Every battle ends with a decision. What goes into it?
Behind the Decision is research. We talk to krumpers worldwide—OGs, pioneers, masters—about the terminology used in judging. What defines a get-off? Where does style end and character begin? What do judges in different scenes agree on, and where do they differ?
The research collects those perspectives, finds common ground, and documents it. One shared language for Krump judging.
This document breaks down Krump judging into definitions, qualities, and terminology.
This document is a work in progress and will continue to develop in the upcoming years. If there is any input, disagreement, or feedback on this document, please reach out to info@freedomcity.nl.
The research comes from 1-on-1 conversations and panel discussions with Krump masters during Behind the Decision programs at events in Europe and the United States.
For their input, we thank: Tight Eyez, Big Mijo, Daisy, Rapture, Crush, Theory, Brui5er, Tchozn, Ques, Claerence Person, Grichka, Sniper, Konkrete, Lady C4, MainEvent, Girl MainEvent, Beast, AndEver, Slam, Braze, Queen Buckhype & OneShot.
"Hype up isn’t only for the cool moves. We all go through stuff, the hype up is the encouragement to the dancer to give their best. If you’re next to the dancer and you’re not hyping up, that’s offending in Krump. It might result in people battling you. Krump saved a lot of our lives, do not remove the encouragement part. Hyping up means saying to the dancer ‘I want you to get it off your chest’"
~ Solow
"Character pours personality in the empty shell of moves. It’s the difference between doing the sport or the art"
~ Brui5er
"For me, vocabulary is about finding ways not to repeat myself as I’m dancing. How can I find ways to add new narratives to my artistry, my character, my Krump? How do I move on to the next chapter, the next page-that’s really how I try to approach it."
~ Mubulu
"The ‘get-off’ moment, that’s when you reach that peak, when your dance hits that highest intensity—it’s like a burst of raw energy, completely unfiltered."
~ Tight Eyex
