Revolution Tournament BJJ Rules Explained: Your Ultimate Guide to Master the Competition

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) competitions offer a unique opportunity to test skills, build confidence, and develop lifelong discipline. Understanding the rules and regulations is crucial for both competitors and coaches. This article delves into the specifics of the Revolution Tournament BJJ rules, covering aspects from youth divisions to adult weight classes and IBJJF guidelines.

Youth No-Gi Division

A Youth No-Gi Division has been added to the Revolution Tournament. It is our hope by creating these new competition divisions we will be able to provide competitive and fair competition for all our youth athletes. There is NO BJJ BELT direct equivalent for No-Gi Divisions. TOTAL GRAPPLING EXPERIENCE.

This includes jiu jitsu gi & no-gi, wrestling, judo, & all grappling sports. Many competitors will compete no-gi the first time at Skill 2 or above. If someone “doesn’t really train no-gi” but has decided to compete no-gi & has been doing any grappling sport for 12 months or more they are not Skill 1.

Qualifying Factors

How do I qualify? By age. Your age is the only qualifying factor.

Please register your Youth Competitor at their current weight. The Youth brackets will be made based on the submitted weights of registered competitors.

Our general rule of thumb is within 10lbs & 2 years. We have found being able to tailor make the brackets allows for better competition/experience for all competitors. Please never have a youth competitor cut weight!

If your child is in a bracket that doesn’t fall within our usual standard, you will receive a call and we will work out something that is best for everyone.

Whenever possible we try to separate the boys and girls starting age 10. However, we will not sacrifice the quality of a bracket to do so. We have ways to build brackets to give each athlete a fair chance to compete.

Adult Divisions

Adult Men, Women & Masters: IBJJF Weight Classes for Adult Gi & No Gi.

Master 1 & 2 Black Belts, Brown Belts, Purple Belts & Advanced matches are 6 Minutes. If I qualify but don’t sign up in a Master division, will you place me in that bracket? No.

Read also: The D Day Tournaments

Weigh-Ins

Weigh Ins: Take place on the day of the event when your bracket is called. Adult NoGi - weigh-in dressed to compete.

Competitors must be checked in one hour before the scheduled start time of THEIR BRACKET not their individual match.

We will be starting with the youngest white belts & then making our way up in age & then starting with the youngest grey belts, etc. When gi brackets are completed we will start no gi the same way, with youngest Skill 1 Athletes. Then progressing through Skill 1 Athletes and then starting youngest Skill 2 Athletes, etc.

Important Information for Competitors and Coaches

Several key guidelines ensure a smooth and fair tournament experience.

Competitor Lists: Competitor Lists can be viewed at the registrations tab on the event page.
Warm-Up Mats & Changing Rooms: Dedicated mats for warm up will be provided both days.
Photography: You are welcome to take photos and videos from the spectator areas. We have many photographers on staff taking pictures from inside the barricades. Podium Photos are taken of each division.
Coaching Credentials: Coaches with credentials will have access to the mats both Adult and Youth day. As a reminder Coaches' bands are free. Entrance to the event as a Coach is free, as long as you register. However, if your team does not register your coaches, each unregistered coach will be charged the $10 entrance fee before they can receive their band. Teams that have multiple locations please make sure to register each location independently.
Free T-Shirts: Competitors registering Before midnight MONDAY September 8th receive a free event shirt. T-shirts must be picked up during the event.

Enter through the Blue Gate. Every competitor will check-in at our front desk when they arrive. Competitors registered in time for their free event shirt can go to the t-shirt booth to pick it up.

Competitors can stay up to date with the progress of their mat on screens provided or on their own phones. Please check your weight as soon as you get to the event on one of the check weight scales and find your Ring Coordinator to address any issues.

Competitors should be in the building and dresses to compete 1 hour before the estimated start time OF THEIR BRACKET not their individual match, which will be available once the brackets are cast the week of the tournament. Remember the schedule is live and subject to change.

