NAGA Boston Grappling Championship
Organized by NAGA
NAGA brings its Boston-area grappling championship to Hanover, Massachusetts on November 14, 2026. The tournament runs gi and no-gi divisions across all belts and ages for competitors from the greater Boston region.
Event Description
The NAGA Boston Grappling Championship brings the world's largest mixed grappling circuit to Hanover, Massachusetts, now in its 29th-plus year of operation. NAGA is open to grapplers from any background, not just BJJ, and sorts competitors into skill-based divisions (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Expert) rather than a strict belt system, with gi divisions following standard BJJ rules and no-gi divisions using NAGA's own more permissive ruleset that allows leg locks. The championship runs Saturday, November 14, 2026 in Hanover, MA. Age divisions span from as young as 3 years old up through 63-and-over brackets, and adult division winners take home a NAGA championship belt. Entry fees are tiered, with early registration running around $79 and late registration climbing toward $169; register through the NAGA Smoothcomp event page linked from this listing.
Divisions
Registration deadline: November 13, 2026
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 this event?
- Saturday, November 14, 2026 in Hanover, MA.
- What divisions are offered?
- Skill-based Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced/Expert divisions, gi and no-gi, ages 3 to 63+.
- Is this BJJ-only?
- No, NAGA is open to grapplers from any background, not just BJJ practitioners.
- Do no-gi rules allow leg locks?
- Yes, NAGA's no-gi ruleset is more permissive than standard no-gi BJJ rules and allows leg locks.
- What is the entry fee?
- Tiered pricing, roughly $79 for early registration up to $169 for late registration.
- Do winners get anything special?
- Adult division champions receive a NAGA championship belt.
BJJ gyms near Hanover, MA
Looking for a place to train before or after the tournament?
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