncan Cart, located in Downtown Disney, Orlando.
Second Photo: Me and Bo Jack and both of our beautiful wives.
Third Photo: Sebby Brock, Me, Bo Jack, Issac Sams
Second Story is about a person I met on that first visit I had to Nashville, an old man who came to the meet that I got to go to. A gentleman named Abner Jones.
Abner Jones lives in Kentucky, still to this day and I live in Arkansas. Yall, this dude would pick me up and take me to contest. I was young. 20s. Didn’t have money. Abner would constantly go out of his way, to travel two states over, so I could go meet my “heroes” at these contests. I remember traveling from Arkansas to Indiana in 2011 with Abner and telling him just how terrified I was of meeting Takeshi…You know…Takeshi…The Freehand God…The guy who modded yoyos with a fing Antenna. Yeah…The GOAT. Well, Abner remembered ha-ha. And when we walked up to Takeshi, the first thing he said to him was, “Takeshi, this boy wants to kiss you”
I owe Abner so much. He was with me when my father died, and I look at him like a Grandfather that I hope I never lose. When I found G2 I called Abner and told him that I reached my goal of being a professional yoyoer and I could just hear the tears coming down his face and you could hear the pain he felt for both of us with my father not being there with us physically to celebrate.
I have so many more to be honest. Worlds last year was the best yoyo trip I ever took. But I feel I might need to move on now hahaha
How has the community changed since you started? Where do you want it to go?
The Community is the same in a lot of ways, most of the people on top are the same. People do come and go, but they always have.
What I’ve found in the years is that people sometimes have to take breaks, I’ve been guilty of it, but they usually come home.
Our needs as consumers have definitely went up though….I need all the yoyos
If you never picked up a yo-yo – what would things look like now?
I’d probably be a criminal. I picked up a yoyo at 13 years old and I wasn’t on the greatest path. D’s in school…didn’t want to listen to my parents…just making bad decisions.
I think Yo-yoing saved my life.
Advice/ words of wisdom to new players?
Have fun. Grow at your own pace. And don’t stress yourself financially or emotionally to keep up with the jones’
Yo-yos come and go, but our relationships in this community is what keeps us all strong.
Whats you want to tell the world?
To chase your dreams. No matter how big or small, if it brings you happiness, then it is so very important that you chase that with all your being.
Be Nice to people and remember that everyone has ■■■■ going on. Treat people the way you want to be treated.
Also just want to take a second to thank BobParty/Tyler for doing this. It’s a super fun way to get to know our friends even more.
Peace love and Chicken Grease,
Let’s Ride
I love all of you.
Matt Mullins
Player Profiles is a series of articles/interviews dedicated to spotlighting the vibrant and diverse community of yo-yo enthusiasts. Each article delves into the unique stories of players from different backgrounds, showcasing their journeys, skills, and contributions to the yo-yo world. The series aims to highlight the passion and creativity that drive these individuals, offering readers an inside look at their personal experiences, favorite tricks, and the impact yo-yoing has had on their lives. Whether they’re seasoned competitors or inspiring newcomers, these profiles celebrate the people who make the yo-yo community so dynamic and inclusive.
I have bought more throws because of this guy than I like to admit due to the incredible reviews he writes. He’s an incredibly talented player, and all around great guy!
What got you into throwing, how did you find the hobby?
Terraria
If you could only have one yo-yo for the rest of your life what would it be?
Idk probably like a wilderness or something. Some generalist yoyo. Monometal version of the Aggressor would work here I think.
What trick are you working on currently and what is your all time favorite trick?
Currently working on a few tricks, overhauling my zontal combos, working on a btb combo, a Kohei Nishimura triangle as well as one of Junyi’s 7,381,512 triangles
What’s the most meaningful yoyo you have in your collection?
Aggressor, got me to worlds where I was able to meet my yoyo family and form permanent memories that I’ll always cherish.
What’s kind of things are you into outside of yo-yos?
Fashion, Dark Souls, and basically any form of creative media.
What’s your favorite restaurants and order?
In-N-Out, cheeseburger no tomato with onion w/ a sprite and fries
Favorite movie or TV show?
Attack on Titan for the show, Jurassic Park for the movie
If there was one song that you say fits your mood and personality perfectly, what it be?
Not necessarily my favorite song but I’m a sucker for the message of that song lol
What’s your best yo-yo memory?
Worlds 2024, period
What’s your yoyo bad habit?
Not safety throwing before a zontal combo :skull:
If you could wake up tomorrow and have any skill set from another player what would it be?
Ayumu Kasuga’s zoning and energy
What’s the most expensive or rare yoyo you have?
Def the Leaf Proto
If you never found yo-yo what would you be doing instead?
Probably just playing too many video games.
How has the community changed from what it used to be, and where do you think it will end up?
I’ve always been disappointed in how much people generalize and stereotype the competitive scene. I hope people begin to realize that just because something is competitive doesn’t mean it’s “boring” or “stale”. My competitor friends have asked me why the community hates them just for competing and I truly hope this changes.
Advice/ words of wisdom to new players?
Don’t listen to someone if they haven’t posted a trick circle vid.
