B-Boy Mouse

Life of a Bboy

Bboy Mouse has represented the Philippines, flying the flag high in every move possible, all in his master plan to give back home, the recognition the Philippines deserves.

Having explored almost every ‘happening’ place around the world, he has witnessed crowds of hip-hop fanatics, followers in bboy lifestyles and has branded his name in UK bboying.

Working hard to get where he is, he now savours his success, but doesn’t take it for granted. Soaked deep in the bboy culture but out long enough to breathe civilization, Mouse takes care of his family, enjoys life and still has the time to sit and chill with new-manila.

His mellow aura is infective, and we got talking about the most relaxed auspicious things, from our trips to Singapore and New York , how to cook a real feast and exchanged stories about female reasoning.

Filipino to the core in everyway, his success in inspiring and he now stands at the fore front of a movement, in recognising Filipino talent in the UK . All he ever wanted was to dance, but a determined mind, focused with powering ambition and confidence, has the most fulfilling results, guaranteed you’ll feel ecstatic, he does and he feels great.

Tell me about 'Life of a bboy'?

It’s a theatre piece about 3 dancers, one bboy, one house dancer and one popper. We talk about our own lives, through the hardship, glory and the pitfall of things, trying to make it as a dancer. That’s what ‘Life of a boy’ is.

My life?.. it’s exciting.

Your beginnings..

I’ve always wanted to dance. When I first saw bboying, it looked like they were flying, even their footwork, it was so fast and they’re doing different shapes with their bodies. When I saw that, I wanted to experiment and do my own stuff, my own shapes, but not looking the same as anyone else.

Who inspired you?

The first bboy I saw was Tuf Tim, Rock Steady crew. I wanted to join the crew but they said no. So I said I’d practise by myself and I told them I’m gonna beat them. If you don’t want me in the crew, I have to beat you.

The guy who inspired me and keeps me dancing till now is this guy called Reveal, he’s Filipino. That’s why I’m still dancing, there’s a lot of Filipino bboys trying to be famous, so we can go back home and share it.

Is Philippines ready for bboys?

Philippines is traditional and don’t see bboying much, but we need to improve tourism. Like when I went to Korea , the biggest tourism in Korea is bboying. People travel to Korea to watch bboys. I want that to happen to the Philippines . The bboys need a lot of practice there. They need a studio, they need a lot of help from the government.

But in Korea , bboy is their thing, Could Philippines introduce a completely new kind of art?

Street dance is bigger than bboy right now. All Stars are repping the Philippines and are Hiphop champs (2006). I just want to put bboying on the map in the Philippines , there is no scene there and I want something like that to happen. We have to help them get money and help build their confidence.

I’ve always tried to represent the Philippines everywhere I go … that’s were I’m from. We need to show each other Filipinos can make it. Some of the Filipinos in the UK you can’t even say hello to them anymore? They forget where they’re from. They’ve had a hard life before, now they want to chill, they copy the life of the British, wanting to be posh, they shouldn’t.

Why Mouse?

When I was younger I use to go home from school, eat the food and go away, then go back to eat again at the end of the day. My dad use to say ‘you’re like a little mouse!’

What has never changed about you, that is still Filipino?

Everything, I haven’t changed. You either love me or hate me. I don’t care if you hate me, if you love me, thanks.

What performance alleviated you to bboy respect?

Definitely the UK Championships, when I won that 2006. Everybody started recognising me. People have known me for ages but when I won that, I gained a lot more respect and people gave me more time.

Is there a lot of things you have to prove when you battle?

For this year I have to defence my title, I have been practising hard, that’s why I am always tired and stuff. I work and then I practice.

I practice a new move for a whole week to perfect it, so I don’t have to think about it. I practice my moves constantly, embed it in my memory. Even if my eyes are closed or if I’m half drunk I can still do it.

Can you’re adrenaline invent new moves?

Yeah, if you run out of moves in a battle, that’s when you’re creativeness comes out and plays. That’s how it should be.

‘27 years old. I look old today because I’m hung-over, my crew didn’t let me sleep today?’

How would you describe your style?

Mouse style, I don’t know how to explain it. A friend told me my style is like a bouncy style, but it flows. I put everything in one set, dancing, footwork, toprock, freezes, freestyle and I add all the pieces that I learn.

What’s the craziest move you’ve ever done?

One and a half elbow truck, it’s like when you hop from one elbow to the other, but in a windmill. Instead of landing on the second elbow, you land on your back. I landed on my head.

How competitive does it get in a battle?

It’s very competitive, they call you names. I’ve got 6 fingers, so they always say that. I don’t care, I’m lucky, what about you? I wanna please myself, don’t wanna please anyone else. If they don’t like it then thank you.

People don’t know how to take me. Everywhere I go, they always practice hard before a battle. For me, if you do that you’ll get tired the next day. I practice a little bit, mess around. And they get pissed off with me, like ‘why u messing around, try to practice?’ but I’m like ‘I don’t want to practice, I’m ready’.

For them, they’re gonna underestimate me, thinking I’m not serious about it. But on the stage, I’ll show them me.

‘11 years bboying’

Mentally I’ll destroy him using words. It’s like, if you’re so angry, you can’t control yourself, you fall. It’s like martial arts, you gotta have focus, self-control and finesse. You gotta look fresh every time. You can’t go to a battle looking like a tramp.

What do you think about when you battle?

