These days Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is full of memes and folklore. One of the most prominent ongoing jokes surrounding BJJ is the supposed tradition of the pineapple which is given to the instructor as a sign of respect. Although the exact origins of this meme are not quite sure, what is sure is that since its inception, it’s gained a cult-like status amongst those who are in on the gag. So, how on earth did a joke start about presenting teachers with pineapples and does the tradition actually happen offline?
BJJ Pineapples and Reddit
As previously stated, the precise origins aren’t clear on how this meme began. In short, one day a regular noob thread started on /R/BJJ which is the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu area of the site. Like many hundreds of threads before, it was done by a new practitioner asking about the gym etiquette of starting BJJ at a new school. This was probably posted in good faith by a nervous white belt who genuinely wanted to make a good impression. Most responses said the usual stuff, have a good attitude, don’t go wild, and have fun. You’ve probably seen this advice before.
However, one response was different. This response gave the advice to give the instructor a pineapple as a gift. Many other users agreed with this advice, claiming that it was standard tradition and that it would even be expected. It’s not known whether the original poster genuinely gave the pineapple or not, but since then the joke has stuck.
Pineapples in BJJ, what happened since?
Since the original joke, the gag still continues to this day. If you see newcomers asking for advice on their first day, a fairly common answer is to bring a pineapple to class. So, does this genuinely happen? The short answer is yes. Whilst it’s rare and probably doesn’t happen much outside of America, it still does go on.
There are various images circulating the internet of black belts being given a pineapple. What isn’t known is whether this is done knowingly by the person giving the pineapple, or whether it’s just someone who falls for the prank. In any case, most instructors are seemingly ok with the joke as even though it’s a bizarre present, it’s also quite a nice fruit.
The spread of Pineapple culture in BJJ
Away from the physical act of gifting a pineapple, the fruit has gone on to achieve status in other ways. For instance, in 2019 there was a competition that gained attention for being called ‘The Pineapple invitational’ which awarded winners with pineapples. The fruit has also been pictured on commentary desks at tournaments and has even spawned t-shirts and merchandise surrounding pineapples and their relationship with BJJ.
Final thoughts on BJJ Pineapples
Overall, the use of the pineapple in BJJ is nothing more than a light-hearted joke. Whilst some people argue it’s not that funny and is forced at times – others will point out that it’s just a bit of banter. Whatever your view on it, the fact remains that pineapples are now somewhat embedded into the culture and even years later, newer students will still ask the question as to whether pineapples are needed as a gift when you start training BJJ.
