give 'em a shout out (your teachers, join in)

[Chaz]

I've not been blessed with any respected figures teaching me, yet.

[Shankavelli]

Originally Posted by dryphtdfx

Alien Ness-Never met the man, never shook his hand, never even spoke on the phone, and don't even own his videos. And yet, I've learned so much from him. How's this possible? Has Ness ever met Buddha, Bruce Lee, or Sun Tzu? But they've taught him indeed.

thats gangsta,
good looking out

[ManOfGod]

Originally Posted by Shankavelli

spirit was a wanderer, hes from down south, then spent time in nyc, then florida, then moved to la. he also was one of the flying tortillas.
his original bboy name was demon spirit, then he found his lord and savior and droped the demon for obvious reasons.
from what poe1 told me, spirit was the first to go out to la and tell cats stories about me, so i was shoked when i went to la and poe1 stepped to me like "yea your alien ness, spirit told us all about you"

Wow... I heard from my friends about this thread. I've never had a teacher, which is something I have prided myself on, but then I thought about it & SPIRIT was my mentor for a few years & the only person I can say was my teacher at any point of my dancing.

I've learned alot from him not only in terms of the dance, but how to teach, marketing myself as a bboy, medicine & health, and really being a man of God in our global community as bboys! It just took me time to acknowledge it b/c I got it the same way Ness did, just by watching, seeing, trying, & receiving correction. I have trained Capoeira on & off over the years & he has been an inspiration to me in that as well.

I'm from Chicago but was blessed enough to receive a scholarship to study @ the university in Madison, Wisconsin. That is how I met Spirit.

Another big influence to me was / is Bravemonk (Phaze II - Chicago).

Much love to many bboys & bgirls in Chicago & Milwaukee, as they have always been my inspirations.

[ManOfGod]

Spirit was also the only person in Madison organizing & hosting his own jams b4 I started doing Breakin' The Law in Madison.

[AMkoreann]

man , we, the new generation got a lllooooonnnnggg way till we become real bboys.

u got a sick history there ness, hope u make room in ur memorie for more

[AlmosToNasty]

MIKE RINCON(Original Furious styles crew) Showed me a few moves before I really started and introduced me to breakin..

KUJO and Dan the man: Moved to LA to pursue dance ( not breaking at the time ) Kujo had a class that he tought out there and I went to it a bunch of times. Learned a lot of basic movements..

Denote(OdinRock now)Took me and my brother under his wing and put us down with Future Styles. Taught us tons of things, this goes for most of Furious Styles crew ( Miracles, House, Sweesh-no longer fsc)

FloMaster: I got the opportunity to train with him on a tour we were both on. He taught me footwork basics and instilled in me the importance of stamina and battling , on the same tour was Wicket he also helped me with my footwork. also Flipz (skillmethodz) was on that tour and taught me how to flare.

Ben and Stress (KHZ) taught me how to air flare, babymill and just helped out with transitions and powermoves all together... Best advice given about power- "don't be a pussy, its gonna hurt till you get it right".

My Brother GEOM(BattleBorn) always teaching me things and inspiring me, as goes for the rest of my crew BattleBorn I wouldn't be the B-boy I am today if it wasn't for my crew.

I LOVE this dance.. It helped me get through one of the toughest times of my life, I will continue to learn and grow as a B-boy for as long as humanly possible. Thank you to all my teachers and all the bboys who came before me for the inspiration...

[STiCKYuno]

Joel (My birth father) original Renegades S.F. having a bboy for a dad in my very early years definately rubbed off on me. Also all my uncles and aunties that used to dance and showed me a couple of moves here and there helped alot too. Straight old school S.F. fire.

DPHUGZ (Forever We Rock). Without randell i would definately not have learned my basic footwork fundamentals and getting to know the S.F. scene. Taught me how to dance to the music, and who better to teach that? lol.

PROFO (Former R4C/Floor Gangz) & Rob Nasty (Forever We Rock). These two crazy ass twins taught me alot of what i know not just with bboyin but with how life really is. These two drop knowledge more important than shit youd be lectured on in a class in college straight up. cant forget all the gamin days ron lmao.