I just want to destroy the guy. If he’s doing something good, I will have to do better. I have to do something better than what he has just done and then the next round, I have to do even better than what I did the first round and better than what he done the second round.

There’s a lot of bboys that work out in their heads what tricks they’re gonna pull, making sure they do a spin, foot work, freeze. You can’t take that away from a bboy. You can freestyle, but if you have a set combo, you’ll get tired but not as much if you were to freestyle, because you already have that set in your mind. You just run it.

I write down some of my sets, because if I’m tired and a guy is blowing up, I just have to think in my head what stuff I can do. And I’m ready again, its all preparation too.

If you were to judge a competition, what do you look for in a bboy / bgirl?

I look at them and see if they’re an all-rounder, can they hold themselves from beginning to end. If they don’t have that or if they have broke-ass moves but can’t dance on beat? They’ve lost me already. If they can hit that beat in like a different way, that’s all that will do it for me. But I have to be open minded to judge.

What are your first priorities?

To give my kids a good life. I got two kids. My lifestyle is hectic. My happiest moment was when my daughter was born. I was scared but excited at the same time, that feeling of new responsibility. I had to work 4 jobs in the Philippines , one job is not enough. That’s the Filipino culture right there. Best things about Filipinos.

Bboy is my life, it’s a lifestyle. Whatever I do, bboy is there. I stayed in Luton first, there’s nothing there. They’re friendlier up north in Manchester , happy drunk lively people. London is hectic and it’s expensive.

When I go out, I only bring the bboys and bgirls that can battle properly and who I can hang out with. They’re really funny, they always hit on girls, bboys are like that.

I’ll be drinking again tonight. I just won a competition last weekend and they saw my money and said ‘yeah, were gonna play poker, were gonna get your money’. I say I can’t play.. I can, but I’m gonna haggle them tonight.

Travelling is a part of your life, what is that like?

I’ve been to Brazil in San Paolo, it’s amazing there, but it’s so dangerous, they won’t let us like walk around on our own and stuff. I did, like they say I look Spanish and stuff. I like LA, you’ll find local freaks there. You can wear anything you want, and no one will tell you nothing. Or if you set a trend and they see you, everyone is doing it the next day.

'I love Singapore... Korea is crazy...'

America is so big, and is controlled by the government. Sometimes in the news, they won’t tell you what’s going on around the world. They’re oblivious to everything that is going on.

I make new friends everywhere I go, but I can only have one crew, Soul Mavericks. I’m in Children of the Monkey Basket, the Radical Force crew, Breaklight. I’ve been in Natural Effects since day one.

Breaklife is a group of old guys who educate young cats not to give up on what they love doing because of all the hardship in life. Saying if you got no money, you gotta make money, you can make money while you’re dancing.

‘Keep dancing, don’t be fooled by others. Keep doing what you’re doing.’

What has been your successes?

When I won the UK Championship 2006. To be in a bboy game and to put the flag on the game.

I’m putting bboys on the map for the UK , but they know me as Mouse representing the Philippines .

Every time I get a pay check I buy a new pair of trainers. Pay my bills, pay my mortgage, send money home. My body is my tool to getting more money. I need to get a massage, need to look the part. Not luxuries.

What’s the fame like for you?

In England when you’re trying to make it, they’re trying to pull you down. They’re hating on you because you’re good, they’re just jealous, I just laugh at them. Anywhere around the world, everybody changes their view on you because you’re in a game, they’ve never talked to me before, why now? I’m still the same person.

I’m an easy-going person, everybody can get on with me, the people that hate me are the people who don’t know me and are assuming I’m a big-head straight away. Sometimes I’ll chase them and say ‘come here, let me buy you a cup of tea or something’ and I’ll ask them, why do you hate me? And they can’t say anything, they don’t know why they hate me.

Do you feel like you’re lucky or do you feel like you’ve worked hard for it?

I worked really hard for it. It’s not about luck, it’s about working hard.

As a role-model, who is your biggest fan?

My son, he watches me, copies what I do and says ‘I wanna battle you’. He likes my shows and he likes me doing flips, he tries to do flips, he can’t do it, he nearly broke his neck. But they’re kids, they have no fear.

If you weren’t bboying what would you be doing?

I’d be a chef. Im a qualified chef. My top three dishes has to be Adobo, Sarciado and Tinola. I cook for my crew all the time.

Want to know what Bboy Mouse thinks about females? It wasn’t quite part of the interview, but he openly tells us the juicy parts...

Females need emotion, reassurance, males are blunt. Females should stand up more and be strong, but they always fall for the guy.

If a female falls in love with a man, the man needs to be careful, because he doesn’t want the wrath of a female. Because when they go back to you, they don’t need to do anything to you, they’re just gonna mess you up emotional.

When you’re young, you fall in love with a female and they just break your heart. You’re so young, you don’t know anything, you fall in love with the next girl, and they break your heart again. So when you get older, you start to realise and say ‘I don’t know why I do this to myself?’

I trust a lot of woman, woman is the most important specie on this earth. If it wasn’t for the females, what are the men gonna do? We’re just gonna start a war all the time, kill each other and stuff.

‘it’s not the move.. it’s the groove’

To everybody that dances, that’s all I tell them. When you’re younger all you wanna do is moves. But this is bboying, it’s called break dance. You gotta dance to the break beat. Bboy stands for break boy. Boys that dance on a break. But im a b-man, a break-man.

What the best advice you’ve even had?

Captain Twist: ‘Don’t believe the hype, always keep you’re guard up and just dance’.