NAGA Albany Grappling Championship
Organized by NAGA
The NAGA Albany Grappling Championship will take place on January 16, 2027. This event features both Gi and No-Gi competitions for various age groups and skill levels.
Event Description
The NAGA Albany Grappling Championship is organized by the North American Grappling Association (NAGA) and features both Gi and No-Gi competitions. This event is open to grapplers of all skill levels and ages, including divisions for Adults, Kids, Teens, and Masters, with a ruleset based on NAGA guidelines. The tournament will take place on Saturday, January 16, 2027, at the Washington Ave. Armory located at 195 Washington Ave, Albany, NY 12210. The lowest standard entry fee is $169, and registration is available through the link on this page. Spectators can attend without any additional fee, as registration includes unlimited spectators due to local laws regarding grappling and combat sports.
Divisions
About NAGA
NAGA (North American Grappling Association) is a submission grappling and BJJ tournament promotion founded in 1995 by Kipp Kollar. One of the oldest and highest-volume tournament circuits in the sport, it runs gi and no-gi events across the US nearly every weekend, with divisions from age 4 through adult, using its own Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced/Expert skill-level system for no-gi divisions.
Rules
NAGA (North American Grappling Association) runs one of the largest grappling tournament circuits in the world, with gi and no-gi divisions for kids, teens, adults, and masters at every event. Divisions are grouped by age, weight, and experience level rather than strictly by belt in no-gi, and novice kids divisions do not allow submissions — the legal-technique list expands as competitors age up and move to more advanced divisions.
The no-gi divisions use NAGA's own ruleset, which differs from IBJJF scoring in a few important ways: takedowns and sweeps score 2 points (with extra points when a sweep finishes in a dominant position), and submission attempts themselves can score 1–2 points depending on how close they come to finishing. There are no advantages — if a match is tied, the referee decides it on aggression and initiation, rewarding whoever pushed the action hardest.
Gi divisions run under a more traditional points structure closely based on standard IBJJF-style scoring, so gi competitors will find the positional point values familiar. Because the gi and no-gi rules genuinely differ, competitors entering both should read both sections of the NAGA rulebook.
Always confirm the official rulebook before you compete — organizations update rules between seasons. See the official event page for current rules.
Community results
No results logged yet. Results show up here once competitors log them after the event.
Frequently asked questions
- When and where is NAGA Albany Grappling Championship?
- The NAGA Albany Grappling Championship is on Saturday, January 16, 2027, at the Washington Ave. Armory, 195 Washington Ave, Albany, NY 12210.
- What is the cost to compete?
- The lowest standard entry fee is $169, with additional fees for extra divisions.
- What divisions are offered?
- Divisions include Adult, Kids, Teens, Masters, Gi, No-Gi, and Absolute.
- How do I register?
- Registration is available through the link on this page.
- What is the format of the matches?
- The event features 2-person divisions with best 2-out-of-3 matches, 3-person divisions in a round robin format, and 4 or more competitors will have a 3rd place bracket.
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Looking for a place to train before or after the tournament?
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