NAGA Pittsburgh Grappling Championship
Organized by NAGA
Gi and no-gi competition run September 26, 2026 in Cheswick at the NAGA Pittsburgh Grappling Championship. The tournament covers all belts with dedicated kids divisions, absolute brackets, and championship belts for adult winners.
Event Description
NAGA brings its long-running grappling circuit to Cheswick, just outside Pittsburgh, for a one-day event open to competitors from any grappling background, not just BJJ. Divisions are organized by skill level -- Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Expert -- rather than a strict belt system, with gi divisions following standard BJJ rules and no-gi run under NAGA's own, more permissive ruleset that allows leg locks. The tournament runs Saturday, September 26, 2026, in Cheswick, PA, welcoming competitors from age 3 through 63 and up. NAGA uses tiered entry pricing, cheaper for early registration and more for late sign-ups, and awards championship belts to adult division winners. Register through Smoothcomp at the link on this page.
Divisions
Registration deadline: September 25, 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 Pittsburgh Grappling Championship?
- Saturday, September 26, 2026, in Cheswick, PA.
- Do I need a BJJ background to compete?
- No, NAGA is open to grapplers from any background, including wrestling and judo, not just BJJ.
- How are divisions organized?
- By skill level (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert) rather than strict belt rank.
- Are leg locks allowed?
- In no-gi divisions, NAGA's more permissive ruleset allows leg locks; gi divisions follow standard BJJ rules.
- What age groups compete?
- Ages 3 through 63 and up.
- How do I register?
- Through Smoothcomp at the link on this page.
BJJ gyms near Cheswick, PA
Looking for a place to train before or after the tournament?
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