Nashville Fall Kids International Open IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2026
Organized by IBJJF
The Nashville Fall Kids International Open IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship will take place on October 25, 2026, at the Williamson County AG Expo Park in Franklin, TN. This event is organized by IBJJF and will follow the IBJJF ruleset.
Event Description
Nashville's Fall Kids International Open brings IBJJF's youth competition format to Middle Tennessee, running the federation's standard points-and-advantages ruleset across its full range of youth age divisions. As an IBJJF-sanctioned event, it draws young competitors from academies across the Nashville area and beyond looking for a well-officiated, high-level youth tournament experience. The championship is held October 25, 2026, at the Williamson County AG Expo Park in Franklin, TN, gi only. Registration requires an active IBJJF membership for the young competitor plus event sign-up, both handled at ibjjf.com.
Divisions
Registration deadline: October 16, 2026
Venue & travel
4215 Long Lane, Franklin, TN 37064, at I-65 Exit 61
25+ acres of lots, roughly 4,500 spaces, including a dedicated 64-space ADA lot at the main entrance.
Nearest airport: Nashville International (BNA) — about 22 miles / 30 minutes.
Franklin is a Nashville suburb just south on I-65, right off the exit.
About IBJJF
The International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF), founded in 2002 and headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is widely regarded as the largest and most prominent sanctioning body in competitive Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It organizes the sport's most prestigious tournaments, including the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship, European Open, and World No-Gi Championship, drawing thousands of competitors to its largest events each year.
Rules
IBJJF rules are the standard most BJJ competition rules descend from. Matches are scored on positional progress: 2 points for a takedown, sweep, or knee-on-belly; 3 points for passing the guard; and 4 points for mount, back mount, or back control with hooks. Advantages are awarded for near-scores and close submission attempts and act as the first tiebreaker, followed by penalties and finally referee decision. Match length scales with rank, from 5 minutes for adult white belts up to 10 minutes for black belts.
Legal techniques expand with age and belt. White belts face the tightest restrictions (no wrist locks, slicers, or kneebars); jump to purple and brown/black and more leg attacks and pressure submissions open up. Since the 2021 rule change, heel hooks and inside knee reaping are legal — but only in the adult brown/black no-gi divisions. Kids divisions run shorter matches with a much more restrictive legal-technique list.
Uniform rules are enforced: gis must be white, royal blue, or black, properly fitted, with a rank-appropriate belt; no-gi divisions require rash guards displaying the competitor's belt color. Referees can disqualify for illegal gear, so check the uniform checklist before stepping on the scale.
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 Nashville Fall Kids International Open?
- October 25, 2026, at the Williamson County AG Expo Park in Franklin, TN.
- Is this gi or no-gi?
- Gi only.
- What ruleset is used?
- IBJJF's standard points-and-advantages system, scaled for youth divisions.
- Does my child need an IBJJF membership?
- Yes, an active annual IBJJF membership is required in addition to event registration.
- What are the weigh-in rules?
- One attempt only -- missing weight results in disqualification, same as IBJJF's adult events.
- How do I register?
- Through ibjjf.com.
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