UK Champs - Japan EliminationsLand of the rising Funk! UK Champs Japan Eliminations, Kawasaki 3rd August.

We head out to Japan bleary eyed and tired from the New York trip but expecting good things from the biggest of all the national eliminations for the UK Champs.

Japan boast an impresive 6 regional qualifiers featuring battles for B-Boy Crew, Solo Popping, Locking pairs and new for this year a kids choreography comp where teams as young as 6 years old perform shows varying from street dance, Locking, Popping, Krumping and Punking. The national finals are held at its regular home, Club Cita in Kawasaki just outside Tokyo and it seems the addition of the kids comp has added considerably to the size of the audience who have turned out for the event. So with a packed venue the competion starts with the first rounds in each dance style. The level of competition is so high in Japan that even these first rounds are electric. The b-boy crews are especially good with the big name crews like Foundnation, Mortal Combat and Kitan Ninja all progressing to the next round. But it’s the lesser know crews such as EXC, Body Carnival and Beeheemos who make a real impression. The next few rounds see the big names succumb to these fresh new crews. The number of routines is unbelievable. They seem to have an unending amount of them and the originality is really amazing! In the end its 2 crews from the very north of the country Beehemos and EXC Crew who fight it out in the final. As in the earlier rounds the routines are in full effect but its EXC who take control of the battle adding in nice solos featuring unusual flexibility moves mixed with more traditional b-boy style. EXC crew duly take the win! In the Popping a hard fought final produced a real talent in the form of Sou. The hard hittin’ Popper never softened his mean mugging face through all of the battles and even kept his stern demeanor when he got the decision over Yosuke. The Locking contest was more a win for tradition over new style with the colourful pair, Atomic lockers triumphing over Seijays. It was just left to the kids to complete a crazy night of battling. 16 young crews from all over Japan had made it through to the finals and it was an amazing display of dance routines executed with breathtaking precision by these little stars. Standout shows were from Igniter, Mo-Gu and Samurai but it was the all girl crew, Laxys who put on arguably the best show encompassing Hip-hop, Popping, locking and great choreography. Laxys will be coming to the UK Champs to perform the half time show!

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