The Devon Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Open returns on November 2nd, at THE LIFE CENTRE, Plymouth, Devon.

What you can expect from us:

• A well-run and family friendly tournament
• Safety-conscious organisers: the safety of competitors is our highest priority
• A new, larger venue, complete with changing rooms, showers and a café with food and coffee available throughout the day
• Free parking at the event
• Free entry for spectators
• Weight classes every 5 kilos – same for both gi and no gi
• Night before weigh-ins available
• Free entry for black belts (message us via our Facebook page or Instagram)

What you get with your registration:

• Gi, no-gi and absolute divisions*
• Belts for the no gi absolute winners
• £50 for the winners of the gi absolutes
• Winners of absolute divisions will receive FREE ENTRY to the next competition (message us via our Facebook page or Instagram)
• Fastest adult submission on the day wins a Battle Gear gi
• Team trophies for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place teams (gyms/academies) on the day
• Professional photos and videos of the event will be made available for free via Facebook
• Experienced and qualified referees

*absolute divisions at blue, purple, brown and black belt only

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a discount for doing both divisions?

Yes, if you start the registration process and select both gi and no gi, it will automatically discount the final price.

Adults/Masters

• £40 for 1 division, £60 for 2 divisions, £10 for one absolute or £15 for both – until 23:00 on 2nd October (early bird).

• £50 for 1 division, £70 for 2 divisions, £15 for one absolute or £20 for both – until 23:00 on 25th October (or until we reach full capacity if this comes first).

• People messaging after the deadline asking to be manually added is time consuming for us, so if we haven’t already reached capacity, we’re allowing late registrations for 24 hours for an additional fee of £20 per division. Please register by the 23:00 Friday night cut off on the 25th October to avoid this.

Children

• £30 for 1 division, £45 for 2 divisions  – until 23:00 on 2nd October (early bird).

• £40 for 1 division, £55 for 2 divisions  – until 23:00 on 25th October (or until we reach full capacity if this comes first).

• People messaging after the deadline asking to be manually added is time consuming for us, so if we haven’t already reached capacity, we’re allowing late registrations for 24 hours for an additional fee of £20 per division. Please register by the 23:00 Friday night cut off on the 25th October to avoid this.

Weight Classes:

Adults and Masters (gi and no-gi, in shorts and t-shirt)

-50kg. -55kg, -60kg, -65kg, -70kg, -75kg, -80kg, -85kg, -90kg, -95kg, -100kg, -110kg, 110kg+

Masters divisions are M1 (from the year you turn 30), M2 (from the year you turn 36), M3 (from the year you turn 41), M4 (from the year you turn 46) and M5 (from the year you turn 51).

Juvenile (gi and no-gi, in shorts and t-shirt)

-45kg, -50kg. -55kg, -60kg, -65kg, -70kg, -75kg, -80kg, 80kg+

Children (gi and no-gi, in shorts and t-shirt)

-15kg, -20kg, -25kg, -30kg, -35kg, -40kg, -45kg, -50kg. -55kg, -60kg, -65kg, -70kg, 75kg+

My child is in a division of 1 or 2 – what will you do?

If you are willing to have your child be merged, then please add more details (their current fed and clothed weight, and the max weight, age and belt you or their coach is okay with them competing at) in the notes section and we will do our best to create a suitable and safe match up. This may also include refunding your child’s entry fee and removing their registration if there is no one we feel we can safely match them against. We are unable to engage in repeated messaging about creating divisions that you feel best suit your child.

If you or their coach is not willing for them to be merged, then please let us know (using the drop down boxes at registration) or cancel their entry yourself before the deadline. Thank you.

My child is 10 (for example)  – why can I only enter them in the 11 year old division?

We’re using the IBJJF standard of going by the age they’re going to be on their 2023 birthday. It basically works the same way as their school year does.

My child is 16 or 17 – why are the only belt options white, blue or purple?

The commonly used IBJJF standard is that your child moves on to the adult belt system (for competition purposes, at least) the year of their 16th birthday. We’d suggest white belt for grey and yellow belts, and blue belt for green belts – but ultimately you’d need to check with their coach.

CAN I COMPETE AT BOTH MASTERS AND ADULT?

Yes you can, as long as your year of birth is 1994 or earlier. You can also compete at two different weight divisions at either masters or adult. However if you want the discount to be applied twice, you’ll have to message us for a personal discount code.

Are there any uniform requirements?

You can wear whatever colour gi you like, but we do ask that they roughly meet the IBJJF sizing requirements (not too tight or baggy, not too short/long and that the collar isn’t too thick). BJJ gis please, not judo gis.