THE ENTIRE S.F./ BAY AREA SCENE. all the cyphers, practices, folks that dance, all the homies.. yall taught me everything old to the new. all the history, all the moves, the lifestyle.

and last but not least my crew FRESHEST TECHS. Noel Rokswel (FTC/R4C) through thick and thin we go through it all. Shotgun Survivors feel me! Sam Smooth(FTC) another shotgun survivor, helped me grow alot and kept me balanced and still is! aha. MROCKS(FTC), THE BBOY SMITH(FTC/HUNG DYNASTY), AND DYSTROY (FTC/R4C). this is fam straight up!

THANK U ALL!

[bolo1]

b boy will ski
koop dawg
my boy blema
7 gems breakin convention london 2009

[mantiis_en_zk]

Originally Posted by POEONE

You were breaking in the rain. And i was like who the hell is that cat. .

Damn I guess that rain scene from you got served wasn't so absurd afterall!

on a serious tip though....

Puzzles SNC , thank you for the 30minutes of sessioning in Rochester that changed my breakin forever.
And I suppose thanks to Tax SNC who showed me the legoleg at the same session... which Dyzee for years after that thought I bit from y'all bahahaha.

From Supernaturalz I learned a philosophy that has always stuck with me and though I put my own stamp on the whole thing over the years and certainly do things that fly in the face of it, it is still is down there in the foundation of my style.

Also thank you to ppl like you Poe who were always down to dig into some convos about this dance with me when I was just gettin started. I believe I had recorded the long ass convo we had on the plane to Japan in 2003 but I lost the damn thing. Shame

And Ness: Thank you for offering to be a teacher lol even though I couldn't make it out to train in NYC at the time.

No matter what I do, breaking or otherwise, I've always been someone who likes to blaze my own trail and not receive instructions, or atleast follow them. Considering however there is so much to the foundation of this dance from a technical aspect, I would hope someday to play catch up for myself and really learn some things that I was never taught. (Because really... I never had a teacher.)

Also thank you to Philly for sweeping me up in the movement that is our scene's ear for the music. Philly is a dancing city, through and through.

[IamCROS1]

Indirectly I learned alot from Rock Steady and New York City Breakers watching them in the movies. So I have to give thanks to them.

Directly my crew when I first started Rock City Juniors(1984ish) then when I got back into it in 93 OSA CREW(One Step Ahead) which was a fusion of Graff Writers, Bboys and just one big Party Crew, then another crew we used to practice with UGR(old party crew from San Diego), then Delivery Boys our H-O-R-S-E sessions were the illest(Rynen from Jabbawockeez was in that crew as well). I swear we all learned each others combos. Around that time we studied alot of videos like STORM, Air Force Crew, Bboy All Stars Australia. Learned alot of footwork and ofcourse power moves off those videos. Easy Rock used to live in SD he never technically teach me anything but just watching him get down was a lesson in itself. After that I got to learn alot of stuff from Robby Dynamic Wizards and Loose Caboose(basic Locking). Then I left to Japan and just bugged out with alot of bboys out that way and Wil Power Air Force Crew used to live out there as well back at that time around 96. Then in 97 I bugged out alot with Bboy Ivan. So I got influenced alot by these guys. Ofcourse my years as having a bboy hostile at my crib was crazy to I think I advanced the most when all these bboys would roll though and session. Reveal, JR, Iron Monkey, Vietnam, Reksick, and the host of others that used to come by as well but for the most part the Rhythm Bugz we all would just bounce ideas around I swear every day we would all make up new sets daily.

On another note being that most people here know me as a promoter want to shout out the folks that I pretty much learned how to grind from. From the drug dealers around the way haha, to some of the more influencial bboy/hip hop promoters. 3 Deep Street Promotions who taught me that Promoting is more then just bboy shit, we promoted nightclubs, records, music, mix tapes, movies whatever we could get paid on. Alex Aquino, Thomas of BOTY, who pretty much laid the foundation down to how to tour with stuff like this. Crazy Legs on how a HIP HOP JAM should be, Zulu Grems and Speedy Legs on throwing the ill Miami Jams in the 90s, and ofcourse my partner Polo Molina of Grassroots who has takin the production side of things to another planet.

