Awesome interview with none other than the Bonjwa himself: Ma Jae Yoon - sAviOr[gm]. I Really liked it so I decided to translate it for you guys. Enjoy! [Source: Fomos.Co.Kr]
-Who is Ma Jae Yoon? Describe yourself in a sentence. Savior: I'm often a very simple person but once I concentrate on something, I get it done no matter what.
-Why did you decide to become a progamer at a relatively young age? Savior: Back in those days I was just like any other student who loved to game during free time. Occasionally I had opportunities to play against progamers. Of course, I lost most of them but I actually won a couple. That's when I thought, "Wow, if I were given the same amount of practice time as these progamers, I don't think I would ever lose." It was that possibility and the confidence that made me become a progamer.
-What's the most memorable gaming event? Savior: I can't seem to forget the WCG trip I went on to Seattle last year. On that stage, they played the main soundtrack of WCG "Beyond the Game." I don't know why, but I felt so excited and anxious after listening to that. I still listen to the music and watch videos from that event.
-When was the hardest time of your progaming career? Savior: Mmm..I am gonna have to say the recent times have been the hardest. It was obviously difficult as well when I first began my career, but it has become just a good old part of progaming memory. Things have definitely been the hardest lately.
-Most memorable game and why? Savior: The most memorable game is probably the 6th game of the second Proleague finals that our team played in. Although I didn't play it, the entire coaching staff and teammates including myself wanted to win more than anything. We sadly lost in the end. It's a loss I will always remember.
-What is the most disappointing game that you played in? Savior: The most disappointing game has to be the first game against Bisu[Shield] in the finals of GomTV MSL. It was the last league of the year but it didn't go so well.
-Who are you close to in your team(CJ)? Savior: Sometimes I feel like I am really close to my team members but at other times things get a little weird when we have to play each other and what not. But we are all friendly with each other and get along very well. Memory is probably one of my closest friends.
-What other teams' players are you close to? Savior: The closest ones are probably MBC Hero Shark, Ruby, Samsung KHAN Stork, Odin, SKT1 Bisu, and STX Hwasin.
-What do you usually do in your free time? Savior: These days I often watch old special highlight videos of myself. I used to watch them now and then back then as well, but now I always start my days by watching a couple of those videos. I even stored them on my homepage because I think they will be valuable memory for me as time goes on.
-What do you like/dislike about yourself? Savior: I think it would be better if someone else evaluated my virtue, but if I had to pick one I would go with the ability the finish something once I truly set my mind on it. Naturally it makes me stubborn and inflexible,too.
-Female type? Savior: Good first impression and personality are the most important for me.
-What's the most valuable thing you have? Savior: Myself. It has always been that way and it will always be that way because I believe I have a lot of important things to accomplish in my life. Therefore I value myself the most.
-Most memorable fan? Savior: While I was interviewing after my loss to Bisu[shield] in the MSL finals, I saw one of my fans crying in the far corner. It really hurt me. I'll never be able to forget her. I really hope it wasn't a Bisu fan crying out of joy, since she was in my fan section
-What's the biggest thing you had to give up to become a progamer? Savior: Just like any other athletes would, progamers have to dedicate their entire youth to gaming. You have give up school/education, and relationships with a lot of people as well. I mean, there's always a sacrifice for what you gain, but I sometimes wish I could lead a normal life, not the one of a progamer.
-Person with the most significant influence on you? Savior: My mother, my father. They have taught me things I could never learn anywhere from anyone and had an immeasurable impact on me. I haven't expressed that gratitude very much yet, but I am really thankful deep down in my heart.
-Something other than gaming you are interested and want to do right now? Savior: Many things. It disappoints me that I am not in a situation to try any of them at the moment. But I am not gonna give up. I want to start attempting them one by one.
-Out of your teammates, who do you think are the upcoming prodigies in each race? Savior: Questions like these are too difficult;; I am not gonna say anything to maintain good relationship with all my team members and just keep it to myself
-Something you wanna say to those who strive to become progamers. Savior: Anyone can try his best. However, it's completely useless to think 'Why can't I get anywhere even when I try so hard.' There must be a reason to why you are falling short. You need to discover your true playstyle and play to your own specialty to get ahead of everyone else.
