Best of the best: The 16 finalists of the Red Bull BC One world final having a little cypher at Seoul’s Gyeongbok Palace ahead of the competition. Showing his moves in the middle is b-boy RoxRite, who has won more solo competition than any b-boy in the world

By IAN YEE
alltherage@thestar.com.my

IT was the ultimate b-boy battle, 10 years in the making.

The world’s best b-boys had gathered from around the world – big names like Lilou, RoxRite, Hong 10 and Taisuke – at Seoul, Korea, the new mecca of b-boying, and it was going to be an epic showcase of hip-hop dance culture.

We’re talking about the 2013 Red Bull BC One World Final, the tenth edition of the global b-boy competition, which promised to be the biggest one to date. R.AGE was right there at the Jamsil Arena to take it all in, alongside over five thousand other people in the sold out venue, and the countless others watching the live stream online.

Sixteen b-boys, including all eight past BC One winners, battled it out for the landmark title in a gruelling one-on-one battle, knockout format.

The finalists were selected from local and regional Red Bull BC One Cyphers around the world (Malaysia’s own b-boy Khenobu made it to the Asian finals in Japan), and it was just an insane demonstration of athleticism, acrobatics, musicality and poetry in motion. Like seriously, you have to see it to believe it. We’ve covered the Red Bull BC One Cypher in Malaysia, so we thought we knew what to expect. This was on a whole different planet.

The match-ups alone would make b-boy fans go crazy – Lilou (the only two-time champion, from France) vs Taisuke (Japan) in the first round was epic, Gravity (USA) vs Mounir (France) in the quarterfinals was amazing too, and the all-Korean semifinal between Hong 10 and Wing was obviously a huge battle. Bear in mind, these b-boys are so popular, some of them had TV crews from their home countries following them to Seoul to document their journey to the world final.

In the end, it was Hong 10 who came up tops after an intense battle with Mounir. It wasn’t just a battle of big power moves (athletic, acrobatic moves, of which there were plenty), but also of style, grace and immense technicality. Hong 10, in particular, delivered the goods with a few signature freeze holds that had the partisan crowd roaring.

Hong10 and Lil Zoo (from Morocco) trying to psych each other out during their battle.

Despite the stare-downs, smack talk and showing off during the battles, the mutual respect among the finalists was clear to see once the battles ended. When the fourth judge gave his vote to Hong 10 to give him an unassailable lead over Mounir, the rest rushed the stage to congratulate him and lift him above their shoulders.

“I can’t explain how happy and shocked I am that I won, especially this 10th anniversary year,” said Hong 10, real name Kim Hong-Yeol (10 in Korean sounds similar to “Yeol”), during the winner’s press conference.

“To be level with Lilou (on two BC One titles) is amazing. I have a lot of respect for him and can proudly say that I’m also a two-time Red Bull BC One champion.”

Despite his larger-than-life moves in battle, Hong 10 proved to be a man of very few words during an interview with R.AGE the day before the final.

The only thing he spoke at length about was the importance of hard work.

When asked for his advice for Malaysian b-boys, he said: “The most important thing is just practising and working hard. You can help yourself by putting more thought into your moves, but it’s more important to just try them first. If you do that, and you work hard, it gives you a chance to get better,” said Hong 10.

Breaking has sure come a long way since it was born on the streets of New York City back in the 70s as one of the pillars of hip hop, but the tenth anniversary of Red Bull BC One still represents a huge milestone for the ever-growing culture, which is one of art, athleticism, and mutual respect.

Having said that, you can bet
the likes of Mounir, Lilou, Wing, Gravity and co. will be working harder than ever to knock Hong
10 out next year.

Frenchman Lilou, one of the biggest stars on the international b-boy scene, is a two-time BC One world champion.

One-on-one at BC One

The best bits from our interviews with the stars of the 2013 Red Bull BC One world final.

“I don’t really know about the Malaysian b-boy scene, but in Korea, we try many different styles to create our own Korean style. We try to mix in traditional Korean elements like Tae Kwan Do. So for Malaysians, they should try to mix their own cultures in their art as well.” — Hong 10, two-time Red Bull BC One world champion.

“Sometimes there’s a bit of doubt. You see the talent that’s here (at BC One), and it’s amazing. I’ve been here five times now, and every time it’s like damn, I get intimidated. But I tell myself just do what you do best. Stick to your guns, don’t force anything that’s not you, and do your best.” — RoxRite, holder of 82 solo b-boy titles.

“B-boying completely changed my life. It’s something I continuously stay passionate about. Now that I’m older, it’s not so much about me and the competition, but about paying it forward and just continuing this movement, this hip-hop culture.” — Ronnie, 2007 Red Bull BC One world champion.

“I don’t really know about the Malaysian b-boy scene, but in Korea, we try many different styles to create our own Korean style. We try to mix in traditional Korean elements like Tae Kwan Do. So for Malaysians, they should try to mix their own cultures in their art as well.” — Omar, the first ever Red Bull BC One champion in 2004.

B-boy terminology

Not sure what b-boying is all about? Here’s what you need to know.

For starters, don’t call it “breakdancing”. The correct term is b-boying, or breaking, as it originally was back in the 1970s on the streets of Brooklyn, New York. Breakdancing was just a term mistakenly coined by the media, that unfortunately happened to stick. Fans of hip-hop culture, however, will always remember it as b-boying or breaking.
Now here are some other terms in b-boying you should know:

Cypher
An informal gathering where people gather around a circle while b-boys or b-girls take turns showing off their moves in the middle of the circle.

Biting
The act of copying someone else’s moves. When you catch an opponent biting during a battle, you can call him on it by doing the “biting sign” – clench your fists, put your arms across your chest and bring your forearms together in a “biting” motion. It’s considered a serious accusation and insult, so you’d better be sure that person is biting before you do the sign.

Basic moves

Mounir performing a freeze.

Freezes
A move where you just freeze all body movements, usually in some awesome, gravity-defying position.

Power moves
Big, athletic and acrobatic moves that require lots of physical power. Crowd-pleasers, but not the be all and end all of b-boying.

Toprocks
Moves performed while in a standing position. An essential element in b-boying, especially to showcase style and musicality. Often used at the start of a battle.

Downrocks
Covers all footwork, but most commonly refers to moves performed while the b-boy or b-girl’s hands are on the ground. The “6 step” is one of the basic downrock moves all breakers should know. You’ll recognise it when you see it.

Threading
Intricate moves where the breaker creates “hoops” by joining his/her limbs, and threads those hoops with his/her other limbs.

* Log on to the R.AGE YouTube channel (youtube.com/RageOnlineTV) to watch our video from the Red Bull BC One World Final.