BreakDance Decoded

(This post was originally published on breakdancedecoded.com)

Chapter 1

Understanding the Language of Bboying: Terminology

Before we even begin on what to learn in bboying, you need to be part of the culture.

Do you know what is the easiest way to be part of a culture?

Learning the terms and vocabulary.

Being able to identify yourself as a bboy, and use the correct language at the right time welcomes you to the family of hip hop. After going through the resources below, you’ll be able to hi-5 any bboy and communicate with them in bboy lingo.

Bboy Sign Language: A Guide to Battle Gestures

Guide to the 25 Most Popular Powermoves And Their Names

Break Terminology 101

It’s Breakin, not Bboying/Bgirling

List of All Hip Hop Terms

Concept of Biting

(This post was originally published on breakdancedecoded.com)

You are confused right?

You watched a few videos of those athletic guys busting out moves after moves on YouTube — and you’re all fired up now.

You really, really want to pick up this dance known as bboying. You want to learn how to bboy.

The problem?

You don’t even know where to start.

A quick search on YouTube gave you hundreds of tutorials and playlists.

But you’re a complete beginner.

Where should you begin? What should you start with? What do you need to prepare before you begin learning?

Are you even strong enough?

Questions, questions, questions.

You see…

I have received questions like these countless of times. And despite being asked so many times, there was no definitive resource I could point someone to to kickstart their bboy journey.

Until now.

I’ve put together a complete beginner’s guide (broken down into multiple sections) that will guide you EXACTLY on how to start.

It is what I call the “Ultimate List of Bboying Tutorials”. It contains every resource or tutorial that I think is good enough to teach you the basics of breaking.

After going through all these tutorials, you can pat your back, start practicing, start creating and becoming good.

(This post was originally published on breakdancedecoded.com)

Step 1: Determining your goal

A good goal should not be a lofty ideal. Nor should it be completely unattainable given your current standards.

You need to have some foundation before you want to attempt to learn and master a move.

For instance, if you want headspins, you got to have at least a decent headstand foundation. Be able to headstand with great control, or even balance without using your hands.

Why?

Think of learning moves as a flight of stairs. It is easier to get to the 3rd step from the 2nd step than the 1st. A stable headstand is the foundation and first step (literally) to learning a headspin.

That’s how foundation can be built upon to develop your moves. Like placing each brick on a brick wall with care. From the bottom to the top of the brick wall.

That’s how you can progress. By taking action one step at a time.

And how can you determine if it’s actionable?

You ought to be able to act on it.

And how should you act on it?

That’s where your goal has to be specific. Compare the two goals below:

“I want dope headspins in 2016.”

AND

“I shall attain 3 rounds of headspins by end of April 2016 by practicing it 3x a week for 30 attempts a session.”

Which sounds more planned out and easier to follow?

The answer is obvious. The latter goal is vivid, the former goal is vague. You have an easier to time to follow through with a more vivid and concrete goal (which helps formulate your training plan).

Hence specificity is key.

The latter goal is also something you can act on. The former goal doesn’t give a trace of a hint as to how a bboy can train. Hence you need actionability.

For an in-depth explanation of these two ideas, do refer to Chapter 3 of the Long-Ass Bboy Guide.

Step 2: Process of achieving goals

Here’s where the actual process of training comes in. The goal here is to train your new move into a move that you can pull off anytime you need.

In more concrete terms, your process should take you to the level of transiting in and out of the move 10/10 times. No crashing. And this involves training muscle memory from the conscious to the subconscious.

Step 2A:

You have to train toward your goal every practice. How frequent you practice will determine the rate of achieving your goal. But this does not mean training everyday guarantees the fastest speed.

If you’re training thrice a week, dedicate 3 time slots in that week (once a session) to the goal. And this brings us to…

Step 2B:

Within the training, you need to set specific time aside to train toward that particular goal. If need be, set about 30 minutes to 1 hour for just one particular move that you’re working toward. Otherwise, if you prefer to take it slower or be more hardcore, adjust the time spent according to your preference.

What I’d advise here is to be FOCUSED during training. That means no cellphone, no excessive breaks (e.g. 15 minutes of doing nothing!), no chit chat. If you break any of these rules, start over again.

It’s not just how many minutes you train, but whether you can make those minutes count.

Got that?

Step 2C:

Record yourself on camera, or get a friend to spot your moves. This process will train your eye for self-awareness from spotting mistakes, while expanding your grasp of the move in your head.