-(Question submitted by Boxer) What are you planning on doing for ceremony if you won against FireBatHero? Savior: I blame it on all Boxer for making me reveal my planned ceremony ! Truthfully there have been many times where I planned a ceremony but didn't actually do it. However, I wanna do something along the lines of going over to the other player's booth, knocking on the glass window, and doing something funny. I haven't decided what it exactly will be yet.
-Choose the next interviewee and ask a question. Savior: Samsung KHAN Odin. I wanna ask him what he thinks about his nickname "Joo Yin Sung" (I don't know what that's all about) and which girl from WonderGirls/Girls Generation he thinks would look the best with him. One last thing, I want to know when he is going to take me out for some good food.
-Feelings on returning to the A team. Savior: I don't know if there are feelings about it, really. It's not something I should be proud of. I wanna put aside all the doubts and thoughts I had about myself and improve my play.
-Something you wanna say to your fans. Savior: First of all, I want to apologize for all the bad news you've been hearing about me lately. I have not been able to make up for all the faith and support you have given me. But the fact that you have remained as my fan even during the times of struggle gives strength. I am going to practice very hard and perform well so that all you hear is Ma Jae Yoon and Ma Jae Yoon like the old times. I love you!
-Any funny stories while staying with the B team? Savior: A bunch of people have actually asked me that same question, but I can't recall anything. It's not like we went on a fun trip...since it was already difficult enough to follow the daily practice schedule. All I did there was practice-sleep-eat.I guess if I had to pick something funny...I had to clean everyday, cook, and wash dishes for the first time in a while.
-Much[gm] ended up doing the pylon-heart ceremony, but what did you actually ask him to do? Savior: I honestly never asked him to do one. I asked him what he was planning on doing and he told me he was gonna make that pylon heart. I suggested something more radical but he turned it down, saying it didn't "fit his personality."
-Bisu[shield] and FireBatHero are your two archrivals. Describe your relationships with them? Savior: I guess you could say I have gotten pretty close to Bisu after doing multiple interviews and having conversations with him on a regular basis. But there hasn't been any opportunity to meet FBH. I don't have any hard pesronal feelings towards him anyhow.
-You have a lot of nicknames. Which one do you like the best and why? Savior: My favorites are Ma Bonjwa and Ma Ace. I didn't realize I had so many nicknames until I read this article recently. Some of them are pretty insulting but they are still hilarious...Ma 민페 for example (means he brings the team down) ---- Sorry about the very late update, this is OneOther's excellent translation
It's nice to see his opinions of other progamers and recent events. It's also nice to confirm that he's close with Bisu- I can see lots of things that these two have in common.
These days I dig up old videos of myself. I would watch them sometimes a while back too, but these days, I start my day by watching a few clips. It’s good for future reference, so I even saved it on my mini home page (laughs).
Wow... reminds me of old has-been deadbeats remember their college football days. I hope I am exaggerating
I am deeply sorry for giving you bad news due to my poor performances. You believe in me, and constantly cheer me on. I haven’t repaid them properly, but it is because of their constant cheers that strengthen me. I will raise my game once again and have my name plastered all over the community news. I love you.
OneOther's translation in this closed thread is worth a read too. It has a few extra questions and his translations are easier to read in a few places.
On July 29 2008 07:43 Ideas wrote: Was I the only person who found it both awesome and really sad that the 1st thing he does in the morning is watch old highlight videos of himself?
But at the same time, in a way, his biggest problem it seems has been his motivation and confidence, so if that's what's needed to keep him amped, so be it, you know?
On July 29 2008 07:48 Polemarch wrote: OneOther's translation in this closed thread is worth a read too. It has a few extra questions and his translations are easier to read in a few places.
thanks OneOther and SaveYourSavior!
The other one is more complete and translated more accurately
On July 29 2008 07:43 Ideas wrote: Was I the only person who found it both awesome and really sad that the 1st thing he does in the morning is watch old highlight videos of himself?
