A Fresh Take on Re-Learning Bboy/Bgirl Basics with English Teaching
In April 2023, I debuted a new career path as an English teacher. With my background in teaching Breaking, camp counseling, and serving as an English tour guide for a one-of-a-kind dinosaur exhibition in Hong Kong, I thought teaching English would be a breeze.
So far, teaching English was not as hard as I thought it would be. I mean, I’ve taken care of groups of kids on mountain trips before, so managing a classroom should be a piece of cake.
What I didn’t expect was how teaching super simple words gave me a mind-blowing perspective on how I could take my Breaking to the next level.
And it all started with the ABCs.
How to Write the Letter A
As a breaker, we’ve heard plenty of times from pioneers that foundation is key. This is a total no-brainer if you've been in the Breaking scene for more than five years or watched enough interviews from the greats.
But let’s take a step back with an English teaching analogy.
We all know what is the letter “A”.
Well, how do you write the letter? How do you hold your pencil to write it down? How do you say the letter “A” with the various English accents we have? Why does the letter “A” sound different when you combine it with other vowels?
I think you get the gist of what I’m trying to illustrate.
Let’s try another one. Here’s one lesson I had to teach recently. I was tasked to teach my students the differences between countable nouns and uncountable nouns. I’ll be straight up.
I had no idea what the f*ck they were.
Before my English class, I quickly reviewed the two types of nouns. Apparently, countable nouns refer to things that can be counted, such as “book” or “chair.” Uncountable nouns, on the other hand, refer to things that cannot be counted, such as “water” or “furniture.”
On top of that, I also had to explain to my students when to properly use the words ‘some’ and ‘any’ with the right types of nouns. Again, I had no idea when the f*ck to use these two words.
Just to be clear, I have no difficulty using these words properly. As an English native, many of these words and sentence structures feel instinctual to me.
I can say them correctly and all, but I guess I got so comfortable with English over the years that I forgot their basic rules and didn’t know how to explain them to a bunch of kids.
As the iconic Albert Einstein once said,
"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough."
Re-Learning ABCs and Baby Freezes
A few weeks ago, I took a Champions workshop held by Bboy Moy and Bboy Jeremy from the legendary Havikoro crew. I ain’t gonna ruin the surprise by explaining how life-changing that workshop was.
But let me tell you. Worth every dime.
During the three-hour workshop, Bboy Moy and Bboy Jeremy emphasized the significance of having a solid foundation in Breaking. Their breakdown of the fundamental elements was on point. After the workshop, the four key takeaways that resonated with me were the following:
Simple, Clean, Intent, Clarity.
Any breaker can do a basic baby freeze. But how’s your form? How many entrances and exits do you have for the baby freeze? Did you get variations? What about both sides?
I think you get the gist of what I’m trying to illustrate.
And yes, repeating that Eminem GIF was not a mistake.
Just like in English writing, every word and sentence in our message should have a clear intention and purpose, and this can be achieved through a simple and clean writing style that reflects our own unique style.
While using advanced vocabulary can be impressive, it can also create a cluttered and confusing message if not executed with intent and clarity. In other words, excessive use of advanced vocabulary without a clear purpose can look messier than a Jackson Pollock painting in a bedroom.
While we can appreciate one’s creativity, organizing our ideas and thoughts can ultimately help to illustrate them even better. And contrary to popular belief, going back to the basics is not a negative step backward. In fact, it can be the step forward that we need to take in order to refine our skills and achieve greater success — whether it's for re-learning English or Breaking fundamentals.
Revisiting the Fundamentals: Elevating to New Heights
In my opinion, “revisiting” is a more appropriate term than “back to basics.” The latter implies starting from scratch, whereas the former suggests taking a fresh look at what we already know and making sure we haven’t missed anything.
Right now, I’m in the process of revisiting the fundamentals of Breaking, specifically in terms of freezes. Although I’ve been in the game for a while, I’ve recognized that I haven’t given this element the attention it deserves.
A Breaking round without a killer freeze is like a joke without a punchline — it falls flat and leaves the audience feeling disappointed.
Talk about blue balls huh?
1 step back, 2 steps forward.
Who knows what we will discover when we revisit the lessons that kickstarted our journey in Breaking, English, or any medium?
Peace!
Contact Me
- LinkedIn: Erryl Ho
- Email: sendtodirte@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.errylclassicz.com/
- YouTube: https://youtube.com/@dirteclassicz