Step 2D:

Rinse and repeat the smart way of drilling (2A to 2C). This is the cycle of training you should look forward to over the next few months.

Step 3: Following up on your goals

Step 3A: What would happen to you if you do not achieve the goal

You must prepare for the possible fact that despite all your smart training, you may not achieve your goal. There’s a thousand and one possibilities as to why people don’t achieve goals despite following the path taken by success stories.

In breaking, accept that different bodies have different strengths and weaknesses. And some weaknesses are harder to compensate for.

It could even be the case that some training methods don’t suit you best.

Some people are also better at learning stuff subconsciously (so a conscious way of training could even pull them down — BUT these are exceptionally rare people).

Your reason for not accomplishing the goal you set does not matter as much as what you would do next. Perhaps your reason for not achieving the goal is as simple as not drilling often enough. Then find a way to increase that frequency.

Maybe drop by your local training spot after school or work every 3 days a week for half an hour. Or even pay your friend $10 every time you slack in your training (or when you skip it). That should give you an incentive to follow through.

Step 3B: What would you do if you achieved your goal

What would you do?

If you’ve got the momentum for learning, don’t stop at that level. Keep pushing your learning rate, exploit your current strength of being able to do that new move.

The next logical step here is to take your current goal and step it up. If you can do a windmill fast and clean, try learning barrel mills. If you can enter a baby freeze from 3 different methods, exit from those 3 same methods as well.

And when it comes to your attitude toward training…

Whether you achieve your goals or not, be happy, but not content. While I want you to be at your best in breaking, I also want you to enjoy the process of breaking and actually achieving your breaking goals.

(This post was originally published on breakdancedecoded.com)

So the New Year celebrations have passed. It’s the middle of January (or whenever you’re reading this). This was finally going to be the year you change for real…

Yet your newfound resolutions suddenly don’t seem as important to you, do they?

And we have all been there at one point.

“OMG, I’m totally going to lose weight this year.” or “I want to get a six-pack for summer!” or even “Bros, I’m definitely gonna get 10 clean flares for the upcoming jam. Just watch me.”

Yes, I’ve watched enough people say that and give up. We almost never see it through.

A goal becomes useless whenever you don’t have a plan.

A goal is even more useless on its own if it is something you can’t set a plan for.

So, the question I ultimately try to answer here is,

How can you set a good goal AND ensure you achieve them… Specifically for breaking?

There Is A Method For Goal Setting, IF You Are Cut Out For It…

I’ve my own way of helping people learn.

But.

Before you continue, answer the following three questions:

Am I here just because I want to set a goal for fun?

Am I willing to put in the effort needed to be where I need to be?

Will I quit after 3 tries, 3 practices, and possibly even 3 months?

If your answers are NO, YES and NO respectively, then you should read on.

Otherwise, I’d suggest you take the time to re-evaluate why you want to break (and I mean this as a neutral comment, I’m not telling people to go **** themselves).

What To Expect In This Guide

This post focuses on how to plan your goals and execute a training plan toward them.

I’m telling you how to achieve the moves you set out to do. And the system leans toward the athletic aspects of achieving your goals. Why so?

In breaking, there’s an athletic component as well as the creative component. And while they’re generally separate aspects, they’re not mutually exclusive.

In fact, they do influence each other. When you have a higher level of athleticism, you open more doors for your creative juices to flow out (e.g. better strength gives you more body control and positions to play with).

Did You Know: Goals Can Spearhead Your Improvement In Breaking?

Science has its own answers regarding the benefits of having goals.

Skipping the technical details, goal setting gives you a sense of identity and fulfilment.

For athletes, sports science says that having a goal helps athletes know:

Where they are AND

Where they have to be

In other words, goal setting can give you a clear direction on how to become better.

Allow me to bring this whole concept back to breaking. The ultimate purpose of having a goal is to help you improve toward mastery over your dance. After all, who wants to remain a bboy newbie forever?

When you practice, you don’t want to practice without purpose. Nor do you want to practice as if you had all the time in the world. In Menno’s words, “You can’t just wake up in the afternoon, chill out for a bit then fool around at practice.”

Give your practice sessions a purpose.

Make every moment on the dancefloor worthwhile.

Still Think You Know All About Goals?… Here’s Where You’re Wrong

Here’s the thing about goal setting: there’s a WHOLE bunch of myths that fogs up the reality of pursuing goals. Let’s clear them up, one by one.

Chasing goals does not mean you become a monk for 90 days and disappear from the world.

Goals are key, but don’t forget to breathe and enjoy the process.

