Breaking in Korea: Part 2

Ah! Remember my entry earlier about how giddy and energetic I get after watching a b-boy competition? Well, I did, but maybe not in those exact words.

I am still on a high from watching a great show in the Sinsa/Apgujeong area.

First, my friend Paul told me about it a few weeks ago, so I invited a few other people (who didn't/couldn't come with me). In the end, I think Paul, Ruth (his wife and also a friend of mine), Karen (another friend of mine) and Shauna (another friend) ended up going. I saw them there, but the competition was in the T.I.P.'s studio, so it was not only tight and crowded, but absolutely sweaty with human body heat. For a good amount of time, I regretted wearing a sweater out into the cold winter night.

It was so crowded, in fact, that I had no way of finding my friends, so I ended up finding a place to stand almost opposite of the official film camera. This means I'm probably going to end up showing up on someone else's video acting really goofy, as I usually do. See if you can spot me in this video:



Back to tonight, however... I came a bit late, but the best stuff is usually toward the end. The competition or battle was the kind I like; we sat and stood around the competitors, creating a circle or a cypher. I got there after 6:30 pm and after the preliminaries, people got up to go take a break and after the cut was made, many crews left to go home.

One of my favorite b-boys, as of now, is B-boy Differ, who I got to see at Circle Prinz Korea back in September. He was a judge this time, so I didn't get to see him dance, which was a shame. He's a part of the famous T.I.P. Crew and also the newer Seven Commandos Crew:



Seeing him in person is a much more awe inspiring experience than watching it on YouTube. He's always smiling and just looks and moves like he's absolutely enjoying himself - all the while throwing himself around the floor in such precise craziness.

So many people moving and leaving not only let the air cool a bit, but also left me with a better seat. My friends called and texted me to let me know they were leaving, but I decided to stay... after all, the best was yet to come.

That was when I realized that sitting nearby (meaning ... right next to) me was B-boy Taiyo from Last for One...!



The thing that really made me a fan of his was this:



I just really respect such a positive and friendly attitude. And it doesn't hurt that he comes off as absolutely adorable.

Well... I just pretended I didn't care at first... because I'm sort of shy. But then I realized that I could introduce myself and get a picture... and that wouldn't hurt me in the least. After all, I already know he's rather friendly - so he probably won't oppose one.

While I was mulling it over, I saw Benson Lee, director of "Planet B-boy", standing on the other side of the room, near the cameras. I was caught off guard and kept staring at him to make sure I wasn't seeing things. Amazingly, I was in a room with so many talented people I'd love to shake hands with; it was crazy.

Meanwhile, I met a girl who Paul and introduced to me back in September. She looks almost like Yoon Eun Hye, from Coffee Prince. I forget her name, but she's very friendly. She pointed out a couple b-boys she liked and filmed (along with me) the awesome b-girls with t-shirts with "Run DMZ" competing. I assumed that "Run DMZ" or "DMZ" is their crew name, but I'm not sure. They got very far. Generally, there aren't that many b-girls that make it very far in battles, so it's really nice when I get to see it happen. Plus, I really liked their crew name, if it is really is their name. I think it's clever. :3

Then, right before we took another break, I just said, "Taiyo...? Could I take a picture with you?" He smiled and said something like, "No problem" or "Of course." I was actually impressed with how much his English had improved from the filming of "Planet B-boy." I took a picture, but the flash was on. We both looked a the photo and he looked at me and asked, "Do you want another one?" I answered, "Yes. This time, without the flash." I started getting nervous at that point, so I could see my hands were trembling a little, but not enough that someone else might notice (I hope). I took another one (or two). We looked the picture again and he nodded, "Oh~ That's a nice one." I nodded back. "Thank you." "No problem."

Then, as I tried to take a picture of Benson Lee from where I was seated, my battery ran out.

The final battle was between Gamblerz and Floor Gangz.

Here's a video of Gamblerz:


And here's a video of Floor Gangz:

Floor Gangz

Cee Roc | MySpace Video

They had a draw at least twice, but I left before they had their second tie-breaker because it was almost midnight and I needed to get home, unwind, and get some rest so I can teach in the morning. Also, the b-boys were spent and they had given their best already. They were trying - and their moves were still great, but they were hurting with every move, so ... there was really nothing better to see at that point. It doesn't really really matter to me who wins officially. And personally, I did think it was a draw, so both of them were winners of the competition in my book.

Then I came home, alone, with no friends to happily express my giddiness. So I wrote this entry.

I'll be posting pictures later.