Gracie Nationals 2027

Gracie Nationals 2027 January 23–24, 2027 Los Angeles Convention Center @ The Fit Expo Los Angeles No-Gi. Submission-focused Jiu Jitsu. No judges' decisions. Powered by King of Subs Jiu Jitsu Tournaments www.kingofsubsjj.com The Return of Gracie Nationals Gracie Nationals returns to Los Angeles on January 23–24, 2027, as part of The FitExpo Los Angeles at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Presented by Gracie Tournaments This two-day event will feature No-Gi competition under a submission-focused ruleset built around technical Jiu Jitsu, athlete safety, and decisive outcomes. Our goal is to deliver a professionally organized, athlete-focused tournament that honors the tradition of Gracie Jiu Jitsu while creating a modern competition experience. Event Dates Saturday, January 23, 2027 (No-Gi) & Sunday, January 24, 2027 (No-Gi) Los Angeles Convention Center The Fit Expo Los Angeles Competition Format Gracie Nationals will feature: The current competition structure is planned as: Saturd...

Gracie Nationals 2027 January 23–24, 2027 Los Angeles Convention Center @ The Fit Expo Los Angeles No-Gi. Submission-focused Jiu Jitsu. No judges' decisions. Powered by King of Subs Jiu Jitsu Tournaments www.kingofsubsjj.com

Presented by Gracie Tournaments

Our goal is to deliver a professionally organized, athlete-focused tournament that honors the tradition of Gracie Jiu Jitsu while creating a modern competition experience.

Saturday, January 23, 2027 (No-Gi) & Sunday, January 24, 2027 (No-Gi)

8:00 AM — Weigh-ins open

5:00 PM — Target competition finish

8:00 AM — Weigh-ins open

5:00 PM — Target competition finish

All competitors will weigh in the same day they compete.

Check-in will take place outside the expo hall near the entrance of the Los Angeles Convention Center. Weigh-ins will take place inside the hall, near the bullpen and head table.

There will be no day-before weigh-ins.

Overtime will continue until a winner emerges.

The three available overtime starting positions are:

During overtime, escaping the original starting position alone does not end the overtime attempt.

The defender establishes guard
A submission occurs
The offensive attempt reaches its time limit

8 competition mats
Large dedicated athlete warm-up area
Bullpen and staging area
Central head table
Individual score tables
Awards podium
Experienced referees
Dedicated tournament operations staff

Check-In & Weigh-In → Warm-Up → Bullpen → Competition Mat → Awards / Podium

Check-in will take place outside the expo hall near the entrance of the Los Angeles Convention Center. Weigh-ins will take place inside the hall, near the bullpen and head table.

Competitors should complete check-in and weigh-in before entering the tournament warm-up and staging area.

All Spectators must buy general admission into the fit expo to spectate the tournament.  

Athletes will be given admission upon arrival when they check in for the tournament, located outside of the expo hall.

Schedules, brackets, and exact competition times may change based on final registration numbers.  Check Smoothcomp.com regularly for the most updated information. 

for updates leading into the tournament.

This two-day event will feature No-Gi competition under a submission-focused ruleset built around technical Jiu Jitsu, athlete safety, and decisive outcomes.

Exact division start times will be released after registration closes and brackets are finalized on Thursday January 21, 2027

Saturday, January 23 — No-Gi (White & Blue Belts)

Sunday, January 24 — No-Gi (Purple, Brown & Black Belts)

Competition begins at 9:00 AM both days. Exact division start times, first-match times, and mat assignments will be published in Smoothcomp before the event.

Saturday Schedule — White & Blue Belts

9:00 AM — Adult Blue Belt divisions begin

11:00 AM — Adult White Belt divisions begin

Sunday Schedule — Purple, Brown & Black Belts

9:00 AM — Adult Black Belt divisions begin

10:30 AM — Adult Brown Belt divisions begin

12:00 PM — Adult Purple Belt divisions begin

Approximately 3:30 PM — Absolute divisions begin as weight divisions are completed

Weigh-ins: competitors must complete weigh-in at least 1 hour before their first scheduled match (for example, a 9:00 AM first match must weigh in by 8:00 AM). Weigh-ins begin at 8:00 AM and continue throughout the day for later divisions. Competitors participating on both Saturday and Sunday must weigh in on each day they compete.

Bullpen: competitors will be called to the bullpen before their scheduled division — first call 45 minutes before, check in 30 minutes before, and divisions are staged for their mat approximately 15 minutes before. A tournament runner will escort the division from the bullpen to the assigned mat.

Matches run continuously throughout the day. Finals take place as each bracket progresses, and medals are awarded after the division is completed. There is no separate finals session.

$69.00  per additional division

Competitors are encouraged to register early to receive the lowest available rate.

White Belt: 5 minutes

Blue Belt: 6 minutes

Purple Belt: 8 minutes

Brown Belt: 10 minutes

Black Belt: 10 minutes

Adult competition begins at the White Belt level — White Belt divisions are offered for adults in No-Gi. The minimum age for a White Belt competitor is 16 years old.

Complete belt, age, weight, and submission eligibility will be listed in the official rules and division descriptions. Minimum ages for the adult divisions: White Belt 18, Blue Belt 15, Purple Belt 16, Brown and Black Belt 18.

Gracie Nationals is being structured to discourage excessive weight cutting and promote safer competition.

Competitors are responsible for registering for the appropriate weight division.

Final weigh-in procedures and weight allowances will be published before the event.

Competitors may weigh in as early as 3 hours before their division and must complete weigh-in at least 1 hour before their first scheduled match, or they will risk disqualification.

If a match ends without a submission during regulation, the match will proceed to EBI-style overtime.

Complete overtime procedures are available in the official EBI Overtime Rules section.

The tournament will use conservative referee standards and clear age- and belt-specific submission rules.

The rules will address dangerous techniques, illegal submissions, positional safety, and referee intervention.

All competitors are responsible for reviewing the official rules applicable to their division before competing.

The Smoothcomp event page
Their Smoothcomp account
Official Gracie Nationals communications