Japan is quite a culture shock, isn't it?
I was fortunate enough to be age 10 when Ash Ketchum ( from Pokemon ) was also age 10 and set off on an adventure to become the worlds best.
I did not become the worlds best .. at anything ( I don't think ), but I do think in today's day & age with technology, I have been able to study and see some of the worlds best trickers, athletes, artists, etc do their thing.
I do have to give a lot of credit to Japan, because up until recently, Japan had the strongest Trickers .. ( and may still .. but I think China has recently shown a tad bit more push lately at least in the competitive scene of Tricking ).
Japan also has ( based on my personal opinion ) some of, if not the best models and female talents & they have an interesting industry for women that want to show off what they can do and try to work towards becoming a celebrity.
In my own personal life, I have loved Japanese culture since I was a kid, and going to Japan was a great experience for me. Being on social media, and having an FYP and feed that constantly pushes Japanese culture to me, as someone that is an avid researcher and language learner and admirer of beauty - I get an immense amount of natural recommendations for models, dancers, idols and other Japanese talents.
Hi my name is David Milner & I am a sports investigative journalist .. and sometimes I veer off track and get a bit obsessed with beautiful women 😅 but bear with me because .. seeing the framework by which idols use .. could apply to Tricking one day maybe !
Women that believe that they have the potential to sing, dance, wear pageantry, model, play video games and interact with their fans is an actual industry - and it generates a lot of money and a lot of love.
Based on my observations, prospective idols find an agency, gain employment, connect their social media and begin to represent a team with a theme - and these idols spend their time practicing, recording music and living the lifestyle of essentially a celebrity - but a celebrity that might only have a few thousand or a few 10s of thousands followers - I think for every 1,000 or so followers these idols have on social media, maybe only about 2-5 might be dedicated enough to actually interact, buy merchandise or attend shows ( but this is just an estimate ).
Trickers are not unlike idols, albeit male typically, and instead of singing and dancing, it's more focused on Tricking and making appearances.
Trickers form teams, and sell merchandise, and attend events .. but, the industry isn't fully formed yet - no managers, branding varies from being on theme to being legally obscene, but the one big money making element isn't present ... something in the idol world calls "chekki".
Chekki is essentially a polaroid picture that idols take either as selfies, or with their fans after they perform - usually sold for about $20 each, and serves as a substantial source of income for these girls.
In a single event - say Halloween, idols might wear a costume and do poses, write cute messages, and sell 1, 2, 5, 10 chekki or even more to a single customer ... you do the maths. If theres a bunch of fans that are lining up to hang with their favourite idol, and snag a picture and post it up on social media .. not only do they get to be around a source of inspiration, but also support them as well. By the end of the night, idols might rack up a few thousand dollars for their agency, and I don't know the numbers, but I assume they get a decent cut of that as well.
It's a way for idols and fans to interact, with a respectful distance, doing business, helping to promote their aim of rising up the ranks, and spreading good cheer.
I think Adrenaline kind of did something like a signing event one time, but the idol world is setup differently - these idols do shows almost daily.
These shows are like live performances, and multiple teams turn up and do about 20 minute segments or so.
Tricking already has teams that do live performances to promote itself.
I think it could be an interesting component to gatherings / battle events and a way for Trickers to be a tad bit more professional and supply a collectable for their fans to have - there are already group photos after an event, but why not more personal ones?
Who knows, maybe one day our sport will see a similar model.
Food for thought !
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