Preparing Your Child for Competition

Competition offers more than just a chance to test your child’s skills in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It fosters growth in areas that extend far beyond the sport, shaping children into confident, disciplined, and socially aware individuals.

Here are some tips for parents to help prepare their child for the competition:

Get approval from our coaches, specifically Profs. Joshua and Solange.
Know the rules - as a parent you can help prepare your child by watching videos pertaining to that competition. For example, the Revolution follows IBJJF rules, and a good breakdown of those rules is here. For Grappling Industries, a good breakdown is here. We also attend a sub-only tournament, where matches are only won by submissions.
After registering, check your child’s division! It is up to you to make sure your child is in the correct division. Are they in the right belt division? What about weight? Age? You are in charge of this aspect.
On the day of the tournament, your child should have a hearty breakfast with protein. You should be at the tournament at least one hour ahead of his/her match time, check in with tournament organizers to check weight, etc., find the coaches and start warming up - most tournaments have a warm-up area for kids and our coaches lead them sometimes. If your child is about to compete and a coach is not with them, tell the referee to wait until a coach comes. Sometimes we have too many competitors and cannot be everywhere at once.

Benefits of BJJ Competition for Kids

In a competition setting, your child’s physical skills are tested in a real-world scenario. Kids learn to move dynamically, defend against an opponent’s attacks, and execute submissions or sweeps under pressure.

Competing also encourages mental toughness. Children may face more experienced opponents, lose matches, or make mistakes, all of which can feel disappointing. However, BJJ emphasizes the importance of learning from failures, encouraging kids to improve and refine their technique.

One of the most impactful aspects of BJJ competition is the boost in self-confidence that children experience. Winning a match or achieving a goal, like applying a technique they’ve been practicing, gives children a sense of accomplishment. This newfound confidence often spills over into other areas of life. Kids who compete in BJJ often show increased self-esteem and a better ability to tackle challenges at school or in social situations.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is steeped in tradition and respect. From the first day of training, children are taught to respect their coaches, teammates, and opponents. This respect extends into competitions, where sportsmanship is emphasized.

The discipline needed to compete at a high level also transfers to other areas of life. Kids learn the importance of consistent practice, following rules, and pushing through difficult moments. BJJ competitions provide children with an opportunity to interact with peers who share similar interests. This community fosters friendships that extend beyond the mats. At tournaments, kids also see older competitors and black belts, offering them role models to look up to.

For parents concerned about their child’s safety, it’s important to note that BJJ competitions for kids are highly regulated. Matches are categorized by age, weight, and skill level to ensure fair play. Additionally, strict rules are in place to prevent dangerous techniques, such as joint locks targeting the legs or neck.

The lead-up to competition also plays a significant role in making the experience positive. Whether a child continues with BJJ into adulthood or pursues other passions, the skills they gain from competing will serve them for life. The confidence, discipline, and mental fortitude that come from facing challenges head-on are invaluable tools.

Additional Rules and Regulations

Here are some additional rules and regulations that are important to note:

For points to be awarded on all positions, including takedowns, 3 consecutive seconds of control must be established.
No points can be earned while DEFENDING a submission.
Points and advantages are earned only through escalating positions.
Note: Athletes competing on Sunday (youth) that cry during the match will have the incident treated the same as a bleeding incident.
When the athlete has control of the opponent’s back and has their feet crossed instead of properly placed inside the opponents thighs.
Severe fouls are subdivided into Technical and Disciplinary. Both are immediate Disqualifications but Technical fouls will allow the opponent to compete again at the event if there are more matches for the athlete.
One athlete is clearly not pursuing positional progression in a match. 20 consecutive seconds are required for each stalling penalty.
If an athlete is in the 50/50 guard position and grips the lapel or the belt of their opponent, the athlete will have 20 (twenty) seconds to pursue positional progression before receiving a penalty for lack of combativeness.
Serious fouls are cumulative.
Deliberately exits the match to prevent the opponent from completing a sweep.
Takes more than 20 seconds to adjust their uniform, tie their belt, or pants, during the stoppage of a match.
For white belts, beginners, and all athletes under 18 regardless of belt or skill, it is forbidden for an athlete to jump for a closed guard while their opponent is standing. This includes all "flying attacks" that are initiated by jumping guard.

