The 2015 R16 World BBoy Championships @ Seoul's Jangchung Gymnasium

Over the years, the R16 World Bboy Championships were held at the Olympic Park in Seoul, which was a bit far for me to travel. I would need about an hour to take the bus and subway to get there.

But luckily for me, this year, they brought it closer - to Jangchung Gymnasium in the Junggu District, which is about ten minutes by bus from where I live! That close!

           (Crowds lining up to enter the 
               Jangchung Gymnasium)

                  (Joonho at the R16 marker)

             (A bboy crew posing inside 
                    the Gymnasium)

In the previous years, these annual bboy championships were always in the calendar of both local and international bboy fanatics in Korea.

The Championships are held over two days. On the first day are the finals for solo competitions for bboy, locking, and popping. And on the second day, it's all about the crews: the best performance and the best in battle.

  (The judges of the crew performance and battles)

                    (Team Korean turned the                                           house...upside down)

In the past championships at the Olympic Park, the organizers included a graffiti alley where famous graffiti artists impressed everyone with their creativity and works of art. I actually looked forward to it, but the R16 organizers told me that, since the Jangchung Gymnasium grounds didn't have enough space, the graffiti attraction was dropped this year.

I watched the crew competitions on the second day, and I was able to bring along two friends with me: Joonho, who wanted to become a bboy, and Eugene, who is a real bboy! If you've heard of Bboy Dynamo from Philadelphia, that's Eugene. 

                  (Lock N' Crew's showcase                                                   performance)

Before battling each other, the eight teams from Korea, USA, Russia, Taiwan, Netherlands, Kazakhstan, China, and Australia impressed the crowds with their showcase performance, which were judged. 

As always, the competition electrified the Jangchung Gymnasium with those incredible moves, dislocating stunts and flips that temporarily defied gravity. But in the end, there could only be one champion crew. 

                  (And the winner is....)

                   (...Team Russia!)

Team Russia won the final battle against Team USA, while Team Korea won the best performance. I think Team Russia's victory over the closest rival team would have made Vladimir proud. :-)

Although only Team Russia and Team Korea brought home the winners' checks that night, the bboy culture in Korea in particular, and the bboy generation all over the world in general were also the winners that night.

So, thanks again to R16 and to the Korea Tourism Organization for another round of crazy, electrifying and memorable bboy performances and battles! Joonho and Eugene had a fun time watching the championships here in Seoul. Eugene even had a chance to say 'hi' to DJ Skeme Richards, one of the guest DJs, who's also from Philly.

Next year, I hope you hold the Championships again here in my neighborhood because this year was, to use ghetto-speak, dope! 

The 2014 K-Performance Supporters Get-Together: A KaBOOM Of A Party!

Last year, during the get-together party of the 2013 K-Performance Supporters in Gangnam, the noisy guys from the North were on full blast in their provocations against South Korea, which actually scared only the people who lived outside the peninsula. Well, that's what happened when you watch those international news channels who exaggerated their reporting, making it sound like everyone in Seoul was running scared or was rushing to the Incheon International Airport to catch a flight out.

                                (VIPS' salad buffet)

We, who live in Korea, are used to these 'all-bark, no-bite' press releases from the North, and just like the rest of party-going people in Seoul, the K-Performance Supporters also ignored those provocations and went on with the party!  Yes, in 2013, the first get-together for the K-Performance Supporters was a buffet-dinner and a k-pop concert kind of party!

                        (Top bloggers of the 2nd Batch)

This year, for the 3rd batch, there were no more provocations from North Korea, only rain clouds and a drizzle that greeted the 2014 K-Performance Supporters as they assembled for the first time at the VIPS restaurant in the Jongno District in Seoul. 

This is my third year as a K-Performance Supporter (KPS). I remember in 2012, the first year, the members staged a flashmob in the middle of Insa-dong, and it was fun covering it for the blog.

                                  (The 2014 K-Performance Supporters)

In 2013, the Supporters had a trip to Pyeongchang County to watch the 2013 Special Winter Olympics at Alpensia Ski Resort and to enjoy a Snow Music Festival's K-pop concert at the Hanwha Resort.

And for the 2014 KPSs, the campaign started with a bang! Literally!

After the hearty buffet dinner at VIPS (I especially liked the tomato soup, frozen mangoes and pasta!), a short program inside the theater at the 4th floor of Cinecore Building in the Jongno District was held to welcome the third batch and to give recognition to the second batch's top bloggers, yours truly included (ehem!). After which, we all quieted down to watch KaBOOM!, a variety show directed by Kolleen Park.

                     (The Morning of Owl b-boy crew)

    (Morning of Owl with some K-Performance Supporters)

This show's slogan is actually 'que sera sera', Spanish for 'what will be will be', meaning, the audience would just be surprised with the performances in the show, doing away with a storyline popular with other non-verbal performances in Seoul. Four groups of performers complete the whole show: Magic Trunk, Va Va Voom, Morning of Owl and Performance in the Darkness (PID).

