On behalf of the Board of Directors, we want to update you on our search for new leadership. For the past couple of months our Vice President, Ian Flaws, has served as the interim president of the organization. He has made clear that he does not intend to retain the position and would prefer an open call to fill the role from within our membership.
Our mission has always been to be inclusive and democratic, to allow our members the opportunity to get involved with the work needed. The role of the President is crucial and we are confident there are members within USA Breakin' who will lead our organization to further recognition and success.
We are looking for professionals who have strong connections within the Breakin community, ample professional experience (perhaps even non-profit) and 5 -10 hours a week to work as a volunteer.
To be considered we are asking for a resume and a cover letter detailing your professional strengths and involvement in the Breakin' community.
With your help, we will continue our mission of building a grassroots representative organization from within the Breakin community to represent Breakers in the United States.
Please send your resume, cover letter, and headshot to: VP@usabreakin.org no later than September 7th 2021.
– USA Breakin' Board of Directors
The current BoD consists of Dancers, Professionals, Athletes, and Studio Owners to align Breakin’ in National and International governing bodies through a democratic process. The BoD works for the greater culture and community to plan, structure, finance, support and grow Breakin’ as a dance sport. The BoD strives to ensure the dance athlete and professional are properly and fairly represented.
Felix Sama is a Cuban American that can speak and entertain in both English and Spanish, when it comes to rockin the 1s and 2s it's always a movie…
Felix moved from Chicago to Miami as a young teen and began the art of Breakin in the streets of North Miami when he met up with longtime friends, Mix Magician AD, OZ Rock and Flex " these guys were his teachers and the reason he fell in love with breakin" Felix is also a music producer, worked with some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry to include acts like Pitbull, Fulanito, Tito Puente Jr and Don Dinero. He graduated from the prestigious Full Sail Recording for the Arts which has helped in assisting him with his musical career. Sama has had number 1 rated radio shows on Power 96, Mega 949, Hot 105, I Heart Radio's 939 MIA and MIA 921 in West Palm Beach to name a few.
"I have had great mentors throughout my radio career like Bo Griffin RIP"
Dj Sama also founded the first ever Dj School back in 2000 called The Rhythm City Dj School, it was located in North Miami Florida, "I got tired of hearing up and coming Djs lack certain skills to really reign supreme on the turntables, and I decided that like minded Pro Djs like myself need to have an environment to teach the next generation of Djs" Jam Master Jay of RUN DMC went to the Rhythm City Dj School back in 2001 and was so inspired by what he saw, it motivated him to create his own school which everyone knows as the famous Scratch Academy, Dj Sama also found success in partnering up with the Connecticut School Of Broadcasting where he started a Dj training division, and also went on to offer Dj clinics at many non profit organizations such as the YMCA, Tracy Mourning's Honey Shine Program in Miami, and The Overtown Youth Center founded by Former Heat Player Alonzo Mourning, Sama has also hosted various Television shows for Telemundo, UpBeat & The Roof TV Show which shot to #1 on the MUN 2 Network, Sama has also co-starred in theater shows for the Adrienne Arsht Center, The Donkey Show a Studio 54 revival.
Dj Sama has enthusiastically taken on the role as president of USA Breakin because he feels that with the right team amazing opportunities for B.Boys and B.Girls can be created that don't currently exist, "Listen truth be told if you really want to make a career out of this at some point it's gotta pay you enough to quit your side gig, you also need the right coaches and trainers to take you to the the next level when you crash, we want to help you overcome those obstacles through programs and endorsement opportunities for the top Breakers competing and the up and comers as well. Now that Breakin is going to the 2024 Paris Olympics the future is bright but the journey starts now with USA Breakin.
Michael is the founder and owner of Miami Bboy Academy, Florida’s first premier dedicated Breakin’ facility. The Academy boasts a team of professional instructors who have more than 30 combined years of experience in breakin’, Martial Arts, Fitness, Entertainment, Dance and Coaching…
Michael’s mission is to promote the art of breakin’ by reaching out, educating, and inspiring today’s youth. Michael is a Dancer/Martial artist with 20 yrs of extensive experience in the use of movement, gestures, training, motivating clients, mentoring students, and helping athletes meet their goals. Michael was always into music. His love began at the age of 4, when he started learning piano. After 10 years, he started to pursue other instruments. At the age of 14, he took up playing the French Horn/Mellophone & Trumpet in high school. It was in High School that he was introduced to Breakin’ and life took a different route. Michael also studied Kung-Fu/Canon Fist Style under Master Zhong Hong for 14 years competing and winning various competitions and titles. In October 2018 Michael traveled to the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina as the USA Ambassador. There he got to witness, capture, and document history in the making. Today, Michael is a part of the Competitive Breakin’ League and Co-founder of Future Force Crew. He envisions a future where breaking’ can be recognized as a sport and and be taught to everyone worldwide.
