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Rafael Lovato got me thinking about Bboying and Creativity

Here's a cool mini-documentary about Rafael Lovato, the second American to win a black belt gold medal at the Mundials (or World Championships).  The Mundials, which are held annually, is the most prestigious gi tournament in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

In this 16-minute short, "We Are Artists," Lovato talks about his journey into jiu jitsu and the martial arts more generally.  Specifically, he talks about jiu jitsu as a vehicle for creative self-expression.  I like the part where he talks about being inspired by other people in training. He talks about how his signature game is shaped by the different kinds of challenges he faces while training with different people.

Anyways, the Lovato documentary got me thinking tonight.  It reminded me of a documentary I saw recently about Bboy Roxrite, one of my favorite Bboys (breakdancers) in the game.  Roxrite is a two-time Red Bull BC One champion.  The BC One is an international invitational that takes place every year.  It pits top Bboys against one another in a round robin format.


In one part of this short, Roxrite talks about his style of Bboying and how he developed it practicing alone.  The video shows him practicing in a tight space with a coach watching him.  He talks about how this helped him develop good control over his body.  I found this part fascinating, because he is known in the Bboy world for being very clean and precise in his movements.  For example, check out this video.  You'll get a quick sample of what I mean.  Many of his freezes flow seamlessly out of his footwork.  He always seems locked into the music and never appears out of control.

Anyways, this has been a little bit of a ramble, but I'd be curious if you had other examples of how people develop "signature techniques"?  Do they do it alone or with others?  How did they learn how to do it?  I find creativity to be a really fascinating thing and hope others share cool stories! Peace. 
















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