Bellingham BJJ Internal Tournament

The purpose: To provide a competitive experience that gets people practice under a common competitive ruleset. Competition is valuable, and there are not a ton of opportunities to compete, so this is a chance for folks to get their feet wet internally.

This is only open to Bellingham BJJ students ranked white or blue belt, and perhaps some of our friends at other schools to fill out the divisions. There is no cost to participate. Black and brown belts will referee all the matches. We’re encouraging people to take it seriously but also have a great time.

Rules

For the non-Quintet matches, both gi and no-gi divisions will follow IBJJF rules. These are the rules used at the most popular tournament in Washington, the Revolution. If you want more detail: Here are the complete IBJJF rules. We also go over rulesets at the pre-event rules meeting!

For the Quintet matches, we will follow Quintet rules, but no heel hooks or reaping the knee will be allowed. Ankle locks, toe holds and knee bars will be allowed. Bicep slicers are allowed too I guess.

Weight Classes

We will not do weigh-ins. For both adults AND kids, we will group people in pods that are closest in walking around weight. When you sign up, give us your best estimate of what you walk around at first thing in the morning. We don’t want people cutting weight for this.

Matches

Everyone will be guaranteed at least a few matches. Whether this means we do a double-elimination bracket or a round robin depends on signups and interest. But you’ll get matches!

All matches will be 5 minutes, and so will all Quintet rounds.

The Quintet

We’re bringing back the Quintet bracket! This was a super-fun format last time. We have two teams that I know are interested at least, but there’s to to add more. If you have questions, please message me - there’s still time to get you in.

They will engage in a submission only grappling round: They will be 7 minute rounds, to submission, or “To The Pain,” whichever comes first.

If someone taps, they are eliminated, and their team picks a new person to jump in. If the time expires with no submission, BOTH grapplers are eliminated. Strategy!

The team that has the last grappler(s) standing wins.

Spectators are welcome. We’ll probably do cool prizes. We did last time. It’s gonna be great! Invite your friends! This is gonna be fun.

How to Check Your Gi With The Gi Checker Tool

Rodrigo Medeiros: A BJJ Pioneer

Rodrigo was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. He started training in Judo when he was 5 years old and at 12 years old, he started training in Jiu-Jitsu, with Grand Master Carlson Gracie Sr. when he was promoted to the Black belt in 1996. Rodrigo is a 6th degree Black Belt under IBJJF/USBJJF rules and regulations.

Rodrigo has competed in over 120 different Jiu-Jitsu tournaments and almost 500 competition matches, most under IBJJF and USBJJF federation. Rodrigo was Brazilian champion five times, from 1991-1995, US National Champion, 4-Times US Open Champion, 5-Times Pan American Champion, Asian Champion and 2-Times World Master Champion. He was a member of Carlson's Elite Team. The famous team that ruled the sport in competition level for more than 2 decades in Brasil.

Rodrigo has been teaching the art of Jiu-Jitsu all over the world, since 1992, and had BJJ Schools in Rio (Brasil), Los Angeles (CA), Hong Kong (China) and for the last 22 years in San Diego, CA.

The enthusiasm that makes me to put the Gi on to train and teach, is to always place my mindset as a student mode. I genuinely believe that the beauty of BJJ is the continuous learning process, a journey that never ends. Mats are your classroom so be a student forever. My academy is a temple that brings positive energy for people lives. BJJ is a Lifestyle that makes our community a better place to live and training programs that builds in our members discipline, respect, self-esteem and right attitudes.

Rodrigo Medeiros Achievements

Championship	Times	Years
Brazilian Champion	5	1991-1995
US National Champion	1	N/A
US Open Champion	4	N/A
Pan American Champion	5	N/A
Asian Champion	1	N/A
World Master Champion	2	N/A

Brackets & Results: Brackets & final placements are live updated and readily available on the results tab of the event page.

tags: #revolution #tournament #bjj