DJ Trails started organizing and promoting events in South Florida circa 1996. He has 25+ years of expertise in producing, DJing and hosting the largest Breakin' and special events across North America…
Experience:
Built one of first Breakin' websites in the world (1999) www.HipHopElements.com
First to professionally edit multi-angle Breakin' videos with animation (Pro-Am 2000)
Designed and edited the first Bboy magazine in the world (2002)
Associate Producer for $4MIL Sports & Music Festival (Beyond 2002)
Associate Producer for NAACP Youth Power Summit (2004)
Negotiated and consulted sponsorship with multi-national corporations
Numerous press appearances in TV, film, newspapers, magazines and online
Licensed original Breakin' music for DVD's distributed by international retail chains
25+ years proficiency in design and marketing with a degree in Digital Media
Founder of successful Integrative Medicine group with multiple locations, Integrative Medicine US
Doctorate + Masters in Acupuncture & Eastern Medicine + Bachelors in Health Science
• 4 National Board Certifications in: Bio-Medicine, Acupuncture, Herbology and Foundations of Eastern Medicine
• Licensed Primary Care Provider in the State of Florida
• Certifications in: Functional Medicine, Stem Cell Therapy, Regenerative Medicine, IV Therapy & Injections, Orthopedic Acupuncture & Sports Medicine
• Organized and hosted health expos and martial arts tournaments
• 17+ years teaching martial arts to professional & amateur fighters, children, special needs, first responders, mental health counselors, corporate and wellness retreats
• 8+ years as a referee for youth soccer working recreational, traveling and school leagues
Bboy Speedy Legs, born Ricardo Fernandez Jr, in Havana, Cuba is widely accredited for creating the blueprint for competitive breaking competitions in the United States…
His lifelong mission was always to get the art form of breaking recognized as an athletic sport. Raised in Miami with ties to NYC. He has been the driving force of the Florida Bboy scene since the 1980s and he’s considered one of the leading Hip Hop Dance innovators in the world, due to his contributions of co-founding the B-boy Masters Pro-Am & Hip Hop Elements. Speedy has over 40 years of experience as a professional dancer & choreographer. His performances include motion pictures, the off-Broadway show Jam On The Groove, & countless concerts alongside great artist such as: Run DMC, Afrika Bambaataa, Kool Herc, Wu-Tang Clan, Mos-Def, Beaine Man, & Buju Banton. In 2003, he was hired by Wyclef to choreograph & perform in the opening show of the SOURCE AWARDS Live on BET.During his long career, Mr. Fernandez has made numerous media appearances on ESPN, UPN, NBC, Univision, Telemundo, The New York Times, Washington Post, Miami Herald, Sun Sentinel, Stress, Source, Rap Pages, Blaze Magazine,The Miami New Times & hundreds of websites.
Mr. Fernandez was also the first B-Boy to work with the NAACP. Once the host of his own radio show and a DJ since 1987, Richard was constantly working as an entertainer & deeply involved with the community. Mr. Fernandez spent 25+ years teaching dance classes to under privileged children & young adults at centers like the Hollywood Police Athletic League, The Boys & Girls Club and various Miami recreation centers. Local newspapers & television stations have done story after story about his efforts to keep kids off the streets & involved in positive recreational activities.
Nelson “Trigga” Martinez was born and raised in the streets of Brooklyn, New York from Puerto Rican parents. He grew up playing handball, street football and softball while listening to music from the early70s and 80s where the birth of break dancing took place
Watching B-boys and B-girls dancing on flat cardboard boxes while providing his expertise as DJ with his boom box playing latin and hip hop beats on cassette tapes he produced covering areas in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx while break dancers did their magic while curious and excited crowds of people gathered wherever they planted themselves during the weekend. Later at night, Trigga would either roller skate at Park Circle in Brooklyn or at United Skates of America (USA) in Queens riding the graffitied number 7 train. That’s how art was recognized back then. He would also go to nightclubs at Roseland, Studio 54, the Tunnel, Limelight, Dancetaria, Inferno and many others enjoying his music passion.
As Trigga got close to graduating High School, he decided to follow the footsteps of his brother and brother in-laws by enlisting in the US Air Force at age 17 and later starting basic training after he graduated the following year in 1981. While he served in the military, Trigga continued his passion DJing as a second job, first stationed in South Korea for a year at a nightclub off base and at his following assignment at Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford near Boston, Massachusetts becoming a well-known mobile DJ on base and off base working at Marriott hotels for a private business throughout Massachusetts. He also played softball as a player and coach leading two individual softball teams, both winning championships in separate seasons.
