NAGA Connecticut Grappling Championship
Organized by NAGA
December 19, 2026 in Newtown, Connecticut hosts NAGA's Connecticut Grappling Championship, with gi and no-gi divisions across all belts. Absolute brackets and championship belts for adult winners cap off NAGA's New England schedule for the year.
Event Description
The NAGA Connecticut Grappling Championship brings the circuit to Newtown, part of a national tour now in its 29th-plus year and open to grapplers of every background. NAGA sorts adult competitors by skill level — Beginner through Expert — rather than belt, with gi divisions run under standard BJJ rules and no-gi divisions under NAGA's own more permissive rules allowing leg locks. This event runs December 19, 2026 in Newtown, CT. Divisions cover ages 3 through 63 and older, Absolute brackets are offered for adults, and champions in the adult divisions take home a NAGA belt. Entry fees are tiered by registration date, so signing up early via the Smoothcomp link on Let's Roll is the more affordable option.
Divisions
Registration deadline: December 18, 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 the NAGA Connecticut Grappling Championship?
- December 19, 2026, in Newtown, CT.
- What divisions does NAGA offer?
- Skill-level divisions (Beginner through Expert) for ages 3 to 63 and older, plus Absolute brackets.
- What's the difference between gi and no-gi rules?
- Gi divisions follow standard BJJ rules; no-gi uses NAGA's own more permissive ruleset, which allows leg locks.
- Do winners get anything besides medals?
- Adult division champions are awarded a NAGA championship belt.
- How do I register?
- Through the Smoothcomp link on Let's Roll; entry fees are tiered, so early registration is cheaper.
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