Top breaking tricks: Jaw-dropping moves we may see at Breaking for Gold 2023 Rio event live on Olympic Channel
Want to know what to watch out for at Breaking for Gold in Rio de Janeiro? We asked some top breakers to explain the basic tricks.
Breaking
Top Rock, Go Down, Freeze, Power Move.
A weird combination of words that make no sense? Not quite. In fact, they are all names of moves used in breaking battles.
The latest breaking Olympic qualifier is upon us as the Breaking for Gold series heads to Rio de Janeiro from 14–16 April.
And ahead of that, here is a simple Olympics.com primer on some of the basic moves seen in the sport to watch out for, with live coverage of the BfG action available on Olympic Channel via Olympics.com (territorial restrictions apply).
The basic breaking elements
Spanish B-boy Xak recently explained five elements to Olympics.com that every breaker knows.
Top Rock and Go Down
The basis of any breaking battle, Top Rock is when the breaker dances while on foot, preparing to Go Down – that is, to move to a position on the floor.
"Top Rock is when you are dancing standing up and doing different movements," according to Xak. "Go Down is the way of transitioning from Top Rock to footwork, how you move from being on your feet to move down."
Footwork
This isn't a name for a trick, exactly - footwork is what you might imagine, styling it out with a breaker's feet. Xak says: "The DNA of breaking, (performed) with the hands on the floor. It's something every B-boy needs to know how to do. When you see this movement, you know it's breaking.
"It's used as a transition between movements, and is based on kicks and circles with the legs."
Freeze
The freeze is when a breaker holds his or her body in place for a few seconds, normally off the floor with only their hands for support.
Xak explains: "The freeze is a stop in position. The body is completely static, and normally freezes are upside-down positions – doing a handstand, or holding the body on the elbow or the head.
Power Move
Some of the most dynamic moves and tricks in any breaking battle are the Power Moves.
"They are movements with twists that are inspired by artistic gymnastics," Xak explains.
Power Moves often see the B-boys and B-girls twist and turn their entire bodies, using everything as support and sometimes in combination with, or ending in, a freeze.
The intricacies of breaking elements
B-boy Shigekix of Japan, the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games bronze medallist, explains the intricacies of three of the basic categories described above.
Specifically, here he demonstrates the 2 step (a type of Top Rock), CC (a type of footwork), and Chair freeze (you guessed it, a type of freeze).
Discover all about breaking
Still lost in the dust? Don't fret, check out our in-depth guide on what exactly breaking is, as explained by B-boy MG of Slovakia.
And how did breaking come about to be an art form and a sport? Discover the history of breaking, as explained by Mounir Biba, a judge at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.