After serving 7 years in Massachusetts, Trigga, not forgetting about his roots, temporarily relocated back home to Brooklyn where he would DJ at a local nightclub in the Wall Street district of Manhattan. A year later he relocated to Miami Beach, Florida and during the next 20 years, started his Independent Recordl abel, Trigga Entertainment managing recording artists, DJ’d at two nightclubs in South Beach and joined the Florida Chapter for the Grammys while continuing his military career later retiring as a Master Sergeant in 2012 completing 30 years. In 2014, Nelson “Trigga” Martinez relocated to Los Angeles, California where he continued his musicprofession managing recording artists while volunteering for a Veteran non-profit organization bringing his three step-daughters to serve food to disabled veterans at the VA Hospital in Long Beach especially during the holidays.
Trigga became a Track & Field Javelin Coach training 5-18 year olds competing in Regional, National and Jr Olympic Championships for the next 8 years. It included coaching his younges tstep-daughter, Ashley in javelin who averaged winning between 20-30 gold medals each year from2017-2022 traveling all over the country. It was an amazing, gratifying experience.
At present, in 2023, Trigga is doing what he loves to do, being able to continue his passions in music production, film & video, sports coaching and events management with his team of Masterminds later launching his new company later this year, Trigga Media Group. And finally being a part of the USABreakin family as the Executive Secretary since late 2022, it has truly been a blessing coming in full circle from growing up in the streets of Brooklyn, working stateside and other parts of the world whiles erving in the military, working Security for the Los Angeles Dodgers and as a Special Events Security Supervisor for another security company in Hollywood, Beverly Hills and other parts of Los Angeles escorting and protecting actors, actresses and recording artists at venues such as the Academy Awards,
Often referred to as the "mother of South Bay Hip Hop," Aiko has received numerous awards from across the country for her support of women and youth empowerment through Hip Hop.
Aiko Shirakawa was born and raised in San Jose California. She started dancing in a group called Quick Style all style dancers in 1983. She now dances with Jam Patrol since 2003, who have been together since 1979 and they are still performing to this day. Aiko has been mentoring and teaching the youth starting in 1992 at the Hank Lopez Community Center in San Jose California. When judging an event called Best of the Best, she along with two other judges enjoyed seeing breaking make a come back in the early 90’s. Aiko worked for the City of San Jose Parks and Recreation for nine years, organizing and hosting breaking/popping competitions such as Best of the Best, Step up, Take it to the Floor and so many more. In 1997 Aiko was the first woman to judge the well known German Breaking competition, Battle of the Year.
For the past 32 years Aiko has been working with the street dance community to help build on what the 1980’s gave us in street dance and for 29 years she has been organizing events for the dance community. The past 40 years Aiko has been dancing professionally and teaching as well as working with local dance groups creating choreography for performers.
Often referred to as the "mother of South Bay Hip Hop," Aiko has received numerous awards from across the country for her support of women and youth empowerment through Hip Hop.
In 2003 she was invited to join 5th Element as a mentor, host and organizer. Fifth Element is an organization that promotes women in Hip Hop who are artists by organizing shows/events that provide safe spaces to celebrate women through music and art. In 2006-2010 Aiko was included as one of the featured dancers in the film documentary “All the Ladies say”. This film was created by Rocafella of Full Circle who is a respected B-Girl. All of the years of work that Aiko has put in with the dance and hip hop communities has been a labor of love, it is and always will be what she has dedicated her life to. She is honored to be on the Board of Directors for USA Breakin as the Community Outreach representative since 2022 and is looking forward to bringing her skills to the table.
Born and raised in Homestead Florida. The influence of graffitti and hip hop has motivated this young engineer to be a part of the very culture he was raised in. Learning to live the lifestyle only many an dream of . Enjoying the fulltime art of DJing to be the career of a lifetime.
Tangled in this incredible web we weave, DJ 2RO takes the time to document and post the awesomeness in the entertainment industry. He is extremely supportive about the sport and the athletes that make it special. With the non stop ever evolving technical community, he is happy to share the news with you here and many other sites. The on going challenges of perusing an early retirement are slim to none but, Never ever give up is a motto many of us can live by. So we shall continue the good fight and go to where only Gods knows. Enjoy reading about USA Breaking here and many other blogs sites and platform as all of us push for this Olympic sport to be honored for what it is.
As a highly experienced and passionate BBoy, I am proud to introduce myself as Mach3, a native New Yorker and proud Afro Latino.
I have been a part of the breaking community since 1998, and have had the privilege of being mentored by some of the pioneers of the art form, including KwikStep, Rokafella, Ken Swift, and Kwon. My passion for breaking is matched only by my love for technology and its potential to connect and improve our lives. I am committed to promoting the culture of breaking and am constantly seeking new ways to evolve and expand its reach. As a member of SkillMethodz and with over two decades of experience in the industry, I bring a unique blend of knowledge, skill, and vision to the table.