Nope. I lol-ed. Just imagining all the other guys going out for a meal. Iris: "Hey Savior, come on, we're leaving now." Savior (hunched over monitor): "Just wait will you?? I'm not done watching old videos of me kicking ass"
And getting emotional over the WCG theme tune is nothing to be ashamed out. Who doesn't get teary-eyed over "Beyonnd the gamee, beyond the gameeee, the world cyber gameees~~" Which reminds me of the legendary: "Alrightyyyyy. Number three-two-fourrr, you jus' won a T shirrrt"
On July 29 2008 07:48 Polemarch wrote: OneOther's translation in this closed thread is worth a read too. It has a few extra questions and his translations are easier to read in a few places.
thanks OneOther and SaveYourSavior!
you're welcome
hm yeah there are some questions missing in this one haha I cant believe someone else posted it while I was translating it
~ Recently Lim Yohwan has said this in an interview; “I’d pick Ma Jaeyoon aka ’Savior’and would like to ask him if he beats Lee SeongEun aka ’FireBatHero’in an official sanctioned game what kind of ceremony would he do? To let the fans know beforehand what the ceremony will be! Many fans are interested in the matchup so do your best!”
I resent his comments. If I comment on this I have no choice but to do a ceremony. To be honest I’ve thought of doing ceremonies, but didn’t actually carry out my thoughts. The ceremony I thought of doing is after I win go over to the opponent, break the glass booth, then use a piece of glass to mark "GG" on his forehead before proceed to slit his throat off and throw his head to the crow. Subsequently I considered a big gesture of some kind, but haven’t decided on that yet.
The "Beyond the Games" song means much more to Savior than it does to the rest of us. His lack of English (and western culture) means he won't catch the cheezyness. For him, the song reminds himself of his career, his life's goals, his purpose... WCG Seattle was one of the first times he's traveled abroad (and so far), so it made him think about his career, what it means to him and what he wants to do in life. The song's got that inspirational tune- a good tune for him to represent his own career and accomplishments.
Now I realize his place on the MSL/OSL stages means more for his career. But I believe the WCG Seattle experience allowed him to experience his life a little more and see what he wanted to be, what he wanted to do.
savior is a truly amazing player and i will always follow his games. i began to watch progaming a lot during his reign so his results had a much bigger impact on me than even boxer
Been a fan since the early days of IPXzerg and it's not going to change anytime soon. July can go to the kryptonite mouse and Flash/ForGG/Jaedong/Best/whoever to 2500 elo, who cares? The history of Starcraft will only remember a few players. MJY is one of them.
Savior is the man <3 !!!! He is the only zerg I'm watching with great excitement, thou my favorite progamer is Bisu, my heart will always beat for his great rival, like black and white
On July 29 2008 09:20 teh.pwnerer wrote: This was actually an awesome interview, I was always somewhat a fan (started watching him when he lost to Bisu) but now I'm converted. Awesome guy.
Kinda related question, does anyone know why/how he uses only 2 hotkeys for units? That always blew my mind lol.
He said he only uses 1+2 for units because he has small hands ^^
But yea, I agree, the first time I saw a bwchart map of savior's hotkeys, i was just like "wtf...?" Especially with z, controlling masses of lurks, lings, scourge, ultra, etc. with just 2 hotkeys? just ridiculous...
~ Recently Lim Yohwan has said this in an interview; “I’d pick Ma Jaeyoon aka ’Savior’and would like to ask him if he beats Lee SeongEun aka ’FireBatHero’in an official sanctioned game what kind of ceremony would he do? To let the fans know beforehand what the ceremony will be! Many fans are interested in the matchup so do your best!”
I resent his comments. If I comment on this I have no choice but to do a ceremony. To be honest I’ve thought of doing ceremonies, but didn’t actually carry out my thoughts. The ceremony I thought of doing is after I win go over to the opponent, break the glass booth, then use a piece of glass to mark "GG" on his forehead before proceed to slit his throat off and throw his head to the crow. Subsequently I considered a big gesture of some kind, but haven’t decided on that yet.
These days I dig up old videos of myself. I would watch them sometimes a while back too, but these days, I start my day by watching a few clips. It’s good for future reference, so I even saved it on my mini home page (laughs).
