• yesterday
A two-day Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament in Taipei drew crowds of beginners, showcasing the sport's rising popularity in Taiwan. Among those taking part was local influencer Holger Chen, also known as "Guan Zhang" (the Gym Boss) trying his hand at the "gentle art."
Transcript
00:00At an annual Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament in Taipei, crowds of white belts stepped onto
00:05the mats for the first time, risking their necks and their joints in a full-contact grappling
00:10sport that's rapidly growing in popularity here in Taiwan.
00:14Among the beginners was Holger Chen, a controversial but massively popular local influencer who
00:21goes by the handle Guan Zhang, the gym boss.
00:30The tourney, Chen's first in Taiwan, adds to his growing martial arts background and
00:43is another step in his eventful life story.
00:46Chen hails from a low-income, single-parent family.
00:49Before turning his hand to martial arts, he was a member of the Marines and also a one-time
00:53gangster.
00:54His appearance leads to frequent comparisons with US podcaster Joe Rogan, and he's about
00:59as controversial, never afraid to offer his opinion.
01:23While Chen is a big celebrity, at this tournament, he's just another competitor.
01:27And most of the weekend's tournament attendees weren't there to discuss politics.
01:31They came to cut their teeth or support a loved one trying their hand at a new sport.
01:47Many senior members of Taiwan's Brazilian jiu-jitsu community say that while having
01:51influencers try the sport is a great way to attract new members, their effect will be
01:56short-lived if they don't commit to training long-term.
02:23Dimitri says the popularity of jiu-jitsu has grown exponentially since he arrived in
02:28Taiwan back in 2005.
02:31Back then, the only academy in the country was Taiwan Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which opened
02:36in 2003.
02:37Today, there's over 10 in Taipei alone.
02:40Now, with popular influencers like Holger Chen joining in, the sport is gaining more
02:44exposure and introducing more people to the joys of grappling.
02:49Hank Hsu and Bryn Thomas for Taiwan Plus.
02:53For more UN videos visit www.un.org.uk

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