But just because you have a goal…

It doesn’t mean you should neglect or give up the other important things in life. It doesn’t always mean you abandon your current life, social circles, and identity.

You don’t have to be the bboy equivalent of the wealthy businessman who never spends time with his wife and children. Whose only leisure comes in the form of playing golf every Sunday… Just to close business deals that amount to 8 or 9 digits.

That said, the tricky part is figuring what matters to you because only you can decide that. Not your parents, not your breaking mentor, not your president for sure. But this is another topic for another day.

It’s probably okay not to have goals, but it’s definitely not okay to have goals and not do your best for them.

If you’re rather laidback in ambition, and don’t really care much for productivity, it’s fine. No one is here to tell you how you should live your life.

But if you’re here because you want to improve… Then open not just your ears but your mind. Sometimes you need to reframe your idea of what training is. Sometimes you just need to put in the effort.

And sometimes…

It’s both.

Don’t always talk about your goals without acting on them. In fact, the less you talk about them, the better you can follow through.

If you are familiar with the term “wantrepreneur”…

Or worse-sounding terms like “wannabe-boys” or “flake”…

Those are precisely the people we’re talking about here.

Don’t.

Be.

Them.

But if you think you’re precisely this kind of person, the good news is you can change for the better. You can rise above your current self here.

The psychology behind this phenomenon can be put in Derek Sivers words,

“Announcing your plans to others satisfies your self-identity just enough that you’re less motivated to do the hard work needed.”

So learn to be quiet for most of the part regarding your goals – at sessions, or when you’re having meals with your friends.

Of course, if people ask you what you’re training at the moment, then feel free to let them know. You don’t have to be extremely secretive here

By now you should have a clearer idea of what goal-setting is and is not about.

Why Have A Method for Goal Setting

Specifically, why can’t we just have a grand vision or end image of the outcome, and just grind through with pure effort?

They say the best don’t rest. We should always be putting our best foot forward and that’s all that matters… Right?

You can be the first to session and the last to leave.

While people are talking and chilling, you’re drilling and hustling. While people pause to buy a drink, you’re sweating from all the power moves. While people are just fooling around and laughing during practice, you’re bleeding from burst blisters on your palms and soles.

Yet you feel like a useless fuck when you don’t see results despite all the effort.

Why?

Simple answer: effort without method is ineffective. Hard work is necessary, but not sufficient.

What works better, pure effort alone or effort combined with strategy?

Being able to work smart and well for breaking (and anything else in life) makes it less tedious on your mind and body.

You don’t need to expend all your willpower just to maintain your training efforts. You find your results coming to you much more easily. You have a more enjoyable time at practice. Your method/strategy/plan keeps your progress in check, and doesn’t kill your spirit.

If you do goal setting properly, it can help you increase the success rate of whatever you set out to do. Don’t believe me? It’s the Navy SEALs who have their own goal-setting system.

(This post was originally published on breakdancedecoded.com)

In 1972, a man of towering physique – and street influence – travelled the Bronx with the loudest sound system (within the neighbourhood) in his car. Wherever he went, young boys and girls would flock around him, as if he were a real life Pied Piper.

This man had an acute sense of what made the young ones tick. And he knew how to get people’s feet moving. By looping the heavily percussive parts of certain funk tracks, you would have seen a sea of humans going wild.

In other words, just by repeating the ‘breaks’ of a song… It got everyone dancing in a frenzy.

It was pure magic – and it hasn’t stopped since!

So what is the particular cause-effect relationship that I’m highlighting here?

Since the birth of bboying, people created movement as a reaction to music.

That is the relationship. Music = cause; dance = effect. No music, no dance.

If there’s any one thing you MUST know inside out, it’s the music.

You don’t watch bboy videos without turning on the audio.

You don’t feel the hype without the music during your practice. You don’t feel the funk and energy during a jam without a bboy track in the background.

James Brown wouldn’t have his footwork without his music in the first place. Kool Herc wouldn’t have been able to call anyone a “breakboy” if not for the young kids going wild to the beat.

The bottomline is, music is the bloodline of bboying (or any dance for that matter). No music, no bboy.

And I want to inject more life into your breaking, so here’s a list of beats that bboys are lining up to kill. It includes both classics and new beats, both funk and unconventional genres. Some names appear just once, others might come up a dozen times.

Buckle up, bookmark this page, and amp up your speakers. Because this list consists of some of the greatest tunes to have landed in the pages of humanity’s history.