Im sure theres alot more but I will figure it out and continue my list.

peace
CROS1

[FrostimusPrime]

OK, I made some time- kind of over due,

dont' care if it's long I'm doing this for them.
it's people who have directly influenced me and that i've exchanged with.

Ground illusionz - My crew, friends, family and student I've learnt my basic techniques with my friends watching beatstreet MUCH music and rap city to the present day where the younger guys in my crew inspire me and get me hyped like crazy.

Dyzee - early in my breakin he showed me some basics he knew, I've always considered him one of the strongest B-Boys I know, skilled physically and emotionally. I've looked at him at different points as a teacher, a comrade or rival- all of which have allowed me to have some form of respect and show acknowledgment. His character will always have some type of value in my life regardless and has helped me grow a lot.


Megas - Met him early on as well and showed me how important it was to flip whatever it is you're doing. He's been an example and Icon for mentality and focus, on being outside the box and how to develop artistic character. The man has been encouraging at different points since meeting him and those who know him know he's got a big heart.

JON Stylewalker (Drypt) -So fresh, full of life and character. He's inspired me to maintain well roundedness as an artist and to experiment with presentation.

Longshot & Tango (BIIB)- the first B-Boys I met from Toronto scene. they've explained to me the value of being original and still all ways returning "Back II Basics" hence their name. They had the fist B-Boy performance I've seen live, incredible. They had some of the illest routines on the planet before doing complex routines were "popular". fact.

GIZMO BTX - One of my major inspirations in breakin' Gizmo taught me about attitude in not only holding yourself as B-Boy, also how to think of material & patterns how to find my style and I have several moves dedicated to him. He's been a friend and mentor in my life and has put up with me lol i have to give it up.

FLEX BTX - Made me fall in love with "go downs" he's always emphasized originality and drilled that into my head since I've known him, respect to him.

Puzzles - back when he used to be called "inferno" he smoked me and my boy Ruben, we became friends after that. Sav and I have exchanged so many concepts & material (now he's winning battles with my moves that fucker Shared a couple of crews in the past and has always been a great friend. I'm pleased to see him grow further, every time I see him- it's wisdom cause he keeps me in check and has helped me very much. Character like a superstar - the chinese fabio.

Ockward Conner - in 03 I stopped breakin' cause of a serious injury. if hadn't been for him, I would have stopped completely. His spirit, mind and raw steeze were something that I recognized and was influenced by. I'm glad I jammed with him before he had to quit.

Willie Ways - Genius and a true artist. the little brother I never wanted haha If not been for him i wouldn't be who i am today as an artist and mind. that carries weight. He knows me very well and reminds me of how to be my best.

Benzo BTX - B-Boy Icon of Toronto and a museum of the Toronto style. He pushed me to elevate through conversation and challenge in the cypher. This man is a living legend as well.

Raul4everFresh - Definition of a true dancer and hip-hop representation in everything he is. Raul showed and taught me about how to define the rhythm physically, smooth out what i was doing. His mentality and attack rubbed off on me a great deal, so i see him as an icon as well. He's showed me the value of training, searching to be fresh and reminder of what a man has to do when we rep in the dance and in life. He's my spirit cousin.

Crazysmooth - Since I started breakin' and reaching jams, YvonSoglo has always been a pillar of encouragement toward me, and what he saw in me was an eagerness and passion for music first. He's a example warrior of the dance and of life to me and has influenced me greatly in that regard. "dance to express not to impress" , always remember him teaching me: "everyone says they're a king, but only through loss after loss and when you can challenge real kings will you be named one" he's encouraged the master within to master and push myself. So i give thanks.

Dazl Flowrock - late his 30's, Montreal B-Boy/House pioneer, I had to earn this mans respect cause I don't thin he liked me at first, so it means more to me lol. He helped me with some injuries, been an inspiring dancer and on all levels for me and named me "Wire" as an alter ego

Fresh FX GI - I grew up with FreshFX and he's been an integral part of my progress, always been the teacher to reflect on level of practice, performance and on the battlefloor. One of the rawest and more creative B-Boys i've known. Fresh is like the Gizmo of ground illusionz


Piecez MEC- Mikey is a great person and I'm fortunate to work with him and vibe about breakin and life. he's been a mentor to me by never giving up even when he's technically not supposed to physically break anymore. an example of humility and drive, Mikey reminded me that "one should be able to laugh at themselves" and how important that is. shout out to the rest of MEC, Rude boy possi, 1ne unit for life.