I especially liked Magic Trunk's sequence where the magician conjured water out of his assistant's plucking of a gayageum, and that trick where his assistant changed dresses in a nano-second by hiding behind his cape. I wonder if she bought those dresses at Dongdaemun nearby?

Va Va Voom's numbers were mostly gayageum-plucking, buk-drumming and pansori-ish singing and rapping with occasional head throws and dancing around the stage in shorts.

PID was all about glow-in-the-dark spectacle which I think would be a hit during Halloween, especially if they were wearing scary costumes. But tonight, these five performers were in their Transformers get-up, wowing everyone with precise movements that were synchronized with the colored, LED lights plastered on their costumes. While they were performing, I was able to tell that they were not an all-male ensemble, as the movements of a couple were a little bit 'soft'. But boy did they bring the house down! Clearly, they are the best act of the night! The lasers and lights playing in the dark, coupled with the Transformers theme synchronized with the music were all perfect ingredients on how to grab the audience's attention.

And the Morning Of Owl? Well, everyone would have been blown away if Bboy Pocket was there tonight. Unfortunately, it was his night off. Bboy Pocket is I think the bboy who can execute a Thomas Flair for the longest time.

These bboys are actually the current R16 world b-boy crew champions. I first saw them last year at the R16 Korea World  B-Boy Masters Championships at Olympic Park, where they battled and defeated b-boy crews from around the world. And tonight, just as everyone else, I enjoyed again their number where they threw those white confetti in the end. This number was their 'showcase performance' at the world championships which also brought down the Olympic stadium down that time. Figuratively speaking, of course. 

After the show, I had to ask the KaBOOM! staff whether Morning of Owl was dropping by the lobby. I had to say 'hi' to Bboy Birdie, whom I knew since the championships. Luckily, the staff was able to catch them before they left the building, and everyone who was still in the lobby was able to have photos with them.

KaBOOM! is indeed a different kind of show. As its brochure says, 'Forget about the stories'. It's a variety show of four acts with each act a performance of its own. No more wondering about a story during the show. Just let yourself be entertained by magic, modernized Korean traditional music, gravity-defying, shoulder-dislocating moves, and synchronized lasers and lights dancing in the dark.

So, thanks again to the Korea Tourism Organization's International Events Team, who organized the first get-together. Everyone truly enjoyed the dinner and the show!

Here's to another year of a successful campaign for Korean performances! 

At A Corner In Itaewon: A B-Boy Battle And Free Sketching!

I have always said that the most relaxing weekends are not spent at home; they're spent....in bed. Ha-ha-ha!

But this weekend, I didn't want to relax at home. I wanted to get some autumn sun on my face and some autumn fun on the streets. And I didn't have to walk that far to find it.

Right at the entrance of Itaewon, next to the Noksapyeong Station, I joined a crowd gathered at the Itaewon Square watching a b-boy battle. This year, I have already watched two b-boy events: one was a free style competition at the KTO headquarters, and the other was the 2013 World Bboy Masters Championships at the Olympic Park. And this third one is just right in my neighborhood.

That autumn afternoon, as I sat there among the Itaewon crowd consisting of locals, expats and a few international tourists, these Korean b-boys reminded me again that they are a league above those dancing k-pop boy bands. These b-boys got rhythm and moves, which those manufactured celebrities try to copy all the time. Their moves always amaze me as some of them seemed to defy the laws of physics, as well as physicality.

Other than the battles, everyone was treated to a guest performance of Gorilla Crew, a popular Korean b-boy crew. I remember I saw them perform early this year at the K-Performance Supporters' welcome dinner and k-pop concert in Gangnam. 

I guess the battles would have been fiercer if the stage was a little bit wider. There just wasn't enough space up there. I would suggest to the organizers of the Itaewon Weekend Festival to lengthen it by a couple meters so the b-boys wouldn't hit the judges sitting on the stage while they spin, twirl, back-flip, handstand, pop and lock.

After watching those bboy competitions early this year, I recognize a few bboys in the competition, who may not be as popular at the Jinjo Crew and Morning of Owl, former champions of the World B-boy Masters Championships. But just the same, these guys are good at what they do. You can even throw in b-girls as there were a couple on the stage competing that afternoon.

And while the battles were going on, a couple of lady artists were at the Itaewon Square giving free sketching to everyone. They would draw your face on a t-shirt as you spend a few minutes sitting down before them. I think everyone in the area passing by got interested in what they could do as there was a long line that afternoon. I wonder if they ran out of t-shirts.

I was glad I was able to separate myself from my comfortable bed this weekend. Ha-ha-ha! Although I already had fun playing tennis in the morning, watching the b-boy battles and having myself sketched were just a continuation of fun I was looking for.

The girls doing the sketching told me that their 'event' will continue until November 2, next Saturday. I wonder if I show up there wearing a halloween costume, they would still sketch me? Ha-ha-ha!

With the autumn temperatures getting colder as each week passes, it's getting more difficult for me to get out of my bed, or just even get out of my room. I just feel lazy heading out into the chilly outdoors, although I have a feeling that I'm not the only feeling that way these days, and I will need more than just b-boy battles and free sketching to draw me out of my house. Ha-ha-ha!