The 157 Songs That Should Be On Your Breaking Playlist

Fred Karlin – You’re Hip Miss Pastorfield

Kraak and Smaak – Squeeze Me

Eruption – Funky Lover

Franki Valli and the Four Seasons – Beggin’

Budos Band – Up From the South

The Lovomaniacs – Sex

MOP – Ante Up (Remix)

Eric B & Rakim – Juice (Know the Ledge)

Dave Cortez – Happy Soul

James Brown – Sex Machine

Kool G Rap and Polo – Poison

Run DMC – Beats to the Rhyme

The Apples – Killing

Arthur Baker – Breaker’s Revenge

Black Heat – Love the Life You Live

KRS One – The Sound of Da Police

Noisette – Bridge to Canada

Head Automatica – Brooklyn is Burning

Incredible Bongo Band – Apache

Eric B & Rakim – Don’t Sweat the Technique

Johnny Bristol – Lusty Lady

Dennis Coffey – Scorpio

The Souljazz Orchestra – Insurrection

Laura Vane & The Vipertones – Man Of Your Word

A Tribe Called Quest – Scenario

Waheymi – Underdog

Isaac Hayes – Disco Connection

Badder Than Evil – Hot Wheels (The Chase)

Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth – The Creator

Curtis Mayfield – Move On Up

Black Sheep – Strobelight Honey

Laura Vane and the Vipers – Roof Off

Frankie Cutlass – Puerto Rico

Binary Star – Masters of the Universe

Manu Dibango – African Battle

Mobb Deep – The Learning (Burn)

Dennis Coffey – Theme from Blackbelt Jones

Mr Wiggles – The Spaniard

Baby Huey – Listen to Me

Manu Dibango – Soul Makossa

DJ Shadow – Organ Donor (Remix)

Cypress Hill – Latin Thugs

Aretha Franklin – Rock Steady

Nice and Smooth – Old to the New

Beastie Boys – No Sleep Till Brooklyn

Cookin’ on 3 Burners – Feel Good Inc.

Cut Chemist – Drums of Fire

Mark Ronson – Ooh Wee (ft. Nate Dogg and Ghostface Killah)

Masta Killa – Masta Killa

The Mohawks – Champ

Toploader – Dancing in the Moonlight

Mr. Wiggles – Top Rock and Roll

Uptown – Dope on Plastic

Yellow Sunshine – Yellow Sunshine

The Blackbyrds – Rock Creek Park

Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth – T.R.O.Y.

Exit 9 – Fly

Mongo Santamaria – Cloud Nine

Wu Tang Clan – C.R.E.A.M.

Danny Hibrid & James Brown – I Feel Alright

The Fatback Band – Spanish Hustle

Das EFX – They Want EFX

Osibisa – Fire

Bobby Byrd – I Need Help (I Can’t Do It Alone)

The Bamboos – Tighten Up

Candido – Soulwanco

Big Daddy Kane – Set It Off

Edwin Starr – I Just Wanna Do My Thing

Babe Ruth – The Mexican

Roxanne Shante – Have a Nice Day

Ray Baretto – Pasttime Paradise

Tower of Power- There’s Only So Much Oil In The Ground

BT Express – Energy Level

King Khan – On The Street Where I Live

Jackson 5 – What You Don’t Know

Eric B & Rakim – I Know You Got Soul

Crazy Elephant – Pam

James Brown – Get Up Offa That Thing

Nice and Smooth – Dope Not Hype

Esperanto – Night of the Wolf

Big Daddy Kane – The Wrath of Kane

Poets of Rhythm – Funky, Funky, North Carolina

Nicole Willis and The Soul Investigators – Holdin’ On

Greenwood Rhythm Coalition & Luz Mob – Guajira 78

Masta Killa – No Said Date

The Dap Kings – Nervous Like Me

Fusik – Higher

Esther Williams – Last Night Changed It All

Bob James – Farandole

Electric Light Orchestra – Fire on High

Black Sheep – The Choice is Yours

Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers – Blow Your Whistle

Roberto Roena – Que Se Sepa

James Brown – Superbad

Herman Kelly and Life – Dance to the Drummer’s Beat

Breakout – Planet Rock Part 2

Breakestra – You Don’t Need a Dance

Mongo Santamaria – Crazy Lady

Run DMC – It’s Like That

Frank Ferrer – Pa’ Los Obreros

Jackson 5 – Life of the Party

The Sound Stylistics – The Taking of Peckham 343

The Pharcyde – Passing Me By

Edwin Starr – Time

Los Tios Queridos – Si Me Ves Volar

Breakestra – Humpty Dump

Wu Tang Clan – Ain’t Nuthing ta  Fuck Wit’

The Mike Theodore Orchestra – The Bull

The Heavy – How You Like Me Now?

