BJJ AUSTRALIAN OPEN - SUMMER 2027

BJJAO SUMMER 2027 | BJJAO LEAGUE 5x STAR RANKING EVENT.

Sunday November 28th | 9:00am | Cavanbah Centre, Byron Bay, NSW.

RELEVANT DATES & REGISTRATION DEADLINE:

Early Bird Registrations Deadline: Tuesday, Oct 12th.

Standard Registrations Deadline: Monday, Nov 22nd.

Late Registrations Deadline: Tuesday, Nov 23rd.

Athlete Correction Deadline: Tuesday, Nov 23rd.

Registration Check-Day: Wednesday, Nov 24th, until 12pm.**

Brackets & Schedule Release: Friday, Nov 26th, by 12pm.*

Seminar Registrations Deadline: Sunday, Nov 28th, until 10am.*

Based on NSW dates and times.* Check-Day contact by email only.

11:00am to 12:00pm

Registrations are open until Sunday Nov 28th, 10am.

Your club / academy name is a condition of approval.

Please allow up to 48 hours for memberships to be approved.

#1 Team overall: $1,500

#2 Team overall: $700 

#3 Team overall: $300

*Competitors, academy and team representatives must be present at our '2027 Award Ceremony' which will be held in February 2028 at our 'BJJ Australian Open - Nationals' to receive the prizes. No yearly prizes will be given outside or after this event.

MERGING TERMS | SINGLE-COMPETITOR BRACKETS & MERGING RESPONSIBILITY:

The BJJAO merging will commence after the ‘Athlete Correction Deadline’ (last Day to register, check, change or withdraw), and will be concluded by the ‘Registration Check-Day Deadline’ (competitors will not be merged after this time, nor on the competition day).

A medical note stating that you are not able to compete could allow a 100% refund or credit. Please note that we can only accept notes from medical doctors (GP), and do not accept notes from chiropractors, physiotherapists, advanced nurse practitioners, etc. Please be advised that we do not accept electronically signed documents. You will need to contact us Via email with the medical documentation before the ‘Registration Check-Day’ deadline. If your medical documentation and refund are approved, we will remove you from the bracket and process the refund.

In all other cases, registrations are non-refundable and non-transferable. Contact the BJJAO by the Registration Check-Day Deadline, via email, to potentially remove your name from the brackets. We will evaluate requests on a case-by-case basis.

4 to 15 year old (Mighty Mite / Pee Wee / Juniors / Teen) Compete in a ROUND ROBIN format.

​16 year old and up (Juvenile / Adult / Masters) - Compete in a SINGLE ELIMINATION format.

Kids brackets with 2 competitors are in 'Best Of Three' format, where the two competitors fight each other 2 or 3 times to decide the winner.

WEIGH-INS:

All events have Qualified First Aid Medics, as well as Paramedics who can treat and give pain relief on site, so anyone injured in pain does not need to wait until an ambulance arrives, they can be treated immediately.

AWARDS & PRIZES:

IBJJF rules competition for all ages | Gi and No-Gi

EXTRA DIVISION GI or NO-GI:

OPEN WEIGHT DIVISION - Adults, Juvenile and Masters (CASH PRIZES for adult GI divisions*):

*A minimum of 8 competitors in each Open-Weight bracket, is required to be eligible for the division's cash prize.

NO-GI ABSOLUTE CASH DIVISIONS*:

**A minimum of 6 competitors in each No-Gi Cash bracket, is required to receive the full $600 division's cash prize. If the bracket consists of less than 6 competitors, the winner will receive $50 for each entrant, for example, if only 3 competitors enter the bracket, winner will receive $150.

Affiliated academies are responsible for their athletes conduct and compliance with the BJJAO rules and event regulations. This is a free membership allowing academies to participate in the BJJAO events.

Adults Open Class Gi (male and female)* - All belts:

*A minimum of 8 competitors per division is required to receive the cash prizes. 

Absolute No-Gi Cash Division White / Blue / Purple (male and female)*:

*A minimum of 6 competitors is required to receive the full $600 division cash prize. If the bracket consists of less than 6 competitors, the winner will receive $50 for each entrant in the division. 

Absolute No-Gi Cash Division Brown / Black (male and female)*:

*A minimum of 6 competitors is required to receive the full $600 division cash prize. If the bracket consists of less than 6 competitors, the winner will receive $50 for each entrant in the division.

By choosing this option, competitors may be merged into another bracket, as per the BJJAO ‘Merging Guideline’ stated below.

By choosing this option, Competitors may be merged to the next closest bracket available based on the ‘Merging Guidelines’ stated below, and waive their right to a refund in the event of this occurring.

Competitors may move themselves up in age and up or down in weight to ensure they are registered in their requested bracket. The 'edit' option is available on the Smoothcomp event page through the competitor’s profile page. This action can be done until the ‘Athlete Correction Deadline'.

Competitors also have the option to cancel their registration by using the cancellation option on the Smoothcomp event page, and receive an automatic 50% refund. This action can be done until the ‘Athlete Correction Deadline'.

Kids Merges: Kids may be merged up, no more than 1 weight class, 1 level category, and 1 age group. Kids competitors of Grey-White belt level may be merged into kids brackets of Grey belt level. If kids competitors are willing to be merged into higher classes, please add a request note in the ‘Note’ option in your registration.

