Tournament Feedback

[member 603]

There are many different BJJ/sub grappling tournaments out there, and as a tournament director, I want to know from any of you active and former competitors.... What are some of your pros and cons of the tournaments you've participated in?

Also what are some of your direct feedback for the tournaments out there today like NAGA, Copa America, US Grappling, AGF, Newbreed, IBJJF events, and other shows like Grappler's Quest and Five Grappling.... Discuss

 

[SC MMA MD]

NAGA- pros: typically big divisions, good ruleset (particularly no-gi), ability to compete in multiple divisions, good refs (at least for the past few years here in the SE)
Cons: almost never on schedule, so very hard to warm-up before your match, usually involves quite a bit of waiting for you division to be called, no way to know if you have people in your division until the day of the tournament (sometimes not until your bracket is called)

IBJJF- Pros: consistently good level of competition, best refs, able to see that you have a decent bracket before committing to paying for the tournament, clear rules consistently enforced, runs on time like clockwork most times, clear announcements of which divisions are coming up so you can warm-up
Cons: only in big cities, on the more expensive side

 

[SC MMA MD]

In a more general sense, one big pro is when the tournament is held somewhere with locker rooms so that everyone is not getting changed in the bathrooms (yuck).
Having a schedule, and running on time is a huge bonus as well.

 

[member 603]

What's your focus when you go? Gi? No gi? Are you a sub only guy? Do you like the point system and rules of these tournaments?

 

[SC MMA MD]

I have only done a sub-only tournament once (the SC submission grappling championship) and it was a good experience. 10 minute time limit sub-only, and it is a smaller tournament so the highest experience level was 3 years+. As a blue belt I got to compete in brackets with some other blues, purples and a few Browns and blacks. I will do that again, but I like the more common points tournaments as well, and there are many more of those around.

I have competed in Gi more, but I really think you need to do both to be a complete grappler, so I have started doing both gi and no go whenever they are both avalible.

I like the NAGA no-gi rule set. In general, I like the IBJJF gi rules, except I think leg locks should be allowed blue and up