Interview with Gorush current number 5.
Victory is everything, even if it means to faint during a match.
Foreword
"The Magician of Game Control" (hopefully you know what I mean), GoRush (Team GO), has finally climbed up to the top since the NHN OSL.
He does not have superb micro, nor jaw-dropping timing, but when it comes to the control of the pace of the game and the distribution of resources, Rush can always win the fans' hearts.
His most amazing accomplishment recently is defeating the genius Terran – NaDa (P&C) in the MSL Final. Also, he placed third in the IOPS OSL and Second in the KT-KTF League.
He has managed to be top four in all of the major events.
"How come I've never heard of this player before?" This question is frequently asked by those who have recently become GoRush's fans, and they are desperate to know how he manages to increase his fan-count seemingly endlessly. None of us really know what GoRush is really like - when interviewed, he is sometimes arrogant, sometimes polite; during the last Star League, he blatantly pointed out the mistakes made by the host (someone might want to elaborate on this). Before Team GO left for Thailand, I met GoRush, he smiled at me and said “Try to make me appear nice to the public".
Gaming as a Profession
It was 2001, when he was in Grade 10 (first year in high school), GoRush got his Plaque/Recognition Form from the Korean E-Sport Organization.
Actually, his gaming career started in year 2000. At that time, he practised with TheMarine, and his progression in Starcraft was astonishing.
"I wasn't that good in the beginning, but after six months, I suddenly felt that I was getting much better, I don't even know how that happened." After this sudden improvement, in his Grade 9 year, GoRush won many Starcraft competitions that were held by local Cafés. The most significant accomplishment was the one that was held by "Southern River" (some Korean name), where he defeated FreeMura, IntotheRain, VGundam, and Slayer_Boxer. Finally, he lost to [z-zone]Byun (currently the coach for Plus) and placed second. "It was that time, my coach asked me to join the team, and that's when I started my progaming career."
Retirement after the first victory of WCGC
After joining a proteam, GoRush's improvement was frightening. After allocating his practice Café, he wanted to give up his education because it was nearly impossible to be a student and a progamer at the same time. GoRush was indulged in the game, he finally gave up school. However, he won the WCGC that year and gained a lot of publicity.
"I almost got kicked out of the team because I gave up school. The financial manager told me: A gamer who gives up his education is not what we need, if you are really that confident (as in, to succeed in life without education), then prove it to me. I didn't want to bow down to him, so I practised over 50 games everyday, and finally won the WCGC."
Arduous decision: Going back to school
GoRush's suffering began at this time. Although he got sufficient encouragement from his parents to be a progamer, he wanted to go back to school. "School is an important part of growing up; I always felt that I was missing something inside. In the street, every time I saw students wearing school uniforms, I cried a little (actual translation: feeling exited in a negative way)." To prevent myself from regretting for the rest of my life, I made my decision. As well, his former school teachers and students further caused him wanting to return the school (meaning to be united with them). With the help of a teacher who collected every news detail about GoRush, GoRush finally returned to school.
Although he was one of the brightest new starts, GoRush resolutely and determinedly gave up gaming. "It felt great returning to school and spending time with my classmates. A lot of students who desire to become progamers give up their education to play the game, and I don't think that's a good idea. You cannot go back in time, and it is not worth it to give up life for an impulsive desire/goal.
Goal - Star League
Finishing 2-year high school study, GoRush came back to gaming in 2003. During his school days, he made every minutes of his spare time playing SC. Thus he caught up with progaming in a short time relatively, and the 1st major tournament he took was NHN OSL. He grew up very quickly, just awesome to everyone.
He said: In fact it's really tough for me to resume the seat. It's said that after the military service, one should retire from progaming. But my case was that though I left progaming for school two years, all I care for was nothing but SC.
Restarting his career in progaming, GoRush devoted all his live into games, he practised more than any others.
"I wanted to practise more and catch up with others, but things didn't work out like that." he said.
However, failure is the mother of success. "When I came up to the tournaments, I told myself, well, my winning ratio was less than 10%, why not just enjoy the games, no matter loss or victory? I lost tons of battles during the practice, but I made it in tournaments! Losing a lot in practice, I wasn't afraid of loss any more, so without any tension I could do better in real battles."
Never Stop Stepping Forward
Despite getting kicked out in the frist round several times, GoRush proved himself as one of the best gamers nowadays through Golf MSL, 2nd KT-KTF and IOPS OSL. People often remarked that his games were boring. But GoRush himself never minded. He was such emotional, cheering for his victories or getting angry for his losses. Some complained his arrogance in interviews, while he was careless about that and he aimed at the higher target.
He said: I'm not arrogant, maybe it seems like so. Because comparing to other gamers, I'm not very nervous in games; and I'm not a quick-tempered person. But I can't bear any defeat, even burst out anger, complaining people around me.
To Parents
All of his achievement is attributed to his parents. A kid without any life goal, what makes him so devoted into progaming is his family.
He said: well, I had never told anybody before, my parents are all the reasons of my hard working.
GoRush's family isn't rich. The cruelty of life wakes him up from his immature ideal, leading himto the direction he heads for.
He said: at that time the champ of WCGC was all I had, but one year ago I perceived my family wouldn't live a standard life if I didn't work hard.
Realizing that his parents put all their hope on him, GoRush roused up. He changed.
"I can't idle away the hours. Provided I just ended my career with a WCGC champ, what should I do? No, I can't!"
He was bent on dedicating himself into games, and he refused to be what others were. What he wanted were more practice.
"My parents taught me that victory is everything, even if it means to faint during a match."
Dad & Mum, the biggest fans of mine
"My father is a typical Korean, conservative, taciturn and testy. He used to be wrathful when hearing his son was going to be a progamer. That's true, I've experienced all these things which a progamer came across."(laughs)
He was caught by his father in the pc bang and beaten badly several times. However, his father changes his mind when GoRush did some achievement in some important tournaments. Now, his parents become his biggest fans.
"Dad knows far more than I know, let alone these matchups, he could illustrate everyting in games in detail. Now when I go home, there's no break for me to say something, he is talking talking and talking. Once he told me that I ought to train scrouges, OMG, I had nothing to respond."(laughs)
