Now that you’ve been training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for a while, are you ready to put your BJJ skills to the test in a tournament? Before taking this next step in your Jiu Jitsu journey, there are a few things you need to know. Below you’ll find out what SBG requires prior to competing, along with how to properly register for an event in which you’d like to compete.
Requirements to Compete for SBG Atlanta
First and foremost, you must be a 3 Stripe White Belt or above to compete. After earning your 3rd stripe at Straight Blast Gym Atlanta, you are eligible to start rolling in our 30 minute Team Training breakout sessions following most Intermediate Classes and our ‘Comp’ Team Training sessions on Saturday (ATL) and Sunday (BUF). Because our Team Training closely replicates what you will experience on the mat in Jiu Jitsu tournaments, it is important that you get some reps in this type of environment prior to competing. It is our recommendation that you attend at least 30 Jiu Jitsu Team Training sessions before registering for your 1st tournament.
Once you are a 3 Stripe White Belt and have attended several Team Training sessions you are qualified to register for an International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) Tournament and/or a Local Jiu Jitsu Tournament.
Registering for Local Jiu Jitsu tournaments (non IBJJF)
We recommend that you start with a small local Jiu Jitsu tournament prior to competing elsewhere. There are several local Jiu Jitsu Tournaments each year that we go to as a Team (Gameday Events) and others that we don’t. You are free to register for both but Coaches will not be there Coaching at events that are non-team tournaments. Be sure to ask your Coach prior to registering if it’s a tournament (Gameday Event) we are attending as a Team so that you can be sure to have a Coach in your corner.
Registering for these tournaments typically involves a simple one-step process; simply go to their website and register for the tournament on the date and location of your choosing. A few example tournaments for this type of registration are Newbreed, NAGA, and AGF. Because these tournaments and most others are smaller local events we only pool our points amongst our two gyms for team rankings. For these events, you’ll register with Phillipe Gentry as your Professor, and SBG Atlanta as your team.
Registering for an IBJJF Tournament
Unlike local tournaments, registering for PANS, Worlds, Euros, or any of the IBJJF Opens is a two-step process. First, you must become a member of the Federation. Once your membership is approved, you can then register for the event itself. The whole process is done online here: https://ibjjf.com/events/calendar. Click on the tournament you’d like to register for and follow the prompts. As an SBG athlete, you are part of a large international organization, and one of the benefits is that we can pool our points in order to rank higher as a global team. To do that, we need every athlete to register properly by putting SBG International as your Academy and Travis Davison as your Professor. Travis will sign off on your membership online and the IBJJF will notify you via email. Be sure to check their site periodically just in case. A good tool for first-timers can be found here: https://ibjjf.com/my-first-championship.
Registering for a Super Fight Gi or NoGi event
At SBG, we consider a Super Fight to be any competition that is matched by a promoter and takes place under the bright lights of a venue with seated spectators focused on one match at a time. For these matches, you must go through your Coach for approval and matching. At SBG, we have relationships with most of the local promoters and are happy to help you with this process once you’re ready for the main stage. Be sure to let the head Coach of your location know that it’s something you have an interest in doing.
Competition is a fantastic way to test the new skills that you have acquired during your time training on the mats, as well as challenge yourself outside of your comfort zone. We fully support our athletes’ desire to compete and will help ensure that you are properly prepped and ready for competition day!