Floorplay MEC " the Golden Child", was very focused and passionate. this guy gave me certain foundations of power that I used constantly.

POE - Since meeting him two years ago and learning from him on numerous accounts, I've had my mentality of conceptualization and character renewed and reinforced. Been fortunate to learn and gain an understanding of several foundations as well as I've passed on to others in his name with pride.
very cool man, very humble and unreal to watch perform as you all know. I've had him show me mad respect and I have gratitude for that, I hope to battle with him one day.

Glizzi BTX - yes mariano the Moonlight Gliding knight, when i went to L.A. in 05 I learnt how much a pioneer this guy in my backyard was. I can relate to him on many levels, he's taught me a lot of presentation, battle and performance, aesthetics and helped me create some combos and themes. thanks bro.

Jester AB/CC/SNC- This man I can say was one of my first "mentors" in breaking, he a close brother and has shown me how important it is to Dissect the music and to DANCE. We'd go out on our birthday to just Dance. He's very a very eccentric character and despite what many have said in the past cause he's just too funky, he reps that Hip-Hop mentality as his own, he's always on some real shit and has influenced me big time.

Frank Boogie BB & Tony 3 BTX- the main men/ wise elders from Boogie Brats & Bag of Trix. their objectivity and encouragement are gold to me in my story. Frank always asks me what I think and gets me to find the answers within. Tony has been a heart that I've received wisdom in dealing with my crew and how I feel for my art


Rubecube&Flyte GI- very underground brothers from my crew, they were infamous for their routines and in growing up with them, I always saw the progression of training and mixing power and steps together, they helped me to focus my practice and I attribute a lot of my arsenal, performance and battle days with them.


Storm - I met him in 2005 at summit X, his guy was like Jesus walking around and everyone speaking to him, he's talking to people in different languages *lol* when i got my chance, his persona and humble character dropped wisdom of thought toward being an instructor and finding different ways to teach different types of people.. thanks Storm


TIN TIN (ORC) - one of the most original B-Boys I know, and it's not just me who thinks this. Tin Tin has influenced mad heads from katsu to pepito. I'm glad to call this guy my brother, Always keeps me in check with my mentality as a TRUE B-Boy. his vision of what a B-boy is and does, is another catalyst for my mentality as an artist. I've learnt a lot of my personal B-Boy foundations from him and used them to this day.

KATSU (all area/mzk) - When I met him in japan i was amazed at how much of a true warrior spirit this man has. He's a leader, a professional and a very optimistic example of character. I wanna thank him for letting me win a battle with him, Tomo and Toshiki last year. I was honored for this experience and remember from them " SEE THE MUSIC!" how to act your gesture which I think is a very zulu method,, and also to Train, train, train.. these guys are champions for a reason. Arigat Guzaimashita

BOUNCE (BB/mzk) - A day in Kofu, Japan with him matured me for years. Bounce reinforced my mentality and journey in my breakin'. I learnt deeper concepts of: character, representation, hidden meanings, true foundation and I admired his will to exist as a shadow and intentions for his art. He is Legendary to me and very inspiring and an influence on all levels. Breakin' with him at "concrete river" made my dream of breakin in Japan since day one Come True..... thank you man.


Lance Albino Zebrahs - This dude is in his early 30's and has such a dynamic, original, fresh and artistic style. he's a graffiti character made to life and his mature sensibilities in the dance and our culture always influence me and get me to think further out of the box.

UNO-Flowkicks/Gi - My new Brother from Nagoya, Japan. watching him develop the toronto style here over the summer was a reminder of what we have as very special. His timing and training methods have helped me grow as a dancer, the hidden gem i needed. I'm gonna miss you homie, come back to Canada.

Cojiro- Waseda Breakers- first international B-Boy I saw in 2000. I don't know if he's still dancing now, but shit man! his form and aesthetics to me were really ideal and totally copied his flava for awhile without people noticing

DEADLY MIKE - one of Toronto's most loved underground Pioneers, Mike was the first B-Boy I saw that was on par with the urban legend status as Megas and Gizmo at the time. His flow, grace, transition and freestyle were unmatched.. so good he made footwork on your ass look cool.. like when you saw him.. simply ICONIC very complete as a B-Boy with an original style.. he taught me how to "react" in the battle and how to train for a battles.