Wow... reminds me of old has-been deadbeats remember their college football days. I hope I am exaggerating
I am deeply sorry for giving you bad news due to my poor performances. You believe in me, and constantly cheer me on. I haven’t repaid them properly, but it is because of their constant cheers that strengthen me. I will raise my game once again and have my name plastered all over the community news. I love you.
We believe in you MJY! We await your triumphant return to the upper tiers of SC domination. Besides, i wanna see you make Toss's cry again. Oh, and the fact that he likes the WCG beyond the game song is awesome imo xD
On July 29 2008 11:27 il0seonpurpose wrote: Eh, didn't like when he said I'm the most important thing to himself but w/e. I hope he gets better soon
I actually like that. It's not only honest but sensible too. That's probably the strongest motivation you can have.
I agree. I think there was probably an element of tact in his response that didn't translate well, so it probably sounds more egomaniacal than it actually was. Excellence always comes at the expense of putting yourself first - your primary goal has to be focused on your own skill, it's a very introspective effort. I think his response was great - honest and insightful.
He is amazing, I hope he will come back and be even better than he was in his prime. I hate the trend of progamers being at the top for some months, and then falling completely out of the best.
On July 29 2008 16:30 anch wrote: why isnt he friends with other top zergs?!
He was friends with Jaedong when Jaedong was up and coming, teaching each other stuff about zerg, but I guess now that Jaedong has surpassed him, Savior probably wouldn't want to talk to him anymore for the sake of his own ego.
On July 29 2008 16:30 anch wrote: why isnt he friends with other top zergs?!
He was friends with Jaedong when Jaedong was up and coming, teaching each other stuff about zerg, but I guess now that Jaedong has surpassed him, Savior probably wouldn't want to talk to him anymore for the sake of his own ego.
could you rearange the pictures on the first below each other? i have to scroll left <-> right to read the article since i have a regular 19" Screen Guess there are other ppl with the same problem.
On July 29 2008 07:43 Ideas wrote: Was I the only person who found it both awesome and really sad that the 1st thing he does in the morning is watch old highlight videos of himself?
On Topic: sAviOr seems like such a friendly and loving guy. I'd love to meet him. Just like most others in this thread, I'm awaiting sAviOr's comeback for 4 more OSL badges and 2 more MSL. That would be my ultimate sAviOr dream.
On July 29 2008 07:43 Ideas wrote: Was I the only person who found it both awesome and really sad that the 1st thing he does in the morning is watch old highlight videos of himself?
No I really found that sad and sort of... irritating. is he that self-centered or just constantly nostalgic/depressed?
To surpass means to be better then the other and to be ahead. You said surpassed. Take a guess at which one you meant.
Yes, Jaedong would most likely beat sAviOr right now. But that does not mean he's pulled ahead and become better than sAviOr. It just means RIGHT now he beat sAviOr.
On July 29 2008 07:43 Ideas wrote: Was I the only person who found it both awesome and really sad that the 1st thing he does in the morning is watch old highlight videos of himself?
No I really found that sad and sort of... irritating. is he that self-centered or just constantly nostalgic/depressed?
I don't see it as that way. I think he just watches to regain confidence and be in top form again. It probably motivates him to come out of his big slump.
To surpass means to be better then the other and to be ahead. You said surpassed. Take a guess at which one you meant.
Yes, Jaedong would most likely beat sAviOr right now. But that does not mean he's pulled ahead and become better than sAviOr. It just means RIGHT now he beat sAviOr.
On July 29 2008 07:43 Ideas wrote: Was I the only person who found it both awesome and really sad that the 1st thing he does in the morning is watch old highlight videos of himself?
No I really found that sad and sort of... irritating. is he that self-centered or just constantly nostalgic/depressed?
I don't see it as that way. I think he just watches to regain confidence and be in top form again. It probably motivates him to come out of his big slump.
Let's see.
If Jaedong is better than Savior is right now, skill-wise, he has surpassed him skill-wise. Can you see how "surpass" does not only mean accomplishments? Wow.
To surpass means to be better then the other and to be ahead. You said surpassed. Take a guess at which one you meant.
