MASTA MINCH

Taemin Kim

Photo by Shingo Annen

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How & When did you join 808 Breakers?

It was a warm evening in the Hawaiian Islands, when a young man Jackson Stonewall Rabidanimal asked me if I wanted to join a crew. A crew of men that think like boys. At the time I was hesitant. I thought of it as an undeserving honor unto thineself. For I was already in a crew and did not want to feel or be a "crew jumper." For honor and loyalty are held high in the utmost regard.

Therefore I asked for time, time to build stronger bonds with the members, time to understand Hawai'i better, and time to understand my place within it all.

Then came the correct time. It was a man...child, a wild haired man-child who looked like Kramer from Seinfeld that came to me and said it was time. That mans name is Boseph. A man whom is my arch nemesis and my brother.

We gathered at the home of said Boseph. We broke bread, glasses, and dance that night. I battled 4 of the 808 Breakers HiJack, Ark, Marcnado, and Boseph in a clash that went down in the ages. As I proceeded to utterly get smoked by these dancers, I refused to stop, to give up, or give in...this continued on for over an hour. My determination and steadfast mind would not stop until we all had to! However, the neighbors deemed it done! They had become fed up with our dancey dances and asked us to no longer continue with this. Henceforth from that evening on I am an 808 BREAKER.

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How did you get into dancing/breaking?

From my cousin teaching me at 7 years old in my parents living room.

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What are some of your hobbies other than dancing?

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Some hobbies I choose to spend my time pursuing are:

- Freediving and spearfishing

‍A sport or pure mental control. Where one must dive into the water and hold their breathe with only the air in their lungs they've brought from the surface. No additional air supply, no extra equipment, and nothing else but one's wits! To dive down over 45 Meters and stay down while hunting requires full control of the mind and calm reserve.

- Sailing

‍Having learned to sail at the young age of six, left one with the desire for adventure. On these days past I spend on the windward side of O'ahu racing F20 class catamarans and vying for a spot in the worlds.

- Hiking

‍To venture and reach a peak by overcoming a challenge is a reward that no one can give to you. It can only be given to yourself through one's own determination. Having trekked thru various mountain ranges around the world, like the Himalayas, Central Ranges of Taiwan, Rockies, or the Ko'olau, have built a strong will and made me able to overcome any obstacle.

- Martial Arts

‍As a former national champion in Tae Kwon Do. Martial arts has been a foundation to all I do in life. From a young age I was forced to train, but this training built an advantage in me physically and mentally. Any physical challenge took me but a few tries to understand. Any mental challenge was only a matter of discipline over ones own despair.

- Bullsh**ting

‍"The Art" as some call it, is a treasured practice that has been around for ages. Many people have attempted it, many people try it, but only a few can do it.

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