Breaking — Step-by-Step Roadmap

1. 1
   Stage 1 · Any age Grassroots & local entry

   Build a range of moves and dance to the beat in a studio, crew or open space. No SAI NCOE or STC runs breaking. [1][7]

2. 2
   Stage 2 · 12–15 State to national breakthrough

   Junior battles — Junior I from 12, Junior II from 14. [1]

3. 3
   Stage 3 · 16+ WDSF ranking events

   Breaking for Gold series, continental and world championships. [1]

4. ★
   Stage 4 · 19+ Asian Games

   India's national team at the Asian Games (breaking was on the 2026 programme). Breaking is not on the LA28 list. [2][4]

Fuel, from stage 1: food first. Pair cereals with pulses about 3:1 — roti or rice with dal, chana or rajma; vegetarians add milk or curd, others eggs, fish or meat. ICMR-NIN says most athletes get enough protein from food and protein powders are unnecessary; NADA warns that no supplement is risk-free. [12][13]

WDSF breaking age groups (age reached in the calendar year) [1]

• Youth breakers may also enter Adult events. [1]

• Under the anti-doping code you must be available for testing and check every medicine against the Prohibited List; apply to NADA for a TUE if you need a banned medicine. [6]

The breaking ladder [1][2]

• Breaking is not among SAI's NCOE or STC sports. Breakers train in dance studios, crews and open spaces; a smooth floor and music are the basic needs. [7]

• Breaking needs little kit — comfortable clothes and shoes. The real cost is coaching and travel to battles. Education Margdarshan does not print fees — no governing body publishes them. [1]

Who pays [8]

• Breaking is not on the DoPT list of 65 sports, and the 2026 Railways and CRPF notices had no breaking posts. Medals at the Asian Games and at WDSF World and Asian Championships earn the cash awards above. [9][10][11][5]

1. WDSF — Breaking Rules and Regulations Manual (BRRM), Version 16, April 2026 (opens in a new tab) Battle and round format, judges, no-contact rule, five criteria at 20% each, slider judging, misbehaviour system, age groups · Last checked 18 Oct 2026
2. Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games — Sports (opens in a new tab) Breaking at the 2026 Asian Games · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
4. LA28 — 2028 Olympic Games Plan (sports list) (opens in a new tab) LA28 sports list (breaking not included) · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
5. MYAS — Scheme of Cash Incentive to Medal Winners (amended 1 Feb 2025) (opens in a new tab) Award amounts; Break Dance — World and Asian Championships (annual) · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
6. NADA India — Athlete's Rights & Responsibilities (opens in a new tab) Testing availability, Prohibited List, TUE · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
7. SAI — Brief on Sports Promotional Schemes 2024-25 (opens in a new tab) NCOE and STC sport lists (breaking not included) · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
8. PIB — Financial Support to Athletes (5 Aug 2024) (opens in a new tab) Khelo India, TOPS, welfare fund, pension · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
9. DoPT — Instructions on Recruitment/Promotion for Sportspersons (18 Nov 2022) (opens in a new tab) 65-sport list (breaking not included) · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
10. Western Railway RRC — Employment Notice RRC/WR/01/2026 (Sports Quota), 27 Aug 2026 (opens in a new tab) 2026-27 sports-quota posts (breaking not included) · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
11. CRPF — Recruitment of Meritorious Sportspersons, HC & Constable (GD), Sports Quota 2026 (Advt. R.II-21/2026-Sports, 17 Sep 2026) (opens in a new tab) 2026 sports-quota disciplines (breaking not included) · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
12. ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition — Dietary Guidelines for Indians (booklet), Guideline 8 (opens in a new tab) Cereal-pulse 3:1 protein quality, vegetarian and non-vegetarian protein sources; most athletes meet protein needs from food, protein powders unnecessary · Last checked 19 Oct 2026
13. NADA India — Managing the Risk of Nutritional Supplements (opens in a new tab) Supplement risk, strict liability, food-first approach · Last checked 15 Oct 2026