So unless you reside under a rock, you have definitely heard of Pokemon Go. This new app/game has completely taken over in the last week. The app beat out Tinder for downloads within 2 days and is about to break twitters record for downloads. While the app is common among people in general, I have noticed that many JiuJitsuka really enjoy the app. Most of my close BJJ buddies have downloaded it and are well on their way to becoming a Pokemon-Master. So why is this? Why are so many athletes in a sport like BJJ drawn to play this game? I think the answer is actually quite obvious.
First Jiu Jitsu was made popular in the 90’s but didn’t really explode till the 2000’s . This means that many of the younger practitioners currently were alive and probably playing the original games when they were release. If you are 20-30, the nostalgia of getting to catch these pokemon is almost a dream come true for us. Regardless if BJJ is our life, we will make time for this.
Second is the fact that many of the people who enjoy Jiu-Jitsu do not come from a sports background. Simply put, many of the people who end up joining BJJ are nerds at heart. We got into BJJ to have fun, socialize and learn to defend ourselves because that may have been an issue for us. So naturally we still find much entertainment in the game.
Lastly is the lifestyle. The BJJ lifestyle involves eating healthy and getting exercise both on and off the mats. Many BJJ players enjoy being out and about over sitting around in their house. We still like video games though so this satisfies both of our needs. We get to go out and explore, but also get to satisfy our inner nerd. The app also helps us pass time while we wait for our BJJ class (haha).
I have heard a lot of hate on this game both in the BJJ community and outside of it, but in reality the game is getting people outside and getting them to walk around and socialize. I think this is a goal we as BJJ practitioners should definitely appreciate. So who cares if some of us in the community also play Pokemon. I bet you have also met plenty of people in BJJ who play ESO and WOW, so how is this any different? Are you a BJJ player and Pokemon master ?
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