But I guess I should think like these b-boys and b-girls who came to Itaewon to compete and had fun while doing it. They simply just wanted to enjoy their weekends as well! So, next time I feel like I am super-glued into my bed, I will always try to remember that somewhere out there, beneath the cool autumn sun, someone's having fun! And I should do, too!

                           (The b-boy battle winners!)

2011 R16 Korea: The Masters Show 'Em How!

Neither the summer heat nor the monsoon rains could keep the fans away from the R16 World B-Boy Masters Championships held in Seoul last July 2 and 3.

After all, everyone knew the masters were all going to be in the house!

It was my second time to watch the b-boy championships in Korea. In 2010, I got a free ticket from the Korea National Tourism Organization. This time, thanks to Sunny Lee of R16, I was able to get a press pass and an R16 tee!

The championships actually started in the evening of both days, but the local and international fans converged in the early afternoon around the Olympic Hall to secure their seats and  to check out the shops along the street market (especially the model standing next to the red hot F1 car!).  The huddling crowd around the venue already looked excited even before the gates opened!

The graffiti competition next to the street market, which added a very colorful visual dimension to the championships, also added to the excitement that was building up!

And then, the competition began!

The fans were screaming and cheering every time a b-boy or a crew came out onstage, and as expected, with their home-crowd advantage, the Korean b-boys got even louder cheers, which erupted every time they came out.

I am not familiar with the technicalities of breakdancing.  I even get confused between locking and popping; that, even after the judges for both categories danced and showed everyone the real popping and locking, sort of a pre-competition  seminar onstage for  breakdancing ignoramuses like me. Ha-ha-ha!  Perhaps, I should request Popping Pete, Bruce, Crazy Kyo, P Lock, Tony Go Go and Woong to do it again the next time I get confused.

And as quickly as these b-boys span onstage, the judging was quick as well! With the judges actually sitting onstage and deciding on the spot, and with the scores under the R16 O.U.R. (Objective, Unified, Real-time) judging system being flashed on the giant screens, the competitors and the fans immediately knew who was moving on to the next round, or in case it was the finals,….who the 2011 champion was!

As I expected, the championships were totally electrifying as it was more than just a showcase of b-boys performing their impossible moves for the fans to the music of international DJs Skeme Richards, Light, Batsu, Wreckx and Warsaw Band. After all, it was the Olympics of breakdancing, where the winners of b-boy competitions from Korea, Southeast Asia, Japan, China, Taiwan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, US, Venezuela, Germany, Russia and France competed against each other here in Seoul! Oui, les b-boys français étaient ici! (I hope I got that right, or my French teacher will kill me!)

In the 1970s, breakdancing started on the streets. Now, it’s an international competition with its own recognized culture, stars, judging system and masters!

I guess the who’s who of the b-boy world were all in the house that night, and they may have added a few more names like Taisuke, Moon, Dokyun and my favorite crew, Jinjo Crew. These guys are the 2011 R-16 Korea champions, who, along with all the competitors, impressed me and the rest of the fans with their shoulder-dislocating one-hand spins, contortions-in-air freezes, not-for-the-flatfooted footwork and spinning-on-my-head-till-the-audience-get-dizzy revolutions!

These b-boys have added a new twist to Newton’s Law of Gravity: What goes up…must twirl, whirl, spin and turn…before coming down. Ha-ha-ha!

Jinjo Crew’s jacket-routine was very creative, earning deafening cheers from the crowd. They are, by the way, last year's champions, too.

And France’s Vagabond Crew almost made it. They, too, were très créateur et magnifique. Bonne chance next time, mes amis!

As if those b-boy performances were not enough, Tiger JK, Jay Park, Beatbox Korean FX provided more electricity with their rapping and jamming.  I was particularly surprised with one rapper who had a Philippine flag dangling from his right-side pocket. I later found out it was Roscoe Umali, a Filipino-American rapper based in Los Angeles. 

It’s good to see that the Korean government, through the Korea National Tourism Organization, has lent support to the R16 Korea Championships. In a way, this helps to bring the b-boy culture to the mainstream, into a bigger arena, where more people and fans are able to appreciate, enjoy and most of all, learn about the b-boy culture.

As I made my way home after the last night of competitions, on the platform waiting for the train at the Olympic Park Station, I saw the Korean b-boy, Pocket, the diminutive middle-school teen who impressed everyone at the solo b-boy competition. I told him that his flairs were really impressive, especially with that t-shirt routine! He told me he still had classes at 8 the next morning. That was why he was hurrying home that Sunday night.

Me? I wasn’t really in a hurry to go home that night. It was past 10PM and I still had an hour of subway traveling to go. But the energy of the competition was still invigorating, like it was on the other fans who, too, were waiting for the train.

The 2011 R16 Korea Championships are now over, but I, along with the rest of legion, look forward to 2012.

But in the meantime, I’m sure the current champions are already stepping up their moves so they can defend their titles next year, while those who didn’t make it must be preparing for the next battle.

And the fans? Well, we can always visit youtube.com and watch those uploaded videos again and again, and see how, on those two nights, the masters showed everyone how it’s done.