What you want to tell the world?
Don’t be the asshole pointing out all the flaws of a haunted house after paying 50$ to go into said haunted house. Worry about the flaws after you had fun. Enjoy what you’re taking part in while you’re taking part in it.
Player Profiles is a series of articles/interviews dedicated to spotlighting the vibrant and diverse community of yo-yo enthusiasts. Each article delves into the unique stories of players from different backgrounds, showcasing their journeys, skills, and contributions to the yo-yo world. The series aims to highlight the passion and creativity that drive these individuals, offering readers an inside look at their personal experiences, favorite tricks, and the impact yo-yoing has had on their lives. Whether they’re seasoned competitors or inspiring newcomers, these profiles celebrate the people who make the yo-yo community so dynamic and inclusive.
What got you into throwing, how did you find the hobby?
I think it was during the winter of 04, when a couple of my friends picked up a couple YYF F.A.S.T 201’s after their tour came through Chicago. After playing with one of their’s at recess, I went home and asked my parents to take me to a KB toys to pick up one of my own. I’ve pretty much been yoyoing ever since.
What is your goal in the next year for yourself personal or professional?
I’d really like to make it out more yoyo contests this year. I’ve been pretty disconnected from the wider yoyo community for quite a while now, and I’d like to meet all the new players that have gotten into this community since I’ve been gone.
If you could only have one yo-yo for the rest of your life what would it be?
This is a tough question to answer, it changes all the time. If I had to pick one right now it’d be the mowl Infiltrate Ti. We haven’t released this one yet, but it’s been the yoyo that I pick up every time I want to play for the past year or so.
What trick are you working on currently?
I’m mostly just revisiting older tricks I never finished and figuring out ways to make them feel a bit more modern. That and all the Corocoro tangler variations.
What’s the trick that gives you the hardest time?
Corocoro tangler. I cannot get this trick consistent.
What’s your favorite trick of all time?
All of Daniel Kim’s tricks.
What’s the most meaningful throw you have?
There are 2. The first one would be my Pink Werrd Irony. It was the yoyo I used to make my first worlds finals back in 2011. The second one would be the Unknown x Unparalleled Ignition. Bryan Figueroa is one of my closest friends, and it was super cool finally being able to do a collab with him.
What’s your worst habit with yo-yos?
Not taking out my knots and just changing yoyos.
What’s kind of things are you into outside of yo-yos?
I’m really big into movies. I watch an embarrassing amount of them every year.
What fictional character best fits who you are?
Uhh, I have no idea… Maybe like Uncle Chan from Jackie Chan Adventures.
Favorite restaurant and order?
Ghareeb Nawaz. Chicken Qurma w/ Garlic Naan & side order of Basmati Rice.
Favorite movie and or book?
Favorite movie of all time has to be Reservoir Dogs by Tarantino. I could give a Ted Talk on that movie.
Favorite book is Revolutionary Suicide by Huey P. Newton
If you could wake up tomorrow and magically have the skills from one player who and what would it be?
Daniel Kim. He is the best yoyoer in the world, and it’s not particularly close. His flow is incredible.
What’s your favorite memory from your time in the hobby ?
I’ve been in this hobby for so long that It’s quite hard to pick just one. If I really had to it’d be going to my first 44Clash in 2014. That is a contest I wish every player had the chance to experience.
How has the community changed since you started? Where do you want it to go?
How has the community changed since you started? Where do you want it to go?
It would take forever for me to go into how the community has changed over the past 2 decades, and it would make me sound like a crochety old man. So I’ll just focus on where i’d like the community to grow from here.
I think that there has been a really large influx of younger players in the past couple of years thanks to TikTok/Social Media, and I would really like for our community to focus on helping those kids transition into becoming competitors or more “serious” yoyoers. We always want to see/need newer faces in our competitive scene, otherwise our hobby is going to fade away.
If you never picked up a yo-yo – what would life look like now?
If I never picked up yoyoing, I think my life would be much more boring. I wouldn’t have met some of my closest friends, and would have never gotten the chance to travel all over the world. I probably would have spent all the time grinding away at yoyoing playing League of Legends.
Advice/ words of wisdom to new players?
Learn the fundamentals. It’s boring and looks kinda lame, but learning the basics of yoyoing before you move into more advanced tricks will make learning advanced tricks much easier. It’ll also make your presentation look 1000x better.
*Whats you want to tell the world?
Thanks for being a part of my life for the past 20 years. It’s been an amazing experience being a part of this community and I’m grateful for being accepted by it, but more importantly Daniel Kim is the best yoyoer in the world.
Player Profiles is a series of articles/interviews dedicated to spotlighting the vibrant and diverse community of yo-yo enthusiasts. Each article delves into the unique stories of players from different backgrounds, showcasing their journeys, skills, and contributions to the yo-yo world. The series aims to highlight the passion and creativity that drive these individuals, offering readers an inside look at their personal experiences, favorite tricks, and the impact yo-yoing has had on their lives. Whether they’re seasoned competitors or inspiring newcomers, these profiles celebrate the people who make the yo-yo community so dynamic and inclusive.