Climax Blues Band – Sense of Direction (Looped Version)

DJ Nas’D – It’s A Great Situation

Lack of Afro – The Outsider

James Brown – Get on the Good Foot

Brownout – Homenaje

The Prodigy – Invaders Must Die

Rhythm Heritage – Blockbuster

The Soul Searcher – We The People Side B

Sam & Dave – Hold On, I’m Comin’

Nas – Made You Look

Jimmy Castor Bunch – It’s Just Begun

LL Cool J – Mama Said Knock You Out

Fusik – Fusik For The B-boys

The New Mastersounds – Bondo Sama

Rhythm Heritage – Theme from S.W.A.T.

Redman – Time 4 Sum Aksion

Cookin’ on 3 Burners – Tokyo Saucer

Run DMC – It’s Tricky

Black Grass – Queztalcoatl Returns

Spanky Wilson – Sunshine of Your Love

Jun Mayuzumi – Black Room

George Benson – Water Brother

Rufus Thomas – Itch and Scratch

Can – Vitamin C

RJD2 – 1976

The Roots – Here I Come (ft. Dice Raw)

Mark Ronson – God Put A Smile On Your Face (ft. the Daptone Horns)

Lords of the Underground – Chief Rocka

Smoove – I’m a Man

Fusik – Funktana

Gary’s Gang – Do It at the Disco

Nas – Hip Hop is Dead

Alice Russell – All Over Now

Mountain Mocha Killimanjaro – Yellow Soul Force

J-Walk – Soul Vibration

Gwen McRae – All This Love That I’m Giving

Harvey Averne Barrio Band – Cucaraca Macara

Ashley MacIsaac – Sleepy Maggie

Hawkeye – Still Jivin’

Jackson Sisters – I Believe in Miracles

Naughty by Nature – Hip Hop Hooray

Brian Auger & Julie Driscoll – Let the Sunshine

DJ Premier – Classic (ft. Rakim, KRS-One, Nas, Kanye West)

Gang Starr – Full Clip

Big Boss Man – Kelvin Stardust

Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers – Bustin’ Loose

James Brown – Give It Up or Turn It Loose

Coke Escovedo – I Wouldn’t Change a Thing

After listening to the entire treasure trove above, I’m sure you have a greater appreciation of music in bboying. Obviously 1 listening session isn’t going to dramatically change the way you approach music, but these bboy tracks are to be enjoyed over and over. Because good music speaks to people without becoming stale; it’s timeless.

Listening to music is just one half of how you engage with the dance that is breaking. How you interpret the mood, how much fire or energy you put into your steps… All of these take guidance and training; it’s a tedious process that you’ll learn to love.

By the way, you can even play the above list of bboy tracks at your next practice or house party! I created a playlist of all 157 songs just for your next practice, so check it out by clicking this little link filled with bboy tracks.

Have I missed out any of the classic beats? Share it below in the comments section!

Just remember your priorities… It’s music then dance.

Even though I am not great at doing power moves…

I LOVE watching power moves.

I love watching people attempt the near-impossible. I love watching people piece together technically difficult moves in a way that boggles my mind. I love watching people invent and reinvent powermoves in a way where most people would have given up.

That’s why I enjoy watching power movers dance.

They are reinventing the entire dance for themselves.

They are pushing the boundaries of what is possible… and what is not.

So..

Without further ado, I am going to present to you my 10 favourite power move bboys and bgirls. Some of them may not be classified conventionally as power movers, but boy does power moves not faze them.

Bruce Almighty

Lil G

Physicx

Vicious Victor

Tata

No Name (China)

Kid Colombia

Issei

Alkolil

Sunni

Here you go.

My 10 favourite “power moving” bboys.

You’ll have your favourites of course, and they will differ from mine.

But it doesn’t matter.

As long as we get inspired by them to keep on pushing, and keep on reinventing.

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about power moves.

Mostly, because I am here talking to you about our new course in the making, Power Moves Simplified. But also because I am in that phase where I am practicing more power moves than usual.

Plus, I’ve also been seeing a lot of myths floating around about power moves.

Here are a few such myths:

There are people who can never get power moves.

Power movers have no style nor musicality.

You can’t invent new power moves.

Styleheads shouldn’t do power moves.

Power movers are not bboys or bgirls.

