As a boy growing up in Berlin, young Hilby boasted no traumatic childhood experiences and exhibited no particular talents other than making funny faces at strangers and, as Hilby himself describes it, "breezing rhyzmically." Hilby grew up doing all the fun things that people do when they're not in school until they began to call him a grown-up. That's when he packed up his old kit bag, gave his mom a big kiss on the cheek, and set out on a journey that was to lead him all over the world.

Hilby travelled across the European continent to Asia. One of the talents he learned along the way was juggling. From that day forward his social life took a distinct downward turn as countless weeks went by during which he wouldn't listen to anybody but his own inner voice saying, "Come on Hilby, you can do it!" Well, sometimes he did and sometimes he didn't but what a learning spurt it's been ever since! His old "breezing rhyzmically" came in handy as Hilby discovered the ancient art of Chinese JOJO's--where else but in China itself--as well as many other unique performance techniques in his wanderings.