Spats, VTs, grappling shorts, rash guards and singlets are fine for no gi. There are no ranked colour requirements. Please don’t compete in t-shirts, anything with metal on it, anything with pockets and no, you can’t wear wrestling boots or compete topless.

What are the rules?

Whilst we’re using the IBJJF rules, we’re asking our refs to use some leniency in their interpretation, especially for the lower grades. This means that we’ll use English rather than Portuguese, and warn competitors if they’re about to reap or grab someone’s shorts (for example). If people go off the edge of the mat we’ll do our best to let it continue if it’s safe to do so.

How do the weigh ins work?

Regardless of whether you’re doing gi, no gi, or both, you only need to weigh in once – wearing shorts and a t-shirt. You do not need to wear your gi or your no gi gear to weigh in, just shorts and a t-shirt is fine. We will allow a small amount of leeway with your weight to allow for scale differences, but if you’re too heavy you’ll be disqualified. You can change your own weight class on Smoothcomp until 23:00 on Friday 25th October.

Please be at the venue an hour before your first match is due to start, in case your match is moved forward. First match will be from 09:00 and first weigh in from 08:30. Smoothcomp will update in real time. You must weigh in at least 30 minutes before the start of your first match (you can weigh in earlier than this, but we will prioritise people whose matches are due to start within 30-60 minutes) or you can weigh in between 18:30 and 20:00 on the Friday evening if you happen to already be in Plymouth. The venue for this is the reception at Flo Martial Arts, Plympton. The organisers won’t be present, so if you have any questions, it’s unlikely that the receptionist will be able to give you any answers that aren’t already in the FAQs.

If you’re concerned about people dehydrating and cutting noticeable amounts of weight, please be assured that it’s harder and far more unpleasant than you’d think, and not worth doing for a regional jiujitsu competition. Without significant experience people are more likely to put themselves at a disadvantage by doing so. Competitors are advised to register in a realistic weight category and not make significant changes to their weight in the days running up to the event. Whilst we don’t suggest it, anyone who competes regularly will be familiar with people running laps of the car park on the day of the event and it’s not something we have control over. Again, you can change your own weight class on Smoothcomp until 23:00 on Friday 25th October.

What division do people that have experience in similar combat sports compete in?

If you’re a competitive wrestler, a judo black belt, a professional MMA fighter, or have had more than 2 amateur MMA fights, please enter at blue belt (or higher) or you risk being disqualified. If you only do no gi, please don’t sandbag – enter at the appropriate no gi division. Contact us if you need help deciding. If your child or under 18 year old student is a judo brown or black belt, and a BJJ white belt, please contact us to find the right division for them.

How do we check or change our own entry?

Smoothcomp allows you to make changes yourself. They have a support section you can search if you’re stuck. If something isn’t working, please can you double check whether it works on a laptop or desktop, or on your phone browser’s desktop view before contacting us. For help changing your weight class click here. To search support click here.

I’m ill/injured/have changed my mind, can I cancel my entry?

Yes, you can cancel for a full refund until 3 weeks out (23:00 on the 12th October). After that you can cancel for a 100% coupon refund until 23:00 on Sunday 27th October. If you end up being alone in your division after the brackets are released, or you’re the only one present on the day, then we’ll refund you – you may need to message us to request this. Cancellation instructions can be found here.

Can I coach my students?

We’re going to allow coaches mat side to coach their students. We’re just going to ask people to avoid crowding the mats, rather than allocate passes. If you’re not competing, please leave the matted area. Our runners and coordinators will ask you to clear the area.

Does the venue have parking?

Yes, the Life Centre has plenty of free parking.

What are the timings going to be on the day?

We’re aiming to run matches from 09:00 to 18:00, but we can’t give more detailed times until we release the brackets. We’re aiming to do this by the end of Thursday 31st October.

Please be at the venue an hour before your first match is due to start, in case your match is moved forward. First match will be from 09:00 and first weigh in from 08:30. Smoothcomp will update in real time. You must weigh in at least 30 minutes before the start of your first match (you can weigh in earlier than this, but we will prioritise people whose matches are due to start with 30-60 minutes).

What are the deadlines on the week of the competition?

You can check and change your weight class (or age division) until 23:00 on Saturday 12th October. This is also your last chance to cancel for a coupon refund.

If there are less than 3 of you in your division, the likelihood is that we will merge you up one weight class or down to adult or a different masters division to create a bracket of at least 3 (we may also merge people into your division). If you do not wish to be merged, let us know when you register or add a note to your registration with more details.

Please be aware that even if you appear to be alone in your division at the start of the week of the competition, we may merge other people into it, even if we do not move you.