Ben Tafau on Bboying in South Korea | Asia NZ Foundation

Ben Tafau | Picture credit Ben Tafau

In 2010, one of our local bboys, Ben Tafau, visited South Korea on behalf of the Asian New Zealand Foundation and underwent what must have been the meanest research project that has ever existed - researching the South Korean bboy culture. I would take a job like that any day. Jealous.

Stretching for Flexibility | strifetv

People around me have always stressed the importance of stretching before and after practice/training. I always get told this, but if you're like me then you'd respond by eagerly nodding like you just learned something unbeknown to mankind, and still do a half-ass job anyway.

Then today, I finally got the kick I needed. I was told that if I wanted to keep breaking for a long time, I'll need to keep a flexible body or else my muscle fibres are going to snap here and there. Ok, it may not come out so literal and blunt like that, but there's still a point in that.

Biting in Bboying | Aby & Ness

Biting is considered a huge problem in the breaking scene but I think a lot of people misunderstand what ‘biting’ really is. I admit, when I come across a pretty awesome move which I had just seen some bboy do, I’d copy it. I’d copy off videos, copy off youtube, copy off other bboys and bgirls, and people call it a bite. Heck, during practice today I guess I was ‘biting’. There is such a huge stigma surrounding the topic that I find myself feeling guilty simply by trying to learn a particular move. I feel this kind of stigma is necessary, but also needs clarification.

Aby and Ness below enlightened me on this issue, and hopefully they will enlighten you too.

Life in pursuit of Education and Breaking

I really appreciate people who not only take part in the hip hop culture but also invest in developing it and nurturing it. Sometimes, all it takes is to say a few words of wisdom. It’s the concept of Each One Teach One but in our computer age present, this One can mean a whole community. I’m in far-away New Zealand at the bottom of the world, but stumbling across an article from BboySpot, a tweet by Cros1 and a Zeshen interview, the answers to my questions were laid bare before me.

As I near the end  of my degree, my parents had constantly hoped I stop dancing and focus on my career. My parents brought up two good points: first, breaking may just be one of those things I’d grow out of eventually, and second, change is always expected at different phases in life. It’s either stop now, or stop eventually.

I found myself somewhat in a state of crisis. One just doesn't give up what they love especially when they've been doing it for a long time. I talked it out with a friend and consulted others, and they were of huge help, but when it came to processing my thoughts, I still found myself slightly confused.

In A Girl's Mind | My Responses | strifetv

Strifetv had in the past posted a video titled What Goes On in a Girl's Mind When She Sees Bboys Dance. I enjoyed watching what the girls had to say in the video and I feel the need to express my own thoughts too.

But here, check the video first.

The video description said, We decided to interview all the girls who typically sit at jams looking bored, and ask them what they think while watching bboys. I wouldn't have any trouble believing these are really all the girls at the jam.

Hip Hop School of Arts | Pomona, California

Check this video out. A Hip Hop School had just opened and it's quite revolutionary. SO Dopesauce!

For more information, visit their website.

What Grinds My Gears Collection | strifetv

Yesterday I was having a little rant about bgirls not taking their practice seriously. They just jam for the attention and nothing else. Then I remembered a certain video I watched sometime 3 years ago by strifetv called What Grinds my Gears! One of the videos had Nasty Ray complaining about girls not learning anything. These videos are hilarious! Check it.

Nasty Ray | Boogie Brats | Squadron

Roxrite | Bboying is to dance

I consider Roxrite a modern bboy legend. After making this blog and reflecting on a lot of the things I've learned in the past, I realized I have nothing specific considering Roxrite, but I do know that out of all the bboys, I seem to take in the stuff he says a lot more. It's one of those moments, you know, you're listening and registering what's being said, but completely oblivious that the stuff said turns into those things you follow and say to others too from time to time.

So I just had to dig up one of his workshop videos. To me, the concept of dance is the most important. When you read some of my blogs, you'll get the gist that I tend to pick things apart and especially complain when I don't feel the "dance" aspect of bboying. Heh. Here's the vid (he says 'like' like a lot, oops now you're going to notice it too, my bad):

Why they hatin'? | Jay Park | Art Of Movement

That's a question I often wondered. Why are they, other bboys, hating on Jay Park? "Hate" may not be the right word but the crux of the question lies in the fact that Jay Park always seem to attract ridicule from other bboys. So where did it all begin?

Bboy Spot | My Favourite Video

This is probably one of my favourite videos on YouTube. There's nothing amazing or special about it, it's a straight up informative video about the Bboy Spot's new home. But the fact they filmed their headquarters tour during the Outbreak weekend really tugged on my jealousy strings. I pretty much consider some of these bboys as celebrities. I don't scour YouTube for videos to watch, but I do watch some of the ones people recommend to me - and videos which feature some of the bboys in this video always stood out; they never cease to amaze me.