The Netherlands expansion happens through Kaizen Grappling, which is moving under the Polaris banner as Polaris Open Netherlands. After eleven years operating primarily out of the UK, it marks Polaris' first formal step into mainland Europe.
How it came together
"Polaris was ready to step outside of England," explains the team behind Polaris Open Netherlands. "It all began with the Polaris Opens in England, where Shay Gerena competed and secured a title shot against Ethan."
From there, existing relationships did the work. Kaizen founders Mathies and Keith had been in contact with Polaris through their gym and athletes for some time. A visit to a sold-out Polaris show in Bournemouth pushed the conversation forward. "From there, talks progressed quickly, which resulted in the expansion to the Polaris Open Netherlands."
A direct pathway to the main shows
For European athletes, the practical impact of bringing Polaris Open to mainland Europe is the part that matters most. Until now, getting on the radar of major promotions like ADCC, WNO, BJJ Stars, IBJJF, or Polaris itself required travelling to the United States, Brazil, or the UK.
"Historically, European fighters had to travel all the way to America, Brazil, or England just to get noticed by major promotions," they say. "By bringing the Polaris Open to the European mainland with stops in Barcelona and Utrecht, we are bringing those massive opportunities directly to European and Dutch athletes."
The pathway runs through the contender spot system. For blue belts and above, winning a contender spot at Polaris Open gives the winner a direct route to the Polaris main show, whether that means a title fight or a high-profile fight. Even without winning the bracket outright, a strong performance can put an athlete on the matchmaking radar for the preliminary cards.
"A good performance can elevate your BJJ career instantly and put you on the big stage in front of a sold-out crowd," they add. "And honestly, who wouldn't want that?"