KMEL- His man is larger then life, Im glad he came back to toronto when he did, I gained a lot of knowledge just from observing him. His courage and confidence and mentality as a professional performer are epidemy. I learnt from him to always keep the funk and fire in the cypher. To always "say something when you're in there and make a point" He's a great legend and I wish him mad health.


Buddha- This man has them most adventures I've ever heard in life, to see footage of him and CFM breakin' in 83 and witness the progression of footage was very inspiring. I've learnt from Buddha that "your character in B-Boyin are many times harder to communicate and represent than technique". I've learnt a lot about performing through him as well as how to be a leader that makes things happen, and public speaker that conveys passion.

Frosty Freeze - Rochester in 01/02 was when I met the man. He judged one of my battles and stopped the jam to let everyone know that my name was "Frost" and encouraged me to represent harder then I'd ever repped in my life at that point... His blessing got the crowd on my side and I got my first jam soul clap ever. I still have my picture with him afterwards. I'm glad I got to meet him and that he gave me his blessing and understood what I was tryin' to do with my style. RIP


ZEBrock - Zeb from Contents Under Pressure along with Dedos were HUGE inspirations especially when they went on MUCH music in the late 90's I've grown to know Zeb and everytime we speak, his wisdom and knowledge about being "clean, presentable, pro & worldly minded" has always echoed in my head. He's been very encouraging and I'm glad he's a mentor forsure. Helped me out big time


JEDI original SNC - Living, walking B-Boy ghetto superstar himself. The one and only Jedi, he's one of T.O.'s older B-Boys with some of the rawest attitude and on point classic foundation I know. he breaks anytime, anywhere and always put on that "jedi" persona.. so much it drives people to either hate him, love him, fear him or respect him. I've gained a lot of knowledge from frequent visits into town as well as have been fortunate to observe his classical T.O. footage which no one has... or will ever have. Learnt so much from him about control and B-Boy cypher rules.

Slience BTX - Simple - " carve your own path, You don't want to follow them or try and catch up " nuff said

Flo Master - "just zone out...just zone out" yeah forreal, simple trip and worth so much

Zulu Grems - When he was in Toronto his reinforcement of doing what we do from all angle, both directions and communicating what the story you're trying to tell is major. I got introduced to the technique of "Stopping time" and how important that is in B-Boying and funk styles

Trac 2 - during the planet B-Boy screenings I got to hang with him for a couple of days, I saw him drop one top rock step and it's like gold, I knew right there the authenticity of what he's about. I learnt about Starchild and certain innovators of movements and history. Reinforced many aesthetics and that presentation is everything.

Rabani - So classic, solider of the Highest power. watching him inspires me and teaches me so much he's a teacher without him even realizing that, I mad respect for him and his boys the "Def Dogs" too. They've been respectful and have taught me about perseverance, since I met them in 05/06 they've grown to be some of the best.


Bebe & GZC - I've met them a couple of times however I'm not sure they remember me, I've learnt from watching them over the years. Their poise of being elite with the creative mentality is something I've liked always. I've always admired their attack and concepts even though some people think they're rude. they're grimy, I dont' care.

Gadget BB - Since his return to breakin I've gotten a couple of chances to jam with him, he's reinforcing of the music that drives us and one thing I'll always remember is "it's about - what can you do WITH what is it that you got when you're in that vibe"

Kreate - Haven't met him in person yet , but I rap with this guy over the net I've seen footage of him since time. His approach is inspiring, I can't wait to jam with him.

Ness- Shaman of breakin', I haven't really "met" him yet either but he's forreals a teacher to many including myself, very inspiring to see him perform and produce on such levels.

Dundee - My girl, she's nasty a warrior to the max.

I have mad teachers as you can see, I'm very lucky
that's not including all the cats who've inspired me at jams, on TV etc. holy the list goes on

[JayFive]

A personal thank you to Sako, Godoyski, and the rest of the Sound Savages (Atlanta, GA). I doubt I'd still be at it if it were'nt for ya'll.