Power movers can’t win jams.

You’re either a powermover or a stylehead -- there’s no in-between.

You can’t be fresh if you only do power moves.

There’s a certain age limit to learning power moves.

Girls can’t do power moves.

And the list goes on and on…

Anyway, all of these myths are dangerous to your thinking.

And, if you believe them, you’re robbing yourself of the ability to become a better bboy or bgirl. Because someone else is going to come along and ignore all of these “rules” -- and beat you hands down at the dance.

Just something to think about.

Especially the next time you go to a jam… or for your practice.

Ahhh….

The timeless question that has plagued bboys and bgirls throughout the generations.

If a stylehead battles a powerhead, who will win?

The stylehead claims that he will win because he focuses on foundation and the art of the dance.

The powerhead claims that he will win because he focuses on technicality and pushing the boundaries of what is possible.

But if you want my honest opinion?

It depends.

It depends on what either of them does. It depends on their mood on the day. It depends on how well they execute their stuff. It depends on whether they are intimidated by each other.  

It depends on many many factors.

It’s not so clear cut as to whether a stylehead will definitely win a powerhead.

The other answer is…

This is a bull question.

There’s no such thing as a stylehead or a powerhead.

Yes, there are people who focus on footwork. Yes, there are people who focus on powermoves.

But they aren’t powerheads or styleheads.

They are just people who have decided to specialize in ONE area.

(A concept I fully fully endorse.)

And the thing is…

You can do footwork with power.

And you can do powermoves with style.

So…

They are not mutually exclusive.

And we should stop dividing them that way.

There is no one right way to dance.

There is no “standard” breaking (if not why do we call this art?)

There is no “you must do this if not it’s not breaking”.

So stop excluding people from the dance just because they didn’t conform to what your opinions are.

We are all free to express the dance in our own way.

And are you.

So keep on doing what you’re doing.

And keep on focusing and specializing if that is your thing.

And keep on rocking.

One of my favourite bboys Roxrite had this to say:

“The freeze is the exclamation point of your round.”

I fully agree.

Though…

That’s not the only way to use your freezes. But we’ll leave that for another day.

Anyway…

To keep it simple:

You can think of your breaking set as an essay.

A short, punchy essay.

Every single move you pack into your set must be tight and coherent. Every top rock, footwork, drop and powermove is like you adding sentences to your essay.

Each sentence must flow smoothly. Each paragraph must connect from one to the other in a easy-to-read manner.

Your essay must be outlined well, if not your teacher will deduct points for structure (which translates to you presenting your moves well.)

Your essay must read like a good short story. Exciting at the start, climax in the middle, and then BOOM. A nice plot twist at the end.

Just like your freezes.

Your freezes are like what Roxrite say -- an exclamation point at the end.

That’s why you should never crash it.

That’s why you should snap into it like your life is hanging on a balance.

If not the end of the essay would look lame, limp and flat.

Like it had no substance.

And that’s the singular reason why ending with a tight and solid freeze is so important.

Anyway…

If you’d like to learn how to end off with a sharp and solid freeze at the end… especially when transitioning from power moves?

Erin teaches them all in his course Power Moves Simplified.

One of the greatest minds of our generation (Elon Musk) has this to say:

“I think it’s very important to have a feedback loop, where you’re constantly thinking about what you’ve done and how you could be doing it better. I think that’s the single best piece of advice: constantly think about how you could be doing things better and questioning yourself.”

That’s what we try to do here at BreakDance Decoded.

We’re constantly asking ourselves on how we can improve upon things.

How we can write better emails that you’ll enjoy. How we can write better, more detailed blog posts that’ll help you what you need. How we can create better videos so that your questions are answered.

But there’s a limit to what we can ask ourselves.

Ultimately…

You are the ones that are enjoying our content, our emails and our videos.

So we would love it if you could provide us with some feedback. Specifically:

How are you finding our content thus far

What do you like about it

What do you not like about it

How can we improve?

Any other thing you’re struggling with and you think we can help

Any other comments in general about BreakDance Decoded and what we’re doing

If you could take 30 seconds of your time, comment and let us know? We would really appreciate it.

Thanks so much for your continued support.

We’ll keep on rocking and producing for you (because we only want the best for you!)

BreakDance Decoded subscriber Midian has this to say about us:

*****

I would just like to let you know that your e-mails are very encouraging and have demystified a lot of thought patterns! Thank you for growing this art. We need more people like you.

*****

Why, thank you.

