I signed up to do internationals in Cali at the end of the month. I’m in the Blue belt Masters 220+ division any suggestions? Specifically dealing with bigger guys. This will be my first competition this size. Thanks I’m advanced

If you've never done an ibjjf comp before, make sure your gi fits the way they want it to, and your belt isn't frayed, etc. In my experience, most first timers don't pass the uniform inspection due to the condition of their belt.

I have a black origin gi and I have an extra belt that’s basically new. I should be squared away for the inspection.

They love Gracie barra gis I always take one as a backup.

I personally know someone who was turned away at an IBJJF tournament due to his Origin gi. Many of them are not IBJJF legal. I’d advise you to either have a backup gi or be prepared to buy one there.

Fuck the IBJJF. It's unfortunate that they seem to have a solid grasp of US competition, especially given they're often big tournaments, which is handy if your category is usually small. My students and I have been able to completely ignore them in the UK, for the last decade. Planning to keep on doing that.

If I want to compete against guys my age (Master 3) at my belt level, the big IBJJF comps in Europe and US (Europeans, Master Europeans, Master Worlds, Pans) are the only ones where I can get 3-4 fight brackets. Traveling out for fewer matches isn't worth it imo.

I’ve done Grappling Industries before and they had a great bracket system and weren’t picky on Gi material. Honestly I’m doing IBJJF just for the sake of saying I’ve done one.

Yep, I really wish there was an alternative to the IBJJF for that. Hopefully the other comp businesses will continue to grow and expand.

I recently read somewhere that ADCC is starting to plan multiple tournaments in North America with amateur masters divisions, women’s divisions, and even children’s divisions with the possibility of increasing the amount in the coming years. It could force the IBJJF to become more user friendly to stay relevant. If it doesn’t, at least we’ll have another option.

It's only nogi. They don't do Gi.