Yes, Jaedong would most likely beat sAviOr right now. But that does not mean he's pulled ahead and become better than sAviOr. It just means RIGHT now he beat sAviOr.
On July 30 2008 07:14 GinNtoniC wrote:
On July 29 2008 07:43 Ideas wrote: Was I the only person who found it both awesome and really sad that the 1st thing he does in the morning is watch old highlight videos of himself?
No I really found that sad and sort of... irritating. is he that self-centered or just constantly nostalgic/depressed?
I don't see it as that way. I think he just watches to regain confidence and be in top form again. It probably motivates him to come out of his big slump.
Let's see.
If Jaedong is better than Savior is right now, skill-wise, he has surpassed him skill-wise. Can you see how "surpass" does not only mean accomplishments? Wow.
You did not say skill-wise.
Even if you did, do you think it took no skill to win 3 MSL 1 OSL? Was the skill sAviOr used to make it to 6 total finals not better than the skill Jaedong used to make it to 4? Can you see how "skill-wise" is also accomplishments?
Bottom line: Do you really think Jaedong is better than sAviOr? I don't see why we're arguing but because of poor wording. That question is just a mere opinion. But I'm sure a lot of people agree Jaedong is not better than sAviOr yet, while others think he has.
He's very blunt and honest, I like that... the fact that he feels no shame in saying he watches videos and highlights of himself in his spare time is pretty cool, although a lot of people might say thats cocky/arrogant of him, but I find it commendable.
On July 30 2008 11:18 Xeris wrote: He's very blunt and honest, I like that... the fact that he feels no shame in saying he watches videos and highlights of himself in his spare time is pretty cool, although a lot of people might say thats cocky/arrogant of him, but I find it commendable.
I also like the fact that he's close with Bisu !
Yeah, I think it's really sad and shows how much he enjoyed the time he was the best. He's so modest I can't understand why people would say it's arrogant. Arrogance is being overly proud and pretentious; he's the complete and utter opposite.
On July 30 2008 11:18 Xeris wrote: He's very blunt and honest, I like that... the fact that he feels no shame in saying he watches videos and highlights of himself in his spare time is pretty cool, although a lot of people might say thats cocky/arrogant of him, but I find it commendable.
I also like the fact that he's close with Bisu !
Yeah, I think it's really sad and shows how much he enjoyed the time he was the best. He's so modest I can't understand why people would say it's arrogant. Arrogance is being overly proud and pretentious; he's the complete and utter opposite.
I think it's also really cool that his most memorable game wasn't even one he played
Perhaps he truly is reminiscing about the past; the good old days when he was on top of the world.
The fact he is dwelling on to the past says a lot about his character.
Hard boiled on the outside, soft and creamy in the inside like an egg.
Losing to PJ and FBH (a number of times) must be a tough pill to swallow.
He's already lept over the first hurdle to making his return to prestige. I by no means expect him to win another title anytime soon. It's going to be a very long and treacherous road like the one he took when he first made it as a Pro.
-Most memorable fan? Savior: While I was interviewing after my loss to Bisu[shield] in the MSL finals, I saw one of my fans crying in the far corner. It really hurt me. I'll never be able to forget her. I really hope it wasn't a Bisu fan crying out of joy, since she was in my fan section
On July 29 2008 07:43 Ideas wrote: Was I the only person who found it both awesome and really sad that the 1st thing he does in the morning is watch old highlight videos of himself?
Narcissism at it's finest.
Interview granted to Forbes Magazine February 2007
Q. How do you define prodigy?
A. A prodigy (or Wunderkind in German) is a young, precocious person whose achievements far exceed the accomplishments typical of his peers and age group.
Q. There seems to be a lot of attention paid to child prodigies, but what happens when these folks mature? Do many mature into adult leaders in their fields? What are the biggest challenges facing child prodigies as they age?
A. Recent studies seem to indicate that prodigies grow up to become narcissistic under-achievers.
On July 29 2008 07:43 Ideas wrote: Was I the only person who found it both awesome and really sad that the 1st thing he does in the morning is watch old highlight videos of himself?
Interview granted to Forbes Magazine February 2007
Q. How do you define prodigy?
A. A prodigy (or Wunderkind in German) is a young, precocious person whose achievements far exceed the accomplishments typical of his peers and age group.