Juvenile Merges: Juveniles may be merged up no more than 1 weight class. Juveniles may be merged into Adult Divisions. If juvenile competitors initially wish to be moved to the adult division, please ad a request note in the ‘Note’ option of your registration form, including the adult weight class you wish to participate in. If competitors are willing to be merged into higher classes, please add a request note in the ‘Note’ option in your registration.

Adult Merges: Adults could be merged up, no more than 2 weight classes.

Master Merges: Masters could be merged up, no more than 2 weight classes. Masters may also be merged into a younger Masters age division, or the adult division, based on their year of birth.

Cancellation of registration before the ‘Athlete Correction Deadline’, will automatically generate a 50% refund. This can be done through the competitor's Smoothcomp profile page.

Registration details including: age, weight and belt categories, can be edited until midnight of the 'Athlete Correction Deadline' by clicking the 'Edit' option on your the event link, on your Smoothcomp profile page.

Please make sure you are registered in the correct weight division prior to registrations deadline. No changes will be possible at a later stage.

Our matches follow the IBJJF competition rule-set, both for adults and kids.

CLICK HERE to access the Rule Book and familiarise yourself with the ruleset.

CLICK HERE to access the 'Technical Fouls and Illegal Moves' details.

​4 to 15 year old (mighty mite / pee wee / juniors / teen) divisions:

Novice (white + grey-white belts)

Intermediate (white + grey-white + grey + yellow belts)

Advanced (Grey + yellow + orange + green belts)

AGE DIVISIONS & MATCHES DURATION:

CLICK HERE to find your age group and match duration 

We allow and occasionally merge genders in little kids brackets. Mixed-gender brackets situation are only allowed for kids aged 4yo to 9yo (Mighty Mite and Pee Wee).

All ages above are slotted into separate gender brackets (male or female).

Competitors are initially grouped strictly by age. If there are not enough competitors of the same age, the competitor will be placed in an age division no greater than 1 year above their own. Divisions can vary based on attendance. For example, Age divisions can be grouped by 1 year: 2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017, etc.

If there are not enough competitors in the same division, the competitor could be merged into another division, please refer to 'MERGING TERMS' for details.

TEENS TRANSITIONING TO JUVENILE & ADULT BELT RANKS:

The BJJAO recognises that Black Belts & Head Instructors, will know which is the correct rank to graduate a Teen, in the year they turn 16. No Juveniles or Adults may wear Junior coloured belts (Grey, Yellow, Orange or Green) - Instead they must wear either White, Blue or Purple Belts at their instructors discretion!

Our uniform requirements are in accordance with the IBJJF requirements and rules.

Please follow This Link to learn and understand the Uniform Requirements for our events.

​All competitors are required to be exactly on, or under, the weight limit of the division they are registered in, including the full uniform related to their bracket.

Weight-ins: The drop-down box represent the weight as a net with the appropriate Gi or No-Gi allowance included.

e.g. the 69kg Gi weight category means a combined net weight (INCLUDING GI AND BELT) of under 69kg. There is no extra weight allowance.

Warning: Competitors weighing-in, on competition day, over their bracket weight limit, will be automatically disqualified from the competition, with no option to compete or get refunded.

Missing weight affects our brackets and risks delaying our schedule. It is the responsibility of the competitor/parent to check the competitor list and ensure they're in the correct division prior to registrations deadline.

Registration details, including weight category, can be edited until the last day of registrations. Please make sure you are registered to the correct weight division.

WEIGHT DIVISIONS - CLICK HERE.

Competitors should present themselves at the weigh-in and uniform inspection station no less than 30min before their scheduled match. Competitors competing in the Gi will be weighing in with their full uniform on (Gi, Belt and Rash Shirt for female competitors), so please not that your total weight includes the uniform. Also important to note that the schedule is dynamic and changes throughout the day, please check your times regularly to ensure that you do not miss your weigh in and get disqualified.

The fighter and/or their guardian (if under 18yrs) acknowledges and agrees that the fighter shall be responsible to obtain all or any insurance for loss and/or medical, hospital, life, income protection, personal, property, or any other risk or damage that the fighter may cause or suffer, (whether directly or indirectly) and the fighter covenants that he acknowledges that any failure by the fighter to fully insure himself against any accident, damage, injury, loss, whatsoever, howsoever arising shall be solely at the risk of the fighter.

And the fighter and/or their guardian (if under 18yrs) hereby indemnifies the BJJAO against all and any loss or damage caused directly or indirectly by the fighter’s involvement in the event or contest. Furthermore, the fighter shall make themselves available at BJJAO's discretion to undergo pre and post bout medical examinations, including drug testing, by duly qualified personnel on the day of the event, at the BJJAO’s discretion and shall participate in the event solely at the BJJAO’s discretion, dependent upon the interpretation of the results of those tests at the sole discretion of the BJJAO.

Competitors may only receive their medals whilst standing on the podium with the other competitors who placed in their division. If a competitor does not do this they will not receive their medal at a later date and this action may also cause a disciplinary result, potentially banning a competitor from competing in other divisions at the same tournament due to bad sportsmanship. Competitors that are eligible for a gift, prize, or other awards must collect them on the day of the competition. If they are not collected on the day of the tournament, the competitor is forfeiting their right to all gifts, prizes, or other awards.

Important note to all attendees: No flags or political messages will be allowed at our events except from the Australian flag, Aboriginal flag, and the Brazilian flag. These are family orientated sports events, not political protests. Attendees carrying other flags or promoting political messages, will be removed from our events and banned from the federation.