2027 Big Apple Classic

Sunday, January 31, 2027 New York City, United States

At a Glance

Divisions

Gi Absolute Kids

Entry

$80

Description

USA Judo Sanction #00694

When: Sunday, January 31st, 2027

Where: Queens College CUNY

Fitzgerald Gymnasium, 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Kew Gardens Hills, NY 11367

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Tournament Co - Directors: Saro Balagezyan | David Gutierrez

Chief Referee: Devin Cohen

Technical Director: Daniel Malayev

Medical: Cyrus Mozzafari

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COST

Early Bird registration (before January 8th): $80

Regular registration (January 9th to January 29th): $90

Spectator Fee: $5

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SCHEDULE

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Friday, January 29th, 2027

Registrations closes: 9:00 PM

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Saturday, January 30th, 2027

Weigh-ins morning: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Weigh-ins evening: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Coaches Meeting: 6:00 PM

Brackets published: 9:00 PM

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January 31th, 2026

Venue Doors Open: 7:30 AM

Referee Role Call Meeting: 8:15 AM

Opening Ceremony at 8:45 AM

!!!ALL MUST ARRIVE AT LEAST 90 MINUTES BEFORE THE START OF THEIR DIVISION!!!

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WEIGH-INS

Weigh-ins will take place onsite at IJC Martial Arts, located at

28-20 120th Street, 2nd Floor Flushing, NY 11354

on Saturday January 30, 2027 - from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM

If you missed your weigh-in on Saturday, we allow weigh-ins onsite at the venue on Sunday January 31, 2027 throughout the day. You must arrive at least 2 hours before you division start time to weigh in on site.

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EVENT CODE OF CONDUCT

Applicable to all attendees, including, but not limited to Athletes, Coaches, Spectators, Officials, Volunteers, Parents.

1. I will not engage in unsportsmanlike conduct.

2. I will not engage in any behavior which would endanger the health, safety, or well-being of any attendee.

3. I will not engage in the use of profanity.

4. I will treat any coach, parent, athlete, volunteer, official or any other attendee with respect.

5. I will not engage in verbal or physical threats or abuse aimed at any attendee.

6. I will not initiate a fight or unauthorized physical contact with any attendee.

7. I will obey all facility and organization rules, including USA Judo’s Code of Conduct, Code of Ethics, and Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies.

8. I will be responsible for the sportsmanship of myself and teammates while assisting in maintaining a respectful environment for all participants.

9. I understand that the concluding decision of the officials or event director is final and will accept it with respect and grace.

It is agreed that if I fail to conform to the above while attending a USA Judo sanctioned event through coaching, officiating, or participating in any capacity the following will occur:

· Verbal warnings first will be given to the individual.

· If the infraction occurs after the verbal warning, a “yellow card” will be given to the head coach/individual as notice of first official warning.

· If the infraction occurs after the yellow card is distributed, a “red card” will be given to the head coach/individual which may require elimination from the tournament and premises.

If a red card is issued the individual may be subject to possible additional disciplinary actions, including but not limited to the below in any order or combination:

1. Immediate removal from event for the duration of the event.

2. Removal of coach credentials for the duration of the event.

3. Suspension of USA Judo membership, coach certification credentials, or official certification credentials.

The tournament director reserves the right to immediately remove an individual from the competition/activity if an egregious incident occurs without first issuing a verbal warning, yellow or red card.

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COACH INFORMATION

In order to coach matside, all coaches must hold a current USA Judo coaching certification, including current background screening and concussion and SafeSport training.

Coaches must fill out this form: Coach Registration

All coaches must be listed on the USA Judo Certified Coaches Registry Here: Coaches

Only one coach is allowed to coach matside inside the barricade during each match. Coaches who fail to comply with this rule will be asked to leave the coaching area.

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ELIGIBILITY, DIVISIONS, RULES

Athletes may compete if they meet the following eligibility requirements and there is no conflict regarding weigh-in and competition schedules.

All participants must be either USA Judo members OR members of their respective non-U.S. National Governing Body or Federation.

The tournament will be conducted in accordance with the 2026 Contest Rules, Organization Code and Sporting Code of the International Judo Federation, as revised for the tournament.

