Do you get the competition jitters? Are you so accustomed to going for heel hooks that you worry about wasting a ton of money on registration, only to get DQ’d in your first match at Worlds? Do you just need some practice in a competitive BJJ setting?
If you live near Brea, CA, Brea Jiu-Jitsu’s Dan Lukehart has created the perfect solution: the Pineapple Invitational. This free tournament is designed specifically to help competitors get comfortable competing under IBJJF rules, and while you won’t earn thousands of dollars for winning your division, you will earn something even better: a pineapple.
For non-Redditors, the pineapple thing is basically a deep inside joke that started on Reddit and has broken the walls of the internet and made its way into the real world. Ask about its origins, and you’ll likely receive a fake history of the pineapple’s role in BJJ as a prank, or a mix of “nobody knows” and “you had to be there to understand.” The gist of it is that jiu-jitsu students should present their instructor with a pineapple because, um, respect? Some students actually give their coaches a pineapple, and like the rest of us, the coaches either “get it” or are confused but pleased over getting a free pineapple. At this point, it’s just a giant meme, and if you aren’t in on the joke, you can either pretend to understand or just accept that pineapples and BJJ sometimes intersect.
Anyway. You win, you get a pineapple. Easy as that.
The tournament will operate under IBJJF rules and be gi only. There will be entire divisions for male and female white and blue belts and male purple belts. Female purple, brown, and black belts can inquire about superfights, as can male brown and black belts. Entry is free, and Lukehart’s own students (who learn extensively about IBJJF rules in class) will be serving as referees.
If you’d like to participate in the Pineapple Invitational and experience the literal sweet taste of victory, the event will take place on March 1 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Brea Jiu-Jitsu, which is located on 379 West Central Avenue in Brea, CA.
