What does it take to endure the rigours of breaking – a tough sport with an even tougher schedule? “Competition days are hostile, nerve-wracking and very physically draining,” the UK’s leading B-Boy, Karam Singh (AKA KK), tells LK. The pressure can be unrelenting, too. “Battles go from zero to 100, for 30-60 seconds. You’ll have moments to catch your breath, then it’s zero to 100 again. Just one slip-up can ruin your chances.”
That’s just one competition’s work. With breaking now an Olympic sport, the top talent can expect to compete every week, almost anywhere in the world. Karam’s PT Kirk Gibbons likens the modern breaker’s schedule to that of a pro footballer – without the off season. “His calendar is back to back,” Kirk explains. “He’ll be in Brazil, France, then China, weekend after weekend.”
TRAINING BREAKDOWN
That’s not to say Kirk goes easy on Karam. “I never want him to hold back,” says the former amateur boxer, outlining the brutal HIIT sessions (left and right) he uses to get Karam battle ready. “I want his 80% to be everyone else’s 90%. I’m always telling him if you’re feeling it, they’re feeling it more.”
Kirk wants Karam to be as mentally strong as he is physically. On a typical training day, Karam spends two hours perfecting hisroutines and another two fi ne-tuning his athleticism with plyometric moves, sprints and calisthenics.
ARTISTIC IMPRESSION
While his schedule might mirror that of an elite sprinter, Karam believes his sport is about “being an artist as much as being an athlete”. “It’s about creating moments, and you can only do that when you’re enjoying yourself,” he says. “Breaking can be a lonely journey,” admits Karam. “But if you feel good, you dance good, and creating new moves always makes me fall back in love with what I do.”
