One of the newest hip hop style to come to the hip hop stage is the "Beat Kune Do" style which was shown to us back in March 2008 by the fluent synchronization of the Jabbawockeez. This Beat Kune Do style was taught to the Jabbawockeez then none other than Kevin Brewer AKA Keibee. The Teacher behind the mask, Brewer's first crew was the Galatic Beat Manipulators, With Brewers new commitments he no longer managers this crew, but the group continues to operate with his occasional involvement. The Beat Kune Do style was developed between Brewer and his "Brother from another mother" Larot where they would lock themselves up in the studio and film themselves freestyling. "That's kind of how Beat Kune Do came about." (Larot) Brewer and Larot would brainstorm their free-styling style and moves for hours at a time, in hope of setting a new standard for hip hop freestyle dance.

In between their sessions and brainstorming brewer would document the idea about how to improve the dance musicality and tap into the dancers/artists natural movement. Brewer took his newly found ideas and philosophy's into the classroom at San Diego Culture shock Dance Center. This is where he started teaching the Super Galatic Beat Manipulators.(there are a couple photos of them below) Desiree Navadeh, a former member of the Super Galataic Beat Manipulators said that Brewer "focuses heavily on the force, which is the music. he opened my mind and body up to really listening to the music and understanding it. I listen to music differently now and have a deeper connection with the dance because of him. He changed my enitre perspective and made a huge impact on my life."

So What Exactly is the Beat Kune Do? and the philosophy behind it?

In Brewers hip hop lessons he described Beat Kune Do as a style of movement that promotes getting the dancer/artist comfortable with their own personal movement. Brewer focuses on taking some time and mental energy to help control your movement. Brewer said "when you apply that to music, you are better prepared as a dancer." In a way Brewer believe he is teaching musicality through movement, not dance movement but natural movement. Brewer named this new style Beat Kune Do, in honor the kung fu style Jeet Kuno Do. This style of kung fu originates from Brue Lee, who was tired of rigid and formalized martial arts training, so he deemed that Jeet Kuno Do was the "style of no style" known as the Way of the intercepting fist. Jeet Kuno Do (JKD) is not a fixed or patterned martial arts it however is based on a philosophy with guiding thoughts. It was a hybrid of all the martial arts in which JKD is almost a form of mixed martial arts or MMA, so the JKD student was not confined to one style of martial arts.

This is similar to Brewers idea of the Beat Kune Do system in which the dancer or artist is not limited to one hip hop style of from what they have learned in hip hop lessons or classes with various teachers. Beat Kune do uses all forms of dance to s show the dancers/artisit interpretation of the music through natural movement.

So with the birth of Beat Kune Do from brewer and Larot to the world wide fame of the Jabbawockeez in 2008 when they won the finals of Americas Best Dance Crew (ABDC) and secured $100,00 USD and a tour contract with ABDC. The Jabbawockez where formed in 2003 in San Diego California as a result of friends who wanted to defy dance troupes that seemed to clone dances, they wanted to showcase dance as a n artistic expression. Their signature white masks help to focus the attention on the whole crew rather than one individual during their performances. their name is derived from the poem Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll.

Unfortunately you can't take hip hop lessons in the Beat Kune Do style from the Jabbawockeez although I am sure at least 1,000,000 people would be lining up weeks before if we could take hip hop lessons in the Beat Kune Do style, I know I would.

So who are the members of the world wide know Jabbawockeez?

Ben Chung "B-Tek"
Cris Gatdula "Cristyle"
Kevin Brewer "Kibee"
Rynan Paguio "Kid Rainen"
Jeff Nguyen "Phi"
Phil Tayag "Swaggerboy"
Eddie Gutierrez "Eddie Styles"
Saso Jimenez "Saso Fresh"
Randy Bernal "DJ Wish One"
Joe Larot "Emajoenation"

If you wanted to see some video's about the Jabbawockeez and the Beat Kune Do style visit my Hip Hop Lessons.