NAGA Nashville Grappling & BJJ Championship (October)
Organized by NAGA
NAGA ruleset gi and no-gi tournament featuring divisions for all belts, kids, and absolute. Held in Franklin, Tennessee on October 31, 2026, the NAGA Nashville Grappling & BJJ Championship awards championship belts to adult division winners.
Event Description
NAGA -- the world's largest mixed grappling tournament circuit, with nearly three decades running -- brings its October Nashville stop to Franklin, TN. Unlike strict belt-based federations, NAGA groups competitors by skill level (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert), which keeps the format welcoming to wrestlers, judoka, and other grapplers alongside traditional BJJ practitioners. Gi divisions follow standard BJJ rules while no-gi uses NAGA's own more permissive ruleset, including leg locks. This event runs October 31, 2026, in Franklin, TN, with divisions for ages 3 to 63+ across gi, no-gi, and kids brackets. Adult division winners take home NAGA championship belts. Entry fees are tiered -- cheaper for early registration, more for late sign-up -- through naga.smoothcomp.com, linked on Let's Roll.
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
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Frequently asked questions
- When and where is the NAGA Nashville Grappling & BJJ Championship (October)?
- October 31, 2026, in Franklin, TN.
- How does NAGA divide competitors if not by belt?
- No-gi divisions use skill levels (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert) rather than a strict belt system; gi divisions follow standard BJJ belt rules.
- Is this open to non-BJJ grapplers?
- Yes, NAGA is open to all grappling backgrounds, not just BJJ.
- What ages can compete?
- Divisions run from age 3 up through 63+.
- What do adult division winners receive?
- A NAGA championship belt.
- How do I register?
- Through naga.smoothcomp.com.
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