INJURY RULE: Decision as to whether an athlete may continue if injured while on the mat, are to be resolved in accordance with IJF rules; such decisions occurring off the mat or not covered by the IJF rules, are to be made by the coach, the athlete, and the on-site medical team. If there is not a unanimous opinion among these three individuals, the athlete may not continue.

Click to see divisions, rules, and match lengths: Big Apple Classic Rules

Big Apple Classic Bracket Rules:

# of Athletes in Bracket	Bracket Type	Description
1 Athlete	Single Elimination	Automatic Gold Medal
2 Athletes	Best of Three Matches	Winner of two out of three matches takes first place
3 Athletes	True Round Robin	All athletes will face each other. Final placing is determined by the number of wins and method of win (Ippon > Wazaari > Yuko)
4+ Athletes	Modified Double Elimination	Everyone will get a chance to fight for bronze through the loser's bracket

The Tournament Director reserves the right to make changes in the highest and lowest weight classes in all age divisions.

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JUDOGI/UNDERGARMENTS

Appropriate undergarments must be worn by all athletes. Female athletes shall wear under the jacket either a plain white t-shirt or rash guard , long enough to be worn inside the trousers. The white tee-shirt should be round necked. No marking can be visible when the judogi is done up.

- All U15 or any Novice Divisions: When designated as the blue athlete, while blue judogi is preferred, competitors may wear a white judogi paired with a blue belt or sash.

- All Open DIvisison athetes from U18 up: Competitors must have BOTH white and blue judogis and must change into the designated color before the match.

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PARTNER HOTEL

We have partnered with Flushing Central Hotel 88 to provide a special rate to athletes and families attending the Big Apple Classic.

To receive this special rate of $100 plus tax/fees per night, please call or text Rita at (917) 951-8088 and mention IJC Judo or Big Apple Classic.

Link to Hotel: Flushing Central Hotel 88

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AWARDS

Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals will be awarded for first, second, and third places for all divisions.

Athletes must wear either a clean full white judogi or full team sweats on the awards podium. No additional items may be taken/worn on the podium (flags, hats, pictures, flowers, stuffed animals, etc).

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REFUND POLICY

In case you are uncontested, you will receive refund or a medal for the division. In any other cases, there will be no refund. Under special circumstances we may be able to credit your entry for the next Big Apple Classic.

All refund requests or questions must be submitted to danielmalayev.events@gmail.com

Event Details

Format

Other

Registration

Early Bird: before January 8, 2027 ($80). Regular: January 9–29, 2027 ($90). Registrations close Friday Jan 29, 9:00 PM.

Schedule

Friday Jan 29: registrations close 9:00 PM. Saturday Jan 30: coaches meeting 6:00 PM; brackets published 9:00 PM. Sunday Jan 31: venue doors open 7:30 AM; referee role call 8:15 AM; opening ceremony 8:45 AM. (No match start or end times specified.)

Weigh-In

Onsite at IJC Martial Arts, 28-20 120th Street, 2nd Floor Flushing, NY 11354 — Saturday January 30, 2027: 9:00 AM–12:00 PM and 6:00 PM–8:00 PM. Sunday January 31, 2027: weigh-ins allowed onsite throughout the day if Saturday missed. Must arrive at least 2 hours before your division start time to weigh in on site.

Spectator Fee

Where to Stay Near the Venue

Affiliate

Closest hotels to the venue, sorted by distance.

Closest 2.2 mi from venue Grandview Hotel New York ★ 3.7 31-06 Linden Pl, Flushing Check availability

2.6 mi from venue Fairfield Inn New York LaGuardia Airport/Flushing ★ 3.9 28-66 College Point Blvd, Flushing Check availability

3.2 mi from venue voco Fiorello - LaGuardia Airport by IHG ★ 4.2 20-07 127th St, Flushing Check availability

3.3 mi from venue LY New York Hotel ★ 4.3 15-61 127th St 15- 63, College Point Check availability

See all hotels near the venue

Divisions

Under 7 Co-Ed Open$80
Under 9 Male Open$80
Under 9 Female Open$80
Under 11 Male Open$80
Under 11 Female Open$80
Under 13 Male Open$80
Under 13 Female Open$80
Under 15 Male Novice$80
Under 15 Male Intermediate$80
Under 15 Male Open$80
Under 15 Female Novice$80
Under 15 Female Intermediate$80
Under 15 Female Open$80
Under 18 