Editor’s note: Hey there reader! A lot of people are still pushing “nerdy” and “sporty” as opposite ends of some sort of binary spectrum. WWAC isn’t on board with that! Following our successful archery spotlight, and preceding an upcoming set of #WWACWARRIORS staff stories, I want to bring you in easy: somewhere that nerds do sports . . . entertainment. It’s wrasslin’ time.
Word Life, This Is Basic CHIKARA . . . nomics?
If you look on the internet, specifically at Wikipedia, CHIKARA is defined as a professional wrestling company based in Philadelphia, PA. That’s basically what it is, but that’s like saying “the sun is hot.” Sure, the sun IS hot, but man, the sun is way more complex than that, and so is CHIKARA; CHIKARA is also the easiest thing in the world to get into and to love.
I like CHIKARA because it’s a mixture of unique gimmicks—ants, ice creams, a snow troll, a wrestling tree, an 80s throwback tag team composed of gigantic wrestlers, a breakdancing time-traveling snake from Egypt who knows more about zombie movies than I do about anything and his tag partner, a pharaoh, a gentleman from the past with a fuzzy tummy . . . well, we could be here all day, but you get the gist—and of nerd culture at its finest. The show DVDs used to have comics homages as covers, for goodness sake. How can you not adore that?
Comparison yoinked from Gavok at 4thletter, link above
Not to mention, CHIKARA is easy to find. REALLY easy. You can check YouTube, where several of their Podcast A Go Gos are posted; SmartMark Video has shows on demand as well as DVDs; there’s a huge contingent of CHIKARA fans, known as the CHIKArmy, who are vocally active on Twitter and Tumblr; and the wrestlers themselves are always actively posting on Twitter as well as interacting with fans as often as possible.
If you’re not sure if CHIKARA is for you, consider these points:
- Every show is family-friendly, which means that there is absolutely no cursing allowed. Children under twelve get into shows free.
- CHIKARA has a long-standing history of booking women in a respectful manner and they are treated as equals, which means if you’ve shied away from wrestling because sometimes it’s not the most fair, this is the exception you need to be looking at.
- Everyone is welcome at a CHIKARA show. You may attend one and the crowd might not look just like you, but the crowds at these shows tend to be a little less “1980s WWF audience”—full of men in trucker hats*—and more “tattoos, brightly colored hair, small children, people of every socioeconomic stripe and possible background.”
CHIKARA audiences also have a habit of taking care of people. Not sure where the best place to eat after a show is? Ask someone in the crowd, they’ll enthusiastically recommend six places. Are you a vegan? No problem, we got you covered there. You wanna know who that guy is and why everyone is booing him? The person sitting next to you will be glad to tell you why. Just ask, you aren’t bothering anyone!
In short, if you’re looking for wrestling that manages to incorporate a family-friendly, respectful atmosphere, comics, and movie references (I mean, a good guy showed up in a DeLorean after time-traveling, for goodness’ sake) along with a diverse and friendly audience and roster, and an all-around good time that’s sure to leave you feeling better when you walk out than when you went in (in most cases), give CHIKARA a shot. I promise you’ll find something to love about it.
