Weight classes are critical in competitive Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu matches. Knowing the various BJJ weight divisions and what they mean can give you an advantage in tournaments.
As a BJJ practitioner, you have access to numerous competitions. Competitors are categorized depending on their belt level, age, and weight category. Yet, there is also the absolute weight class, where everybody can participate under open weight rules.
This jiu-jitsu article will describe the different weight classes in various BJJ tournaments. We’ll talk about the adult men and women IBJJF competitions, weight classes, and other tournament organizations. Stay tuned and get ready!
IBJJF Weight Classes
The International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) is the most popular BJJ federation that hosts tournaments worldwide. These well-run tournaments provide an excellent opportunity to prove your jiu-jitsu skills.
The best thing about the IBJJF is its divisions for people of all ages and belt levels. So it is possible for anyone who wants to compete, from kids to adults (white belts, blue belts, purple belts to black belts), to find a division that suits their skill level.
Indeed, there are numerous prestigious IBJJF events such as the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, Pan American Championship, European Championship, Asian Open Championship, Brazilian Nationals, etc.
You know, there’s a massive difference between no-gi and gi competitions. Plus, the weigh-ins usually take place on the same day, so it’s hard to rehydrate or weigh 7-8 kg less.
Masters and adults use the same BJJ weight classes, while there is a difference in juvenile divisions (which is normal, they are lighter and younger).
All right, it’s time for some facts about IBJJF women’s weight divisions.
Women Gi IBJJF Weight Classes
There used to be only six weight classes for female competitors, but the world is changing; we live in the 21st century.
Nowadays, there are 9 women in BJJ weight classes plus open weight as a number ten.
| Female Gi Weight Division | Weight Limits |
|---|---|
| Rooster (Galo) | Under 48.5kg (under 107 lbs) |
| Light feather (Pluma) | 48.5kg to 53.5 kg (107 – 118 lbs) |
| Feather (Pena) | 53.5 kg to 58.5 kg (118 – 129 lbs) |
| Light (Leve) | 58.5 kg to 64 kg (129 – 141.6 lbs) |
| Middle (Medio) | 64 kg to 69 kg (141.6 – 152.6 lbs) |
| Medium-Heavy (Meio-Pesado) | 69 to 74 kg (152.6 – 163.6 lbs) |
| Heavy (Pesado) | 74 kg to 79.3 kg (163.6 – 175 lbs) |
| Super-Heavy (Super-Pesado) | Over 79.3 kg (175 lbs) |
| Open class | Open to all weight classes |
Women No-Gi IBJJF Weight Classes
You’ve noticed that women’s no-gi classes are 1.8 – 2.7 kg lighter than gi BJJ weight classes. That’s because a high-quality gi usually weighs not less than 1.5 kg, plus bigger fighters can drain more pounds. Equal treatment matters.
| Female No-Gi Weight Division | Weight Limits |
|---|---|
| Rooster (Galo) | Under 46.7kg (under 103 lbs) |
| Light feather (Pluma) | 46.7kg to 51.7 kg (103 – 114 lbs) |
| Feather (Pena) | 51.7 kg to 56.7 kg (114 – 125 lbs) |
| Light (Leve) | 56.7 kg to 61.6 kg (125 – 136 lbs) |
| Middle (Medio) | 61.6 kg to 66.7 kg (136 – 147 lbs) |
| Medium-Heavy (Meio-Pesado) | 66.7 to 71.6 kg (147 – 158 lbs) |
| Heavy (Pesado) | 71.6 kg to 76.6 kg (158 – 169 lbs) |
| Super-Heavy (Super-Pesado) | Over 76.6 kg (169 lbs) |
| Open class | Open to all weight classes |
Men Gi IBJJF Weight Classes
Same thing here, no-gi classes are 1.9 – 3 kg lighter than gi BJJ weight classes. There are ten instead of nine divisions (super-heavyweight), plus open weight as number eleven.
