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The Top 5 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) Competitions In The U.K

By 4 March 2024April 17th, 2024No Comments

Which Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition in the United Kingdom should you choose to compete at? 🤔

There are many competitions to pick from in the U.K. In this article, we will provide a comparison of the top BJJ competitions to help you make a clear decision on what is best for you.

👉 Here is a summary of what this article will contain:

✅ A comprehensive analysis of BJJ competitions.
✅ Top 5 list of said competitions.

✅ An individual breakdown of the pros and cons of each competition.
✅ Collection of key data points, including location, price range, and more.

Example highlights of top offerings at a competition:

Choosing the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitions in Bristol that suit your or your child’s own individual needs and requirements – we get it.

Everyone has their own competition goals and objectives and differing lifestyles meaning that competition to the family-oriented individual may look very different to the 17-year-old, hungry athlete looking to build a career in the sport.

🏃🏻‍♂️ Warm Up Mats It is extremely important that you warm your body up before competing, in order to get yourself ready for your matches. A large warm-up area is great to drill and practice your game plan with your teammates.

🇬🇧 National Level Referee’s It is important to have qualified referees at events who have a wealth of refereeing experience. Some matches are nail-bitingly close and hard to judge.

🫐 Acai Stall Acai is a popular fruit from Brazil. It is also very popular in the Jiu-Jitsu community. Practitioners and spectators alike often enjoy consuming acai with fruit and honey before matches to give them extra energy!

👕 Clothing Stands

1. IBJJF London International Open

⭐️ Rated: 5/5
💰 Pricing: £100+ entry fee for adults and kids.
📍 Address: Crystal Palace National Indoor Sports Centre.
📧 Contact: [email protected]
💻 Website: https://ibjjf.com/

The International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) is the governing body of Jiu-Jitsu around the world. Their events are usually the most prestigious and have the toughest divisions to enter.

Every year, the event is held at Crystal Palace Indoor Sports Centre, in London.
 

👍 Pros

✅ High level of competitors
✅ Venue has on-site parking
✅ Most prestigious to win
✅ Highest level refereeing

👎 Cons

❌ No cash prizes
❌ No streaming of any kind
❌ Expensive to enter

2. ADCC UK

⭐️ Rated: 5/5
💰 Starting from: £90 entry fee for adults, £60 entry fee for kids.
📍 Address: Multiple venues across the U.K
📧 Contact: [email protected]
💻 Website: https://adcombat.com/

A No Gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition. Commonly referred to as submission grappling. ADCC stands for Abu Dhabi Combat Club. The ADCC World Championships is held in Las Vegas every year, with some of the best names in grappling competing to be crowned ADCC World Champion.

👍 Pros

✅ On-site parking
✅ Some categories are live-streamed on UFC fight pass
✅ High-level referee’s
✅ Most prestigious for No Gi grappling

👎 Cons

❌ Stalls are limited
❌ No cash prizes

3. British Open

⭐️ Rated: 4/5
💰 Starting from: £70 entry fee for adults, £40 entry fee for kids.
📍 Address: Usually held at Warwick University
📧 Contact: [email protected]
💻 Website: http://www.bjjbritishopen.com/

Ran by multiple-time world champion Braulio Estima. The British Open is run every year in both Gi and No Gi. Kids and adults of all ages and belts compete at the British Open, with high-level competitors coming from around the U.K with an aim to be crowned British Champion.

 

👍 Pros

✅ On-site parking
✅ National level referee’s
✅ Lots of stalls

👎 Cons

❌ Stalls are limited

4. English Open

⭐️ Rated: 4/5 
💰 Starting from: £75 per divison for adults, £60.00 per month for kids.
📍 Address: Usually at UEL SportsDock in London.
☎️ Contact: [email protected]
💻 Website: https://www.facebook.com/englishopenbjj/

The English Open Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Tournament is held annually in the UEL SportsDock arena in London.
Historically, it has been one of the top few comps in the U.K. which are prestigious. The event is run by Carlson Gracie Black Belt Dickie Martin.
The event has been running for over a decade and a half, with people of all ages and belt colours competing. They usually run a No Gi version every year too.

 

👍 Pros

✅ Well-run tournament
✅ Big venue with cafe facilities
✅ On-site parking

👎 Cons

❌ No live streaming

5. Abu Dhabi Grand Slam

⭐️ Rated: 5/5 
💰 Starting from: $100 
📍 Address: CopperBox London.
☎️ Contact: [email protected]
💻 Website: https://ajptour.com/en/federation/1

Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour was a series of international Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournaments organized by the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation. These tournaments were significant in the Jiu-Jitsu community, attracting top athletes from around the world to compete for prestigious titles and substantial cash prizes. The Abu Dhabi Grand Slam events were known for their high level of competition, professional organization, and contribution to the growth of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu globally.

 

👍 Pros

✅ Live-streamed
✅ Professionally ran 
✅ Prestigious 

👎 Cons

❌ No Kids categories
❌ Expensive registration