That’s what we are really aiming for here at BreakDance Decoded.

Yes, we do video tutorials teaching you how to correct your mistakes and do certain moves.

But ultimately what we want to help you with is:

Having the RIGHT mindset.

Eventually you’ll have to step out of your own comfort zone and find yourself.

Find your own story, your own personality and your own style.

Even with the help of some coaching, you’ll still have to put in the work yourself.

You’ll have to work on improving yourself.

Building up your mental strength. Understand the concepts and creativity needed to become. And then become a master of this dance.

To do all of this, you need the right mindset.

Not the “blame everyone else” mindset…

But one that helps you progress further in breaking and in life.

Anyway…

While mucking around Facebook recently I saw Stance share a video about the famous Ninja Warrior competition.

The video was about a man who was attempting to complete the Ninja Warrior obstacle course.

The only difference?

He has a prosthetic leg.

Anyhoo, the 5 minute video captured him struggling to clear the obstacles.

Here’s the important part: he didn’t give up.

For example:

One of the obstacles was called the Log Runner. It was a series of 4 logs (that spins) and you have to step on all of them to clear it. It is tough enough for a person with 2 good legs, so you can imagine how difficult it was for him.

Despite almost falling through the cracks between the logs, he was VERY determined and crawled his way past the entire obstacle.

While obviously not the most glamorous way of clearing it, the video was inspiring.

Look…

This was a guy who lost his leg in a motorcycle accident some years back.

He could have said F it and wallowed in his own self-pity for YEARS, seeking sympathy from others.

But he didn’t.

He carried on training, being fit, joining the Ninja Warrior competition and with LOTS of determination, clearing the obstacles even if it took him his entire strength (without showing a sign of giving up.)

And look at us.

Healthy humans with two good hands and two good legs.

And when we don’t get a move?

We lament, complaint and give up.

We’re already fortunate enough to be born healthy, to be able to pick up breaking just for the fun of it.

And yet… We give up with just the slightest resistance or difficulty.

But let’s look at him and the rest of the world who in a series of unfortunate circumstances, got dealt harshly by life.

They didn’t give up. So…

What’s your excuse?

What’s my excuse?

None, obviously.

So if you’re feeling discouraged today, pick yourself up and do it again.

Try it again.

And keep on fighting, because truly, we have no excuses.

Take a look at this email a BreakDance Decoded subscriber sent us:

*****

im 18 years i started learning this year but am not getting any move . Do i give up?

*****

My first thought was: excuses.

He sounded like he wanted us to tell him that he SHOULD give up because that would give him a perfect excuse to stop trying. Stop learning breaking.

Is it harsh for me to say it this way?

Perhaps.

But I believe in telling the truth.

And here’s the unpolished truth that no one will tell you:

Breaking is HARD.

It is tough. It will take YOU everything to learn.

It needs you to have physical strength, mental strength, persistence and grit.

But that’s the thing.

That’s how the world works.

It is fun precisely because it is hard. It is rewarding precisely because you need time and effort to get moves.

It NEEDS to be difficult for it to be enjoyable.

If it was so easy, everyone would be doing it.

So stop asking yourself whether you should give up.

Instead, ask yourself how you can learn better. Or how you can become more self-disciplined. How you can overcome your mental weaknesses to work on yourself better.

Nothing good comes easy in life.

And if you’re only seeking the easy path, let me tell you.

You WILL be disappointed.

My point?

Learn better. Learn from people who can teach you well so you can learn faster.

Once upon a time I made a HUGE mistake with regards to power moves.

I kept on making the same mistake over and over again for several years.

But thank goodness I decided to finally and consciously break out of this bad mistake.

And now I’m so much better off.

So…

What is this mistake?

And how can YOU avoid this mistake?

Simple:

The mistake I made was NOT learning power moves.

Specifically…

Telling myself I was not made for power moves.

You see, I didn’t learn power moves until I was about 4 years into my bboy life.

I was all about the footwork right from the get-go.

But because I didn’t touch powermoves until so late into the game…

I began forging this weird identity on myself that I couldn’t do them.

I kept telling myself that I had no talent in learning power moves. That I wasn’t cut out for it.

And SIMPLY because of this mentality… I gave up often.

I would try windmills for a little bit, get it wrong, get discouraged and stop trying after.

The same went for swipes, haloes and flares.

And for anyone who has practiced power moves before, you’ll know this.

You WILL get it wrong at the start.

The challenge is whether you can identify your mistakes, make the necessary correction and continue persisting in learning.

But I didn’t.