| Male Gi Weight Division | Maximum Weight |
|---|---|
| Rooster (Galo) | Under 57.5 kg (127 lbs) |
| Light feather (Pluma) | 57.5 kg to 64 kg (127 – 141.6 lbs) |
| Feather (Pena) | 64 kg to 70 kg (141.6 – 154.6 lbs) |
| Light (Leve) | 70 kg to 76 kg (154.6 – 168 lbs) |
| Middle (Medio) | 76 kg to 82.3 kg (168 – 181.6 lbs) |
| Medium-Heavy (Meio-Pesado) | 82.3 kg to 88.3 kg (181.6 – 195 lbs) |
| Heavy (Pesado) | 88.3 kg to 94.3 kg (195 – 208 lbs) |
| Super-Heavy (Super-Pesado) | 94.3 kg to 100.5 kg (208 – 222 lbs) |
| Ultra heavy (Pesadissimo) | 0ver 100.5 kg (222 lbs and up) |
| Open class | Open to all weight classes |
Men No-Gi IBJJF Weight Classes
| Male No-Gi Weight Division | Maximum Weight |
|---|---|
| Rooster (Galo) | Under 55.6 kg (under 122.6 lbs) |
| Light feather (Pluma) | 55.6 kg and under 61.7 kg (122.6 – 136 lbs) |
| Feather (Pena) | 61.7kg and under 67.5 kg (136 – 149 lbs) |
| Light (Leve) | 67.5 kg and under 73.5 kg (149 – 162.6 lbs) |
| Middle (Medio) | 73.5 kg and under 79.6 kg (162.6 – 175.6 lbs) |
| Medium-Heavy (Meio-Pesado) | 79.6 kg and under 85.5 kg (175.6 – 188.6 lbs) |
| Heavy (Pesado) | 85.5 kg and under 91.6 kg (188.6 – 202 lbs) |
| Super-Heavy (Super-Pesado) | 91.6 kg and under 97.5 kg (202 – 215 lbs) |
| Ultra heavy (Pesadissimo) | 97.5 kg, no upper limit (215 lbs and up) |
| Open class | Open to all weight classes |
Related: Join the BJJ community and further your training by learning the IBJJF weight divisions for Gi and No-Gi. Determine which class you belong to and begin honing your skills to compete with the best. Click here to read more!
Adults Vs Masters BJJ Divisions
Adults and masters are classified in the same BJJ weight classes as men and women, the only difference being age.
ADCC Weight Classes
ADCC is the greatest organization in the market, but it offers way fewer BJJ weight classes. Here is a detailed description of the ADCC weight classes.
ADCC Males Weight Divisions
| Male ADCC Weight Divisions | Weight Limits |
|---|---|
| Lightweight | – 66 kg (145.5 lb) |
| Welterweight | – 77 kg (169.8 lb) |
| Middleweight | – 88 kg (194.0 lb) |
| Light Heavyweight | – 99 kg (218.3 lb) |
| Heavyweight | + 99 kg (218.3 lb) |
| Absolute | No weight limits |
ADCC Females Weight Divisions
| Female ADCC Weight Division | Weight Limits |
|---|---|
| Lightweight | – 60 kg (132.3 lb) |
| Heavyweight | + 60 kg (132.3 lb) |
ADCC Team Competitions Divisions
ADCC (Abu Dhabi Combat Club) is the syntax for the world’s most famous no-gi BJJ tournament.
| Weight Category | Adult Male | Adult Female |
| Lightweight | Below 83 kg (183.0 lb) | Below 60 kg (132.3 lb) |
| Heavyweight | Above 83 kg (183.0 lb) | Above 60 kg (132.3 lb) |
Related: Unleash your inner victor and be inspired by past ADCC champions. This fascinating article includes all Legendary ADCC World champions to inspire you to your full potential.
UAEJJF Weight Classes
UAEJJF (United Arab Emirates Jiu-Jitsu Federation) is the largest organization in the world, here are their weight classes. No open weight BJJ class, as well as you see.
UAEJJF Adults/Masters Male Weight Classes
| UAEJJF Weight Divisions | Weight Limits |
|---|---|
| Light Featherweight | – 56 kg (123.5 lb) |
| Featherweight | – 62 kg (136.7 lb) |
| Lightweight | – 69 kg (152.1 lb) |
| Welterweight | – 77 kg (169.8 lb) |
| Middleweight | – 85 kg (187.4 lb) |
| Light Heavyweight | – 94 kg (207.2 lb) |
| Heavyweight | – 120 kg (264.6 lb) |
UAEJJF Adults/Masters Female Weight Classes
| UAEJJF Weight Divisions | Weight Limits |
|---|---|
| Rooster weight | – 49 kg (108.0 lb) |
| Light Featherweight | – 55 kg (121.3 lb) |
| Lightweight | – 62 kg (136.7 lb) |
| Middleweight | – 70 kg (154.3 lb) |
| Heavyweight | – 95 kg (209.4 lb) |
Jiu-Jitsu Weigh-In Process
You will weigh on the tournament day, so you have minimal rehydration time. Cutting 10 lbs of water on the weigh-in day might not be the most brilliant idea because your body cannot recover electrolytes or rehydrate.
