links to use - http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_entertainment/176220.html http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/movies/reviews/5782676.html http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/27/DD3OVQBLM.DTL
Gamblerz are a South Korean B-Boy crew, well known for winning first place in Battle of the Year 2004, as well as there proficient power moves and combos. They have made several instructional breaking videos for Korean television on the ENT station, starred in a number of commercials, and also appeared in the Korean TV show Star King.
They have a second crew, a junior crew, called Bust Gambler, which officially formed in 2006.
Achievements edit
- 1st place crew battle BOTY Korea 2003 (WIN vs Last For One)
- 3rd place crew battle BOTY International 2003 (WIN vs Fireworks)
- 2nd place crew battle Hip Hop Planet 2004 (LOSS vs Rivers crew)
- 1st place crew battle BOTY Korea 2004 (WIN vs Drifterz)
- 1st place crew battle BOTY International 2004 (WIN vs Fantastik Armada)
- 3rd place crew battle BOTY International 2005 (WIN vs Phase T)
- 1st place crew battle BBoy Hodown 2006 (WIN vs Vicious Turkeys, Vicious Germz + Jive Turkeys)
- 1st place crew battle Olympic Trophée Master 2007 (WIN vs Legiteam Obstruxion)
- 1st place crew battle R16 Korea 2008 (WIN vs Drifterz)
- 1st place crew battle R16 International 2008 (WIN vs Top 9)
- 1st place crew battle Olympic Trophée Master 2009 (WIN vs Top 9)
- 1st place crew battle BOTY Korea 2009 (WIN vs Maximum (breakdance crew))
- 1st place crew battle BOTY International 2009 (Win vs Top 9)
- Crew members invited to The Notorious IBE (a premier BBoying event, in which well-known BBoys from certain areas are invited to form a team for their country/region) include:
•The End (2005/2008)
Coincidentally, The End has also participated in the individual Red Bull BC One event and finished 4th in 2006, notably remarkable due to using primarily difficult power move combination's, and a lack of Footwork and Toprock.
•Darkness (2005)
•Bruce Lee (2005)
In 2008, the rule of 1 per crew was in affect.
Crew members edit
Gamblerz Crew edit
•Kim Yeon Soo a.k.a "The End" (김연수) •Sick (Crew spokesman) •Hong Sung Sik a.k.a "Noodle" •Hong Sung Jin a.k.a "Pop" •Lee Jun Hok a.k.a "Soul Soy" •Shin Kyu Sang a.k.a "Bruce Lee" •So Jae Hwan a.k.a King So (also member of "CAY CREW") - (Born 10/25/1983) •Park Ji Hoon a.k.a "Still"
Bust Gambler edit
•Furious •Lim Suk Yong a.k.a "Zesty" •Rush (Born 5/25/1988) •Blast (Born 5/22/1986) •Jang Soo Yong a.k.a "Hound" •SSun
BBoy Darkness & letter edit
BBoy Darkness (former spokesperson for Gamblerz) left sometime in 2008 to restart "Gambler Crew" with other bboys including Lazer, Music, Sebin. Smile Sick is now the new leader of Gamblerz, taking over the role of Darkness with him now gone.
However, some rumors indicate he may have been kicked out for certain reasons.
He (Darkness) would later write:
Firstly, I'd like to say that I feel very apologetic to convey this news to the members of the Gambler Fan Website, to bboy manias and to Gambler fans. But I write this in the hope that if you could just read what I have to say, then you would understand.
Everything started in 2002. My life was full of so many ups and downs. Gambler was...
The main six members of the officially formed Gambler was Jung-dae Kim (Music), Kyung-ho Chang (Darkness), Se-bin Oh, Kwang-sun Lee (Lazer), Ji-Hoon Park (Still) and Kyu-Sang Shin (Bruce Lee). These were the people who have worked into making Gambler what it is today (So and The End (KYS) were regional members).
Due to B-boy Music's hiatus from dancing, I changed Gambler to Gamblerz Crew and managed it myself until today. Meanwhile, Music, Sebin and Lazer came back, and we began to dance under our original name of Gambler. B-boy Music was the original founder of Gambler, and it's no exaggeration to say that the history of Gambler began with him. You can tell how important he was in our crew just by the fact that he chose the main six members himself. He left Gambler temporarily to pursue other activities, but he has returned to reform the group, and I feel that my status as the representative of Gamblerz Crew speaks for itself. Sebin, also one of the original members of Gambler -- he went on to form Maximum Crew -- and a b-boy who has shared many glorious moments with Gambler, has decided to rejoin us too. And the legend of headspins, the subject of much curiosity to many fans, B-boy Lazer is also joining us and will be dancing under our original name 'Gambler.'
The current 13 members of Gamblerz Crew will dance separately from us, and will continue to follow each of their ideals and move forward to achieve their goals. They will each face their own new challenges and I truly hope that their dreams will be realized.
'Gambler's' motto is 'Happy b-boying.'
