Breaking
Hong 10 may have already achieved legendary status, but the South Korean b-boy is still taking on new challenges. Find out what motivates him to keep going.
In a career spanning more than two decades, Hong 10 has won three Red Bull BC One titles, had a move named after him – the famous Hong 10 freeze – and is known for his many variations on the power move of halos. He also won titles on almost every big stage in breaking, including UK B-Boy Championships, Freestyle Session and the Silverback Open. Recently, he competed in the first-ever breaking competition at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Now in his mid-30s and having achieved so much, the question is what keeps him motivated to compete, keep pushing himself in training and continue to raise the standards of what is seen as possible?
01
Finding new challenges
In the past three years, Hong 10 has put his stamina, battle ability and reputation to the test by competing in an enormous amount of rounds in tournament and exhibition battles.
In 2020, he accepted a call-out battle from B-Boy Harricane from Taiwan. The battle was 32-rounds long, with the winner of each round decided by judges. Hong 10 produced a flawless victory, not losing a single round.
The following year he tested himself again, this time in Las Vegas, as he battled 10 breakers in a row, without a break. Again, the winner of each round was decided by judges and Hong 10 was victorious, winning six rounds out of 10.
Not stopping there, this year Hong 10 travelled to New York City and battled 10 local breakers. The battle was not judged this time but instead was a 20-round exhibition, again with no breaks, pushing Hong 10 even further.
The Korean breaker produced unbelievable performances in all three battle challenges but admits that battling 10 breakers in back-to-back rounds was far from easy.
He says: “The Las Vegas and New York battles were both tough, especially the second one in New York. I don’t even want to think about it anymore, it was so hard, but I’m proud of myself for making it through them both.”
Click on the video below to watch Hong 10 battle it out with Junior in the lead-up to Red Bull BC One World Final 2018.
02
Continued excellence through a consistent approach to training
Being able to battle for such a sustained amount of time requires incredible stamina, which is why Hong 10 still trains extremely hard. “My training is the same as it’s always been,” he says. “It’s changed a little bit but only a little, because I like how I train. And when the battle is coming, I start to train for that only.”
In order to stay in shape, Hong 10 has an exercise routine he does every day. He also tries to practice more than five times a week, usually in the evenings after a workout.
When preparing for the challenging battles in Las Vegas and New York, Hong 10 followed the same straight-forward training routine.
He explains: “When I was getting ready for those battles I had three challenges. Firstly to make 20 moves, secondly to remember all of those 20 moves and finally to build the stamina to be able to do 20 rounds back-to-back. It’s not perfect but I did it twice.”
Having 20 rounds prepared and ready is a lot for any highly skilled breaker, but Hong 10 finds true enjoyment in the creation process, saying: "Making new moves is always my favourite thing to do.”
When it comes to how he remembers all his rounds, during the pressure of the battle, he explains: “I’m just good at remembering.” But being the veteran that he is, he does admit that he has some methods he still keeps to himself. "There’s a certain way to remember everything, but it’s my secret.”
Ultimately, Hong 10 has stayed true to the method of training that has always worked for him. His simple and practical approach has allowed him to keep evolving and stay consistent in the quality and level of his breaking.
03
Staying inspired for longevity
It may come as a surprise to hear that Hong 10 actually wanted to stop competing after he won his second Red Bull BC One world title in 2013, but his love for breaking kept him going.
Now it seems his perspective on competitions has changed. "Every competition is kind of a bonus in life," he says, before explaining that he wants to see how long he can continue to keep breaking and competing. "Hopefully, I'll be dancing longer than everyone expected.”
All the amazing breakers on the scene are also a constant source of fuel that drives Hong 10 to continue. “I think because there are so many great dancers, this scene never gets boring," he says. "They give me motivation and inspiration that makes me keep wanting to do this.”
Hong 10 also truly loves being around the younger generation of breakers as they work to make a name for themselves.
He says: “The young guns are so crazy, I think they are next level. Winning or losing against them doesn’t matter to me, I just want to be able to see them with my own eyes, which is why I keep competing against them or teaming up to battle with them.”