With some of the biggest jiu-jitsu gyms in San Diego, residents have never had a problem looking for where to train. Instead, the issue has always been where to test those skills. The city now has several grappling tournaments in all ranges of competition, matches, and prizes.
This article discusses everything you need to know about the best BJJ tournaments in San Diego, CA. Have fun!
Best Jiu-Jitsu Tournaments in San Diego
Jiu-Jitsu competitions are an excellent method for practitioners to put their abilities to the test and acquire experience. Several BJJ organizations (IBJJF, Grappling Industries, etc.) host these competing events worldwide, including in San Diego.
The following are some of the top Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu events in San Diego.
IBJJF San Diego Jiu-jitsu Tournaments
The IBJJF is the largest organization In the world of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. It is present in San Diego with two major competitions.
The Spring International Open Jiu-jitsu Championship and the Spring International Open Jiu-jitsu no-gi Championship.
Perhaps the more prestigious of the two, the Gi tournament has 9 age divisions with belt divisions ranging from black to white.
But just as there are distinct divisions, there are also special ticket prices for this tournament – starting at a standard $125 and going up to $150.
But as is the custom with IBJJF, it tends to take a very meticulous approach to those who can participate.
Any athlete who has fought MMA professionally, has an amateur MMA record, has proven to be a black belt in judo, or has proven experience in wrestling, Olympic wrestling, or Greco-Roman wrestling, can not participate in any IBJJF event as a white belt.
But IBJJF didn’t just stop there. It created a no-gi championship during the same calendar as the Gi version, usually in May, and held in the Harry West Gymnasium.
Aside from that, these IBJJF tournaments only grant awards to the top 3 positions and only one trophy to groups.
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!
Grappling Industries San Diego
If you’re looking for satisfying opportunities to test your skills, consider Grappling Industries. Being both Gi and No-Gi, Grappling Industries tournaments follow a Round Robin Pool format meaning that adult competitors get four matches for signing up for a division that fills up to five competitors.
That means you could get eight-plus fights if you compete in Gi and No-Gi. This allows you to compete against many people, giving you the experience you deserve.
But going a step further, these tournament is open to BJJ practitioners and anyone with experience in submission wrestling. At Grappling Industries, everyone is welcome to participate.
Participants are kids starting from age 4 and male and female adults divided into several age and weight categories. Even better, proceeds from the tournament are given to a charity of choice.
Aside from that, Grappling Industries has rules and weight classes that participants must adhere to. Participants can wear a rashguard under their Gi that must not be too long or too short.
Also, the top and pants must match, there shouldn’t be too many patches, and it shouldn’t be wet or dirty. And, for no-gi grapplers, there are rules for appropriate underwear and rashguard quality.
Tap Cancer Out San Diego BJJ Open
Tap Cancer Out is a nonprofit charity organization that unites the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community around ending cancer. All the proceeds are given to their beneficiary organizations, which has resulted in over $3,250,000 donated to beneficiaries.
If you’ve never heard of this tournament, it is one-of-a-kind, to say the least. There are 8 rings used, and for each ring, there are up to 72 adequately scheduled matches, with kids and teenagers starting first, then followed by the adults.
But unlike other tournaments, you don’t need a fee to participate. Instead of just paying, tournament competitors can compete for free by fundraising for Tap Cancer Out and their beneficiaries.
Plus, the more participants fund-raise, the more prizes they can earn from their generous sponsors. This is on top of participating in an incredibly well-organized and joyous event.
Related: Discover the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Gi for competition. We examined the market to find comfortable, long-lasting, and high-quality BJJ competition gis. Click here to find out more!
Conclusion
San Diego has several BJJ tournaments with varying features and rewards. The IBJJF is a world-class organization that stages fantastic events, while Grappling Industries offers an inclusive atmosphere for all skill levels. Indeed, Tap Cancer Out is another beautiful alternative with no participation charge.
Participation in these events enables BJJ trainees to demonstrate their abilities while also experiencing the excitement of fighting for a reward, making it a worthwhile experience for any practitioner.
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.