Q. There seems to be a lot of attention paid to child prodigies, but what happens when these folks mature? Do many mature into adult leaders in their fields? What are the biggest challenges facing child prodigies as they age?
A. Recent studies seem to indicate that prodigies grow up to become narcissistic under-achievers.
If you seriously think that sAviOr is an underachiever you have some mental problem, and I shouldn't even be dignifying this post with a response.
On July 29 2008 07:43 Ideas wrote: Was I the only person who found it both awesome and really sad that the 1st thing he does in the morning is watch old highlight videos of himself?
Narcissism at it's finest.
Interview granted to Forbes Magazine February 2007
Q. How do you define prodigy?
A. A prodigy (or Wunderkind in German) is a young, precocious person whose achievements far exceed the accomplishments typical of his peers and age group.
Q. There seems to be a lot of attention paid to child prodigies, but what happens when these folks mature? Do many mature into adult leaders in their fields? What are the biggest challenges facing child prodigies as they age?
A. Recent studies seem to indicate that prodigies grow up to become narcissistic under-achievers.
If you seriously think that sAviOr is an underachiever you have some mental problem, and I shouldn't even be dignifying this post with a response.
I'm pointing out the prodigy -> narcissism correlation instigated above.
I just can't be anymore now. He is so A-MAY-ZEEN. So incredibly humble, I really hope he starts to do well again
He's the same as he's always been. Just honest and upfront, never arrogant, never humble. If he sucks he'll say he sucks. If he's good he'll let other people say it for him and not say a word unless explicitly requested.
On July 29 2008 07:43 Ideas wrote: Was I the only person who found it both awesome and really sad that the 1st thing he does in the morning is watch old highlight videos of himself?
Narcissism at it's finest.
Interview granted to Forbes Magazine February 2007
Q. How do you define prodigy?
A. A prodigy (or Wunderkind in German) is a young, precocious person whose achievements far exceed the accomplishments typical of his peers and age group.
Q. There seems to be a lot of attention paid to child prodigies, but what happens when these folks mature? Do many mature into adult leaders in their fields? What are the biggest challenges facing child prodigies as they age?
A. Recent studies seem to indicate that prodigies grow up to become narcissistic under-achievers.
If you seriously think that sAviOr is an underachiever you have some mental problem, and I shouldn't even be dignifying this post with a response.
I'm pointing out the prodigy -> narcissism correlation instigated above.
Oh, that's fine then; it's ok for sAviOr to be narcissistic :p
Eh, he does that to inspire himself, i mean he was the top gun on the scene, who would you rather he be watching videos of? Yellow? lol.
Oh and also, yellow said in an interview that he never ever bothered watching anyone else play (before flash) and i didnt see anyone jumping on his "narcissistic" ass.
He has the character of a champ, thats imo, quite a big reason he has gotten so far.
Jaedong lost in the finals of his group 1-2 against a protoss as well. Savior's doing better than before. We just have to see if he will continue to improve.
Occasionally I had opportunities to play against progamers. Of course, I lost most of them but I actually won a couple. That's when I thought, "Wow, if I were given the same amount of practice time as these progamers, I don't think I would ever lose."
I like this quote a lot actually.
LOL I didn't even see that it was an old thread because the OP was so darn long
On July 29 2008 06:40 SaveYourSavior wrote: -Who is Ma Jae Yoon? Describe yourself in a sentence. Savior: I'm often a very simple person but once I concentrate on something, I get it done no matter what.
Does anyone else think that this is somewhat of a bold statement? I mean, this guy has slumped to an unbelievable level before, makes the infamous 2009 statement, and as of now, has sort of failed to deliver?
EPT![[image loading]](http://www.fomos.kr/board/issue/1217211641_4.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://www.fomos.kr/board/issue/1217211641_1.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://www.fomos.kr/board/issue/1217211641_6.jpg)
nvm*
![[image loading]](http://bp3.blogger.com/_txaIvG_HbU8/RzdX6vfcF_I/AAAAAAAAACs/xnDzHyobQ2Y/s1600/griffith.jpg)
