Hong Kong B-boy C Plus may have missed out on the Paris Olympics, but that will not stop him breaking
Hong Kong Free Press
Breakdancers may give the impression that they are confident, perhaps even aggressive, but not B-boy C Plus. The Hongkonger is both humble and easy-going, despite his ability in a break battle.
Also known as Sze Ka-yam, C Plus began breakdancing in 2009, taking part in competitions of various sizes before representing Hong Kong in the Olympic qualifiers last year. He placed 44th but failed to secure a spot at the Paris Games, which added breaking as a new sport to its programme. Quarter finals for the B-girls began on Friday, with the B-boys set to begin their medal battles on Saturday.
Having given up his full-time job two years ago, C Plus acknowledges the significant challenges of being a full-time athlete in Hong Kong. He trains for at least four hours every day: working on his balance; practising breakdance skill sets and rhythms; and dedicating time to muscle training.
Due to a lack of government support for the sport, C Plus has to seek out his own physical trainer, therapist, and sponsors. Currently, his income mainly comes from teaching classes, performing in showcases, and earning prize money from competitions.
In a typical breakdance battle, dancers face off one-on-one, improvising their moves to a soundtrack provided by a DJ within a set timeframe. It requires strength, stamina and flexibility to perform dance elements including footwork, freezes, power moves and toprock, which refers to a set of upright dance moves performed at the beginning of a breakdancing routine.
The winner is determined by a panel of judges, who score breakers on creativity, personality, technique, variety, showmanship, and musicality.
C Plus is currently concentrating on retaining his ranking so that he can continue to represent Hong Kong at future international events.
“The next major goals are the National Games and the World Games next year, as well as the Nagoya Asian Games in 2026,” he told HKFP in Cantonese. “I always feel that once a B-boy is not competing, then he is not a B-boy.”
“If you have the right training and practice in a proper environment, breaking isn’t as dangerous as many people imagine,” C Plus said. “Some famous B-boys are still competing in global competitions at 40 years old, which shows we can avoid serious injuries with proper training,” he added.
“Freedom is what I enjoy the most about breakdancing, I can do my own style or moves and no one can challenge them. Other dance forms may have rules or expectations, but breakdancing has no such limitations.”
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