“Everybody Get Your Roll On” is blasting from the loudspeakers.
Casually sitting amongst the crowd is a competitor rolling up a joint, unfazed by the bustling activity of a tournament going on around him. He is neither a target nor a pariah. He fits in.
Welcome to High Rollerz, where the misspelling of the term ‘Rollerz’ is meant as a dig at the traditional paradigm.
Cannabis consumption is not merely tolerated at these events — it acts as a gathering point for like-minded competitors to network and connect. Never has it been so easy to start a conversation with someone. One need only lead with their green foot forward to indulge in conversation related invariably to jiu-jitsu training.
Compared to previous editions, this event had more of a lounge feel, a casual jiu-jitsu viewing experience that saw members of Slipknot and the Wu Tang Clan as spectators, only being minimally requested to take pictures with the lucky few who attended. It appears as if perhaps High Rollerz is becoming more exclusive, being available to those who seek it out, rather than going out of its way to draw in a crowd. The event was held at an undisclosed location in the greater Los Angeles area. Carrying on the tradition from previous tournaments, winners don’t walk away with a medal — rather, they take home a pound of cannabis provided by one of the sponsors.
As they called all competitors to the check-in table, a number of them held back as they continued to finish rolling their joint. It’s definitely no secret that everyone in the building is running at a slower clock. The building from the outside looks like a standard recreational center or YMCA, the exact coordinates of the location were not revealed to the public in an effort to not draw a large crowd to the event.
In terms of the actual tournament, the refs encourage action and are not looking to DQ competitors, many of whom traveled across the country to compete. The rules take a slight deviation from previous editions. There is no penalty for sitting to guard. If you pass, he recovers half-guard, and you pass again, there are no points awarded to the top person. This rule is meant to take away the ability to run up the scoreboard. No heel hooks are allowed in the gi, but they don’t call reaping.
Renato Laranja was on the microphone all night, dropping many “porras” throughout. One notable quote he was overheard saying about one competitor was, “He looks like he’s having a paranoid time right now.” When the “Eye of the Tiger” song came on, he started doing the Rocky Balboa voice he has become known for amongst his fans.
Women had equal fighting opportunities as men and were awarded the same prizes.
There were characteristic smoke breaks, sometimes between opponents, always between brackets. While the matches moved at a modest pace, the time between the matches often took a few extra minutes as competitors, shall we say, ‘prepped’ for their upcoming battle.
While this event may not sound like everyone’s cup of tea, it is a fast-growing movement on the jiu-jitsu scene and constantly looking to expand its reach towards any 420-friendly athletes. If you’d like to participate in a future event as either a competitor or a sponsor, feel free to visit their website for more information.