I would beat myself up, give in to the idea that I couldn’t do power and just stopped trying.

And the cycle just kept on going.

I would stop practicing, which means I wasn’t going to get good at it. Which also means the next time I tried, I was going to fail again, which made me stop practicing.

Chances are -- you know what I am talking about.

You tried something new, something technical… and you didn’t manage to get it in the first few tries.

In your mind, you just kept telling yourself that you ain’t cut out for this.

You are not talented enough. You just can’t do power, or footwork, or toprock (or whatever it is.)

Yes! It is true that some people pick things up faster. But that doesn’t mean that anything about you. That doesn’t mean you won’t be able to.

It just means you have to put in more effort.

But THAT’s okay.

You will be able to do it.

You just have to overcome this weird limiting belief you set for yourself.

Like this weird limiting belief I set for myself.

And after I discovered I had this limiting belief… I destroyed it.

And since then… I’ve picked up powermoves WAY faster.

All because of this new mindset. And also because I met Erin, who was one of the rare few who could break down powermoves in a way that was simple to learn and understand.

(None of that bullcrap on how you just need to “do it!”)

Speaking of which… Erin released a power moves course in December last year to help bboys and bgirls learn power moves faster.

Some things just make no sense to me.

Especially in the bboy/bgirl/breakdance world.

In fact, the longer I am in this world (I’m on 8 years now), and the more I interact with other bboys, bgirls and dancers…. The more “make no sense” stuff I hear and see.

Take the following, for example:

Bboys who try to teach me flares, windmills or 90s but can barely even do one themselves.

Wannabe-boys who are complete newbies but are so eager to teach other newbies on how to do a move properly

E-boys who watch ONE battle out of the entire competition on YouTube and proclaim themselves to be better than the judges sitting on the chair IRL

E-boys who fanboy over other bboys and think that their idols should win every jam (if not they are “robbed”.)

Bboys who try to copy another bboy’s moves and style wholesale

Bboys who go for practice and sit there the entire day without practicing

People who want to learn breaking to get chicks (when the complete opposite is true.)

Bboys who look down on bgirls (what’s this patriarchal world you’re living in?!)

“Bboys” who are willing to spend 3-4 figures on the latest tech or gear but are unwilling to fork out $3 to support a jam.

Bboys who attempt a move one time, didn’t get it and dismiss it as a lack of talent. 

I can probably think of at least 50 more to add on this list.

But then I would become a complainer, wouldn’t I?

Or worse… become #saltbae.

That would completely make no sense either.

Heh.

Anyway, for some latest news…

Here’s one of the best breaking advice I’ve ever gotten:

“I’d rather be called a dancing monkey than the next [insert bboy’s name].”

Wait, what?

Why would you want to be insulted?

Why would you be willing to be called a dancing monkey?

Are you dense or what..?

No, I’m not. There’s a perfectly legitimate reason to this.

Because, as my teacher puts it for me…

It means that you have your own style. Your own flava.

If you’re merely termed or branded as the next “Thesis”, or next “El Nino”, or next “Neguin”...

It’s screaming in your face that you are just a copycat.

Someone who does not have his own style, and just resorts to copying others.

I am not saying you are like this.

But if you ever wanted to receive praise for your own breaking, your own style and your own personality…

You’ll want it to be YOU.

You being YOU.

Not you being someone else.

So yes…

It’s better to be a dancing monkey than another bboy.

At least you have your own style.

Here’s an emotion we all have:

Anger.

No matter who you are…

… Or where you live…

Or where you were born…

Or what culture you follow…

You would have experienced this emotion called anger.

Somebody might have flipped you off and dismissed your thoughts and ideas.

Somebody might have irritated you with his constant chatter.

Somebody might have said something on the Internet that went against your personal beliefs, and boy… were you seething.

That’s perfectly normal.

We all experience it.

There’s no one person in the world that did not experience anger before.

And I am not going to pretend and ask you to stop being angry.

That shit doesn’t work that way.

But what I would like you to do is channel the anger properly.

Don’t take it out on your family.

Don’t take it out on your friends.

Don’t take it out on the Internet.

But…

Take it out on your dance.

Express your anger, frustration and irritation in your breaking.

Move around angrily.

Flow around as if you were frustrated and there were roadblocks everywhere.

Toprock like you want to escape from the person that’s irritating you.

Do your power moves pissed off.

Who knows?

You might just develop a new style for yourself…

…. Or just get a few new moves and alleviate your mood.

Either way, the outcome will be positive.