It's also 'enjoy b-boying,' but I want to define it as 'happy b-boying.' Happy B-boying! Isn't this the fundamental reason why we all dance? I start with a fresh mind, to make a b-boying scene where not only Gambler but all Korean b-boys can be happy and can enjoy b-boying; hoping to upgrade the Korean b-boying scene and to help it develop more in terms of the b-boying spirit, so that more people can learn about b-boying and understand it, approach it and enjoy it, and find happiness in that enjoyment; so that everyone can pursue happy b-boying. In order to do that, I would need all of your support.
In accordance with our motto of Happy B-boying, Gambler will respect each member's private life and activity. For example ,Sebin and I have made a team called 'MoSt mOdeRn' where we will attempt more experimental and bold b-boying, making it an art form. We will dance as both Gambler and MoSt mOdeRn and continue to pursue a better life as b-boys. Other members will continue to dance under their respective crews (Able, Battler, Super Dream Team, All-Star Breakers, etc); we have come together to dance as Gambler because we want to be happy.
Gambler, which I will be running, has some different founding concepts than other teams, and will be an experimental system.
The current Gamblerz Crew (main members being centered on Still, Bruce Lee and SoulSoy, with So, The End, and the members who have joined since) will continue to dance as one crew and will pursue not only b-boying but their own individual dreams. I completely understand their decisions. I hope that they will continue to do well in international battles and spread the name of Gamblerz Crew and Korea around the world. They have really worked amazingly hard and are great b-boys. I hope you will give them your unending support and cheer, and continue to do so.
I guess you're all bewildered at this sudden situation.
This is a brief explanation. I thought that it was time to clear away the old, stagnant things in myself. I have to do that in order to let new things enter. Recently, I've thought a lot of things as I lead Gamblerz Crew. While Gamblerz Crew was becoming more and more famous, I couldn't help but feel that I was disappearing. It was an ironic situation, but since I was involved in Gamblerz Crew I really couldn't do anything about it. I was conscious of the situation but it didn't really help me change. My body was always practising, so I started thinking and writing a lot of stuff. Of course, I don't deny that there was a certain 'trigger' that caused Gambler and Gamblerz Crew to separate. But before that, I came face-to-face with the question of 'Am I Happy?' What did happiness mean for me? What was my relationship with Gamblerz Crew? What was my relationship with the members? My answer was that 'there is nothing.'
So I tried to find a new kind of happiness and in my interactions with the original members of Gambler I found a way to that. I realized that spiritual happiness from depending on one another was more important than visual material success. And the justification for it came from a completely unexpected place. It was a chance for me to clear away any leftovers or emotional residue. I have always done my best, the justification proves my effort. I have always valued honesty, trust and friendship, and those are my principles of life. This is why I can be honest and upright to everyone when I say that we are going separate ways.
Until now, I have worked hard for Gamblerz Crew, hard enough to think that I have a right to defend myself. I have experienced and learned and found a great many things as a member of the crew. And these experiences and this knowledge have become a part of me, have continued to be a part of me until now. Regardless of size, it helped me realize and sense a lot of things and will forever exist within me. I have realized what happy b-boying is, and I am going to realize my dream now.
I don't want to enter battle competitions and win with Gambler. All I want to do is dance, as Gambler, on stage, remain Gambler, be with Gambler and dance with them. I want to find my joy in that. I look forward to seeing Gamblerz Crew in various tournaments both in and out of Korea.
Gamblerz Fan Website will from now on become a website for Korean b-boys in general.
Darkness. I really liked this name from the beginning. It wasn't just the 'dark' part, but there was something I couldn't explain. A while ago I learned that they use 'dark' to define the Chinese character '玄' (hyun) rather than 'black'. It also incorporates meanings like 'deep' and 'profound.' In philosophy it would mean endlessly deep and wise. I think this explains what I can't. I'd like to be that person (I've still got a long way to go). But I will work hard to become the kind of Darkness that befits my name and I promise everyone that I will continue to dance more and more.
I wanted freedom and I feel I have obtained it now.
I told you once, be free.
I'm going to follow that own sentiment now.
A life that isn't bound to anything.
This is true for me and also for Gambler.
Please don't assume or suggsest anything as to the reason why Gamblerz are separating, but watch me as I go forward and give me good suggestions that will give me strength. Just think of it coolly and simply, and that will make it easier for all.
Original Gambler edit
The original "Gambler" crew was founded by BBoy Music, and noted for many including as Lazer, Musik, Sebin, and Darkness, as well as a number of others. Later on, Gamblerz crew would recruit a number of new talent, hence the differentiation between the "Original Gambler" vs the current Gamblerz. As for reasons in which these four members left, Lazer is said to have suffered a neck injury (? 2006), Musik quit bboying (? - 2005), Sebin started Maximum Crew (? 2004), and Darkness would eventually leave in 2008. The original crew was reformed and brought back by Music and Darkness as of 2008. Former Red Bull BC One 2004 contender, Eagle 1, has now joined along with old school Gamblerz member, Lazer.
•Darkness •Eagle 1 •Music •Sebin •Lazer •Al