Facebook’s founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, has a new hobby: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a form of martial arts.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a martial arts style that provides many impressive health benefits. Among its advantages for health include:
- Developing strength, endurance, flexibility, and coordination
- Helping lose weight
- Developing self-confidence
- Reducing stress and anxiety
- Helping improve reflexes, and so much more.
Zuckerberg is one of the many people enjoying the benefits of this martial arts form for health.
Zuckerberg wins gold, silver medals in jiu-jitsu tournament
On Saturday, the Facebook founder and tech billionaire participated in his first Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament, and bagged silver and gold medals.
Zuckerberg posted the news on his official Facebook account, sharing photos from the event. He said, “Competed in my first jiu jitsu tournament and won some medals (emojis) for the Guerrilla Jiu Jitsu team. Thanks to Dave Camarillo, Khai Wu, and James Terry for training me!”
The tournament happened at Woodside High School in California, just a stone’s throw away from the headquarters of Meta in Silicon Valley.
The 38-year-old tech billionaire told the media last year that he started learning martial arts during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Congratulations
Khai “the Shadow” Wu, one of Zuckerberg’s coaches, congratulated him on his historic win. Wu said, “Yesterday getting to see Zuck compete was pretty epic. No match was easy and everything was earned. It was an honor to be able to help coach and offer any advice I could.”
The Facebook CEO also received congratulatory messages from famous practitioners of the martial arts.
For instance, ex-UFC champion and anger management student Conor McGregor commented on Zuckerberg’s post, saying, “Yo!!!… awesome Mark.”
Also, five-time world jiu-jitsu champion Bernardo Faria, who hails from Brazil, also wished Zuckerberg well. He said, “Amazing!!! Half guard, arm-bars, triangle! Super cool!’”
Mario Lopez, a popular TV host who has been very vocal about his passion for Brazilian jiu-jitsu, commented on the post with three fire emojis.
Zuckerberg argues with a referee, joins the ranks of other famous jiu-jitsu practitioners
However, Zuckerberg’s win in the tournament did not come without creases. In the middle of the action, the Meta CEO got into a heated exchange with a referee. But still, he won the medals.
Zuckerberg’s win means he is joining the ranks of many other renowned Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners, such as “The Dark Knight Rises” actor Tom Hardy, comedian and actor Russell Brand, “Superman” Henry Cavill, and director Guy Ritchie.
These people are also very vocal about their passion for the martial arts. For example, Hardy made a surprise appearance in a 2022 Brazilian jiu-jitsu open championship organized by Ultimate Martial Arts Championships at Oakgrove in Milton Keynes.
Meanwhile, Cavill has once shared his passion for the martial arts on social media. He said, “Jiu-jitsu has a way of kicking your arse and making you love it for the lessons you learned!…”
Also, Richie is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and has reportedly spent over two decades training in this discipline.
