NAGA Houston Grappling Championship
Organized by NAGA
October 31, 2026 in Houston — NAGA's grappling championship runs gi and no-gi divisions across all belts, with absolute brackets and championship belts for adult winners.
Event Description
NAGA's Houston Grappling Championship brings the circuit's skill-level-based divisions to Texas -- Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Expert brackets rather than a strict belt hierarchy, welcoming wrestlers and other grapplers alongside BJJ competitors. Gi divisions run standard BJJ rules, while no-gi follows NAGA's own more open ruleset that permits leg locks. The event takes place October 31, 2026, in Houston, TX, with gi and no-gi divisions for ages 3 through 63+. Adult division champions receive NAGA championship belts. Registration is through naga.smoothcomp.com, with tiered pricing that rewards early sign-up.
Divisions
Registration deadline: October 30, 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 Houston Grappling Championship?
- October 31, 2026, in Houston, TX.
- How are competitors divided?
- By skill level -- Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert -- for no-gi; gi divisions follow standard BJJ belt rules.
- What ages can compete?
- 3 through 63+.
- Do adult winners get anything special?
- Yes, championship belts are awarded to adult division winners.
- How do I register?
- Through naga.smoothcomp.com, linked on Let's Roll.
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Looking for a place to train before or after the tournament?
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