NAGA Nashville Grappling Championship
Organized by NAGA
October 31, 2026 in Nashville — NAGA's grappling championship runs gi and no-gi divisions across all belts, with absolute brackets and championship belts for adult winners.
Event Description
This is NAGA's dedicated Nashville-proper stop (distinct from the nearby Franklin event on the calendar), running the circuit's familiar skill-level divisions -- Beginner through Expert for no-gi, standard belt rules for gi -- open to grapplers of any background, not just BJJ. NAGA's no-gi ruleset is notably more permissive than most, including allowing leg locks. The championship takes place October 31, 2026, in Nashville, TN, with gi, no-gi, and kids divisions for ages 3 to 63+. Adult division winners earn NAGA championship belts. Register through naga.smoothcomp.com, linked on Let's Roll, with tiered pricing for early versus late 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 Nashville Grappling Championship?
- October 31, 2026, in Nashville, TN.
- Is this different from the NAGA Franklin event on the same weekend?
- Yes, this is a separate NAGA stop held in Nashville proper.
- What divisions are offered?
- Gi, no-gi, and kids divisions by skill level and belt, for ages 3 to 63+.
- What ruleset applies to no-gi?
- NAGA's own no-gi ruleset, which is more permissive than standard BJJ rules and allows leg locks.
- How do I register?
- Through naga.smoothcomp.com.
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