Michael Begum (born April 26, 1988), better known as BrolyLegs, is 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 is affiliated with the charity AbleGamers and was included in the Street Fighter League.
A disabled gamer, Begum was born with the medical condition 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 controllers with his face. Begum began his competitive gaming career in his adolescence by participating in tournaments for Super Smash Bros. with his brother. He has been a competitive fighting game player for over fifteen years, and has stated that competitive gaming has allowed him to pursue opportunities that he otherwise would've never done.
In addition to competitive gaming, Begum works as an online coach for fighting games. He also streams on Twitch and has written an autobiographical book called My Life Beyond The Floor.
Early and personal life
Michael Begum was born on April 26, 1988 in Brownsville, Texas to Josefine Begum and Michael Begum, Sr. His parents separated when Begum was six years old, and Begum resided in Brownsville with his father and younger brother Johnny. His father died in January 2009 from a brain aneurysm, leaving Begum and Johnny to live with his mother and younger sister, who had both moved to Houston following the separation. In 2019 he moved with his mother and brother to Austin, Texas shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Begum has arthrogryposis, a rare genetic condition that affects the movement of the joints in his arms and legs, along with impeding his muscle growth. As a result of the condition, he is unable to walk, sit and grab objects. He was also diagnosed with scoliosis, an "irregular curving of the spine," which prevented him from standing. Born with the condition, he was placed in medical care shortly after birth to undergo various surgeries for his limbs, only for doctors to confirm he would never walk. Begum's condition also resulted in him needing assistance throughout his life. His father, a mechanic, built various tools and structures to help Begum, such as an electric wheelchair for Begum in middle school. Following his father's death, Begum received care from various caretakers his mother hired before Johnny became legally registered as his caretaker, assisting him with his needs and attending gaming tournaments with him. Despite his need for assistance, Begum developed ways to perform tasks such as writing, typing and texting using his face.
Begum has played video games since he was a child. At the age of two, Begum's parents bought him a Nintendo Entertainment System, and Super Mario Brothers 3 was the first video game he played. 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. He often played games with his brother where he would operate the controller with his face while his brother held it using his hands; his father would also place the television on the ground in order for Begum to see.
Career
Begum began playing video games competitively as a teenager, with one of his first competitive fighting games being Super Smash Bros. in 2004. He regularly attended local Super Smash Bros. Melee tournaments with his brother. Begum's gaming nickname "BrolyLegs" is a reference to the character Broly from the anime Dragon Ball Z, a series he was a fan of as a teenager. In Street Fighter, Begum primarily competes as the character Chun-Li, stating that her abilities match his playstyle; Begum is able to perform all of her moves despite only being able to press several of the buttons in gameplay.