Karam Singh is a clean cut, well spoken, humble young man who takes nothing for granted in his life, which may seem completely opposite to the way he throws his body into dynamic, risk taking, power moves as bboy Kid Karam. But if you watch him closely when he breaks you’ll see that the speed might be immense but, just like his life, Karam has things completely under control.
Karam has been competing nationally and internationally since he was 10 years old, and the list of breaking accolades he’s achieved are so accomplished his home city of Derby honoured him by engraving his name on an iron cast star plaque on the ground of the city’s walk of fame. The youngest ever recipient of the award, it’s no surprise when you learn that, in 2019, Karam won the UK Bboy Championship title and in 2021 he won the UK National Trials, ranking him the number one bboy in the country. Things don’t stop there. In 2022 the Breaking European Championships were held in Manchester, and Karam won the silver medal in front of a screaming, supportive home crowd. His win resulted in him being the first breaker in UK history to earn a spot on Team GB for the 2023 European Games in Poland.
These accomplishments don’t even include Karam’s work with youth and victories aboard, but even more impressive is the fact that Karam achieved all of this while working a part-time job as a sales advisor in a call centre, and studying a sports coaching and development degree at Derby University.
“You work out what you need to do on a daily to weekly schedule and then fi t training in wherever and whenever you can, but you have to sacrifi ce certain things like going out with friends. Finding the balance can be hard but once you do it’s amazing,” Karam told LK when asked how he managed to balance work, study and training to compete.
Gaining such notable results through his disciplined work ethic of “whatever you put in, you get out,” it’s no surprise that Nike took notice and, in 2022, Karam became the fi rst Nike-sponsored UK bboy, which has undoubtedly changed his life. “Having the Nike sponsorship behind me is empowering. I’ve been able to quit work and just focus on what I love,” said Karam.
The pressures of breaking reminds me of who I am and what I’m capable of, which allows me to come alive
Pressure and reward Right now, Karam is the poster boy for success as a competitive breaker. But with that success comes the pressure of having to consistently prove himself in competition against breakers wanting to take his shine for themselves. Karam is open and honest when LK asked about this, saying: “Sometimes I just want to chill and enjoy the way I dance, but I can’t because I know people have an expectation of me to win or just do certain crazy moves, when actually I don’t enjoy that.”
But any competitive breaker will tell you that you don’t succeed in that world without learning to thrive under pressure. You have to embrace and enjoy it. “The pressure reminds me of who I am and what I’m capable of, which allows me to come alive, play off it and almost show off .”
Karam went on to tell LK about the mental resilience needed to be an elite level breaker, with sage advice: “You have to be resilient because for a long while you’ll lose so make sure you see the losses as lessons. Always be a student and constantly set goals to have direction. Travelling is one of the most important things for progress and earning your stripes. But, as serious as it is, always make sure you have fun, and remember it’s not what you do but how you do it.”
Ultimately, Karam is thankful for the blessings and rewards his hard work has brought him, saying: “Breaking made me who I am and I’m really happy with the person I’ve become. I’m able to do things I dreamed of as a youngster and take care of my family, which makes me happy.”
