Battle Tips

Battle Tip

Battle Tip,
Heres a new video I posted where I cover a subject that I go over in my workshops about understanding bboy battles. The purpose of this video is to give my input on the way I understand battles. From my experience, watching and judging battles it is clear that not many battles are no longer real battles but rather performances. Battling someone is like having a conversation with dance, you keep building off of the topics you are having. Some battles dont make sense sometimes because none of the same vocabulary is being shown by one another. So I really hope you enjoy this video and if you have any questions drop a comment.

NOTE: Not everyone battles this way just putting that out there. There is a good amount of bboys that understand and do what I am talking about so I am not attacking no one.

Pz
Rox

Guatemalan Experience..

This last October I got to visit Guatemala for a special project revolving around dance and Mayan Culture. It became an experience that can never be forgotten. Lil G and myself went from Guatemala city to Lago Atitlan to teach bboyn. Along the way we got to do a Mayan ritual and got to meet their spiritual leader. He was fulfilled with knowledge and experience. The whole journey was documented by a non profit channel called Comal TV.
The workshops were great, just interacting with the bboys out there was eye opening. It reminded me the power Hip Hop has on youth and the under privilege. Living somewhere where Hip Hop is widely accepted and lived by so many. I feel that sometimes it is taken for granted with all the whining. These kids live this to better themselves and have a way out from a tough environment. Really humbling experience and a wake up to not ever forget the impact this art form and culture has had on our lives!

Enjoy the clip

pz
Rox

The Aftermath..


Back from Brazil after a great week of experiences. This year going into the BC one as the defending champion was a whole new challenge. It is different when no one expects much from you compared to when all eyes are on you. Knowing that this was going to be a challenge, I chose to rise to the occasion. Unfortunately the results werent what I was striving for. As everything started happening I realized my preparation was not enough, more time was necessary. The more comfortable and natural you feel going into a battle like this the better you will perform when the pressure is on.

For everyone asking on how I feel about my battles, here is my answer.

In my first battle i felt I stuck to my game plan and came out on top. The heat in the buidling was nothing like ive ever felt before in battle. I have battled in some of the hottest places but this was the new record. Not only did I have a new battle at hand, the over opiniated crowd was there to let you know that you should of lost to whatever they liked.(funny) Obviously that has no impact in my personal performance but it can affect your feel for the battle.
Walking to the back stage to cool down and prepare for the 2nd round was my next step. Going into the battle with Differ I knew I had an experienced battler in front of me. All I had in mind was to come out and attack hime with some of my own moves. He responded well and executed. As the battle was happening I could not pin point what I wanted to use against him. A personal error on my behalf, usually things click faster. After it was all said and done the judges raised their cards. To my eyes a 4-1 vote in his favor was the result. Do I agree? Sure, I can see why the battle was given to him. Its not about sitting here an complaining who voted for who. If anything I feel that I beat myself by not being as prepared as I wanted to be. Under the circumstances that happened I found ways to work around them. In the end it proved to not have been enough. I will say that after loosing at this years BC One I feel the fire and hunger to come back harder. Always learn from my loses just like one learns from our mistakes.

Getting back on your feet after failing at something is what defines you as a champion. Never giving up!

PZ
Rox

Catch the Flava Camp Highlight

This last summer right before Outbreak, Polskee Flavor and The BBoyspot Europe got together. They put on a week long camp with some of the illest teachers in the scene. Ken Swift, Ivan, Freeze, and Kazuhiro! The video looks great. It is a great opportunity for bboys and bgirls. It is a step forward in our scene a bbooy camp put together by… BBoys!

Peace
Rox

Research Your Music

Good little interview with Kenny on StrifeTV. It was a good topic and good to hear Kenny’s views on some of the stuff that was covered.
I like what he mentioned about slow music. In my workshop I talk about defining your steps when you dance. Developing some stuff to slower music will make it look more natural when your having to move so fast.

peace
Rox

Ingredientz of Flava Vol.2

Check out the new mixtape by Lean Rock and B-Ryan! Super fresh gotta love all the stuff being put out by these guys. Lean is one of my top 3 favorite DJ’s to hear in our scene!

Enjoy

Inspiration of the week

This week has been a hard week of training. Having had some issues with my back earlier in the week, it was useful to go back to what inspired me in my early years.
The 96′ BBoy Summit has got to go down as one of my top 5 most influential tapes in bboyn. The battle that took place at this event between an up and coming Style Elements Crew vs The Iconic Rock Steady Crew was a battle that changed my approach to developing my dance. The way Kenny, Flow, Wiggles, Easy Roc and the rest of the RSC members showed a bboy style that was years ahead of its time while sticking to the traditional way of breakin. While Style Elements represented a new approach in the way they used moves and movement. To me this is where Remind caught my eye. I looked at it like who is that guy? He was hungry and just didnt stop going out round after round. Showed me that you had to have mad rounds to go after someone like Flow or Kenny who to me were and are legends in this dance.

Its a shame I didnt witness this in person.

So inspiring! Always nothing but respects to those that came before me and specially the guys in this video!

Peace
Rox

Influential memories..

This footage was a really influential piece to many of the bboys that started bboyn in the early 90′s. The first time I watched this tape was in 96. At this point in my breaking I had no idea that all these guys still got down. Form watching on Beat Street to watching them on here was inspiring. It let me know that it wasnt a hobby but a real passion for people!
Thanks for the inspiration!

Shout out to the cats in the video.
Wigglez, Crazy Legs, Ken Swift, Fable, Zulu Gremlin!
Respects

Rox