BrolyLegs

Michael Phillip Begum (April 26, 1988 – March 19, 2024), better known as BrolyLegs, was an American professional fighting game player primarily known for competing in Street Fighter. Begum's accolades as a competitive player include being ranked the #1 Chun-Li player online in Ultra Street Fighter IV from 2013 to 2017 and placing #25 in Street Fighter V in the 2022 Evolution Championship Series (EVO). He was affiliated with the AbleGamers charity and was a member of the Street Fighter League.

A disabled gamer, Begum was born with arthrogryposis, which hindered his muscle and joint growth and rendered him immobile. Playing video games at a young age, he developed a technique for gripping and pressing buttons on video game controllers with his face. He began his competitive gaming career in his adolescence by participating in tournaments for Super Smash Bros. with his brother. He was a competitive fighting game player for over fifteen years, and stated that competitive gaming had allowed him to pursue opportunities that he otherwise would never have had.

In addition to competitive gaming, Begum worked as an online coach for fighting games. He also streamed on Twitch and wrote an autobiography called My Life Beyond the Floor.

Early and personal life Michael Phillip Begum was born on April 26, 1988, to Josefine Begum and Michael Begum Sr, and was a native of Brownsville, Texas. His father was a welder and mechanic, and his adoptive paternal grandfather, a Holocaust survivor, built a chain of women's clothing stores after immigrating from the Soviet Union.

Begum had arthrogryposis, a rare genetic condition that affected the movement of the joints in his arms and legs, along with impeding his muscle growth. As a result of the condition, he was unable to walk, sit and grab objects. He was also diagnosed with scoliosis, which prevented him from standing. Begum stated in a Game Informer interview that in order to access the controller, he would place his wrist on the directional pad and his chin on the buttons. and Daigo Umehara. Begum was noted for his competitive nature and skill when playing Street Fighter, often being able to place highly in tournaments. In 2016, Capcom produced a documentary on Begum's life as a Street Fighter competitive player with disabilities.

Technique and views Begum's condition led him to develop a technique for playing video games on controllers not designed for gamers with disabilities. He played video games using his face and mouth. Following the announcement of his death, various members of the fighting game community expressed their condolences on social media, including NuckleDu and Maximilian Dood.