Interview with B-Boy WING

How does it feel to be the officiating champion of the Red Bull BC One?
I’m glad to have won and I’m really happy that I will be able to compete again in 2009. Since I am the champion, the only thought I have is to do better.

This was the second time the crown went to Korea. What makes Korean B-Boys so strong?
I believe it’s because the environment in which we live and the bboys around us right now are living and training in a system truly ideal to excellence and progress. If I do well, the ones around me must do well also and vice versa. This system seems to be making us better.

Now that you won the Red Bull BC One, people have high expectations, how do you handle the pressure?
It has always puzzled me that none of the defending champions ever seemed to be able to pull out the energy and force they had had the previous year. I believe that I have a lot of pressure to figure out the answer to that question.

Why B-Boying?
I started B-Boying when I was twelve. I was at such a young age that this was all I put my focus on. I love B-Boying! The best part about it is the connections I have made through B-Boying and to have become a part of my crew JINJO. I feel blessed to be among friends, be inspired by them and do what I love. I am not sure what I would have done with my life if I would not have started B-Boying. I always enjoyed athletics, so maybe I would have been an athlete of some sort, but now I am a B-Boy. I am in a place and a role in life in which there is no turning back, this is all of who I am and who I believe I will be.

What are your plans for the future?
To continue dancing as I have done until now, and I hope to go to all the events and countries that I have always dreamed of going to.

Why in your opinion did you win the final battle against Taisuke? What made you the winner?
It was a hard win, as I only won by one point in a 3 to 2 decision. I just feel that the battle was very close and in the end the Judges picked the B-Boy whose style they were more favorable towards.

Before the battle started, both of you were standing there for more than a minute, waiting that the other one would start. Why is it so important not to start?
In a 1-on-1 battle, the one who goes first is usually at a disadvantage because the opponent has a chance to see all his moves and make a counter attack and a reply based on that, but that’s not always the case as sometimes you can attack hard first and keep the other B-Boy on the run.

How do you see your chances in this year’s BC One?
I don’t know yet. I really am curious about who will enter this year, no one even knows when or where the event is.

Are you checking out the videos of the battles and analyzing them?
I usually watch my battles alone and then I go to the studio and practice on what I feel was missing or inadequate.

How often do you practice?
I practice everyday for a long period of time, hours and hours. My crew usually has really long practice schedules. My crew always trains together and we also hang out together when we are not training.

Are you living healthy? Do you smoke?
I don’t smoke and I live a very healthy lifestyle.

What are your strengths?
I have very long limbs, so when I dance my moves usually look larger than life.

How would you describe your style?
Constantly changing.

When you are battling, is most of your stuff prepared sets or are you more freestyling?
I don’t have prepared sets, but I have a repertoire of source movements and pieces that I splice together as I dance and listen to the beat and what I do is try to remember those pieces and parts as I weave them together.

Do you only dance on B-Boy related events or do you also like to go out and just dance in a club?
I dance the most in the practice studio if I think about it. I rarely go out to clubs and beyond that I guess I dance the most at events and jams.

Catchwords

Best B-Boy
HONG10, KMEL, RONNIE, SKIM, DIFFER, BORN, CLOUD, MENNO, KID DAVID, VERO

Role models
My older brother BBOY SKIM, he taught me many things.

Friends
The members of my crew JINJO: SKIM, GIBOON, SYONY, FLETA, VERO, FE, PATRICK STAR, OCTOPUS, MOLD

B-Girls
I feel the role of a B-Girl is just as important as that of a B-Boy, and I’m glad to see more of them participating now.

Fashion/Style It’s important, cuz based on that person's form of dress, the way in which their dance is portrayed can be good or bad.

Favorite Track
There are too many good songs out there, I don’t have a particular favorite.

Last Movie you watched
Slumdog Millionaire

Favorite Movie
Lord of the Rings

Favorite Book
The Dragonball comic series.

TV Series I don’t watch TV

Favorite Food
Anything with an egg in it…

Your best/funniest/weirdest experience through B-Boying
Me and the guys of my crew like to take videos of ourselves messing around, there are too many funny incidents. Go to Youtube and do a search with our crew name JINJO crew—watch for yourselves.

Please share with us one though that might help a B-Boy to improve.
Just be in love with this culture, be obsessed! There is no better suggestion I can give. Just work hard and be the best you can be, so you will never have to regret anything.

If you had one wish granted, what would you wish for? (apart from world peace)
For now I’m going to look ahead to this year’s Red Bull BC One and winning it.