Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg competed in his first Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) tournament and snagged gold and silver medals, he announced on his Facebook page on Sunday.
“Competed in my first jiu-jitsu tournament and won some medals for the Guerrilla Jiu-Jitsu team,” the 38-year-old tech billionaire said in a Facebook post, in which he also thanked his trainers.
It is unclear where or when the tournament took place.
BJJ news website Jits Magazine reported that in the tournament, Mr Zuckerberg competed in the white belt master 2 lightweight division in both gi and no gi jiu-jitsu.
A gi is a thick, white-coloured cotton uniform worn in several martial arts, including BJJ.
In an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast in late 2022, Mr Zuckerberg said he grew an interest in various sports, including mixed martial arts, during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He then found his way to BJJ and judo veteran Dave Camarillo’s gym, Guerilla Jiu-Jitsu, which Mr Zuckerberg represented in the tournament.
On Sept 3, 2022, Mr Zuckerberg posted a video of a training session with professional mixed martial artist Khai Wu, where both men can be seen trading blows and grappling.
In the same month, Mr Wu told tech news website The Information that the Guerrilla Jiu-Jitsu Academy in San Jose, California, had seen an influx of tech workers like Mr Zuckerberg wanting to learn how to fight.
“We call them jiu-jitsu nerds,” he said, referring to people who do not look like much of a threat until they get on the mat.
“You’d never expect these guys to be able to take you down. Next thing you know, they’re attacking you with these extremely technical moves,” Mr Wu said. “You don’t know this nerd is a silent killer.”
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/...ckerberg-snags-medals-in-his-first-tournament