Miss weight once, and you will not get a second chance for weigh-in; you can’t change weight division or participate in the competition. There are no refunds for bad numbers on the scale!
Gi Tournaments Weigh-In
You are not allowed to take your gi off while weighing in. Double-weave gi might not sound like a great idea if you’re on edge.
No-Gi Tournaments Weigh-In
You must wear your competitive outfit at the weigh-ins. For example, when you fight in rash guards and spats, you must appear on the scale in the same pieces of clothes. Cheating is not allowed.
Note: every part of the world uses its metric system. There might be discrepancies between imperial and metric units, so we kindly advise you to read the tournament invitation letter.
If they say -129 pounds, it doesn’t have to mean it will be exactly -58.5 kilograms. Some tournaments might set the scale to 59 or 58, but it rarely happens. But you must consider whether you’ll be weighed in metric (kilograms) or imperial (pounds) units.
Related: How to Score Points in Jiu Jitsu? (The Ultimate Guide)
BJJ Age Divisions
There are a total of 22 age divisions, ranging from the age of 4 to the age of 61. In youth, you are mostly not allowed to compete with older age (depending on the tournament rules).
However, older fighters can take part in bouts against younger athletes because the competition is better and the medal means more.
Here is the list of BJJ age classes for the older population:
- Adults: (Current Year) – (Birth Year) ≥ 18;
- Masters 1: (Current Year) – (Birth Year) ≥ 30;
- Masters 2: (Current Year) – (Birth Year) ≥ 36;
- Masters 3: (Current Year) – (Birth Year) ≥ 41;
- Masters 4: (Current Year) – (Birth Year) ≥ 46;
- Masters 5: (Current Year) – (Birth Year) ≥ 51;
- Masters 6: (Current Year) – (Birth Year) ≥ 56;
- Masters 7: (Current Year) – (Birth Year) ≥ 61.
When it comes to younger pop, there are way more differences.
- Mighty Mite I: (Current Year) – (Birth Year) = 4;
- Mighty Mite II: (Current Year) – (Birth Year) = 5;
- Mighty Mite III: (Current Year) – (Birth Year) = 6;
- Pee Wee I: (Current Year) – (Birth Year) = 7;
- Pee Wee II: (Current Year) – (Birth Year) = 8;
- Pee Wee III: (Current Year) – (Birth Year) = 9;
- Junior I: (Current Year) – (Birth Year) = 10;
- Junior II: (Current Year) – (Birth Year) = 11;
- Junior III: (Current Year) – (Birth Year) = 12;
- Teen I: (Current Year) – (Birth Year) = 13;
- Teen II: (Current Year) – (Birth Year) = 14;
- Teen III: (Current Year) – (Birth Year) = 15;
- Juvenile I: (Current Year) – (Birth Year) = 16;
- Juvenile II: (Current Year) – (Birth Year) = 17.
The time of the match depends on the fighter’s age and belt. Matches last more for older belts/fighters.
For example, the mighty mite I match lasts 2 minutes, while black belt adult bouts are 10 minutes long, and many more submission attempts are allowed.
Conclusion
BJJ weight classes differ between organizations and competitions. Rules, too; sometimes officials don’t even let you step on the scale in your underwear. Here’s what we have learned so far:
- The greatest number of weight classes is seen in IBJJF tournaments.
- ADCC competitions offer the smallest number of BJJ weight classes.
- Participating in a gi competition means you step on the scale in your gi. Yeah, weight classes are different because of a gi, but you must be cautious about that.
- There are a total of 22 age classes. BJJ weight classes are different for juveniles, so please read the tournament invitation letter carefully.
I hope you don’t have many dilemmas about weight divisions anymore. But if you still do, please comment; we’re at your service!
Related: Participating in top-tier competitions will let you unleash your competitive spirit and improve your Brazilian jiu-jitsu abilities to the next level. Click here to discover the top BJJ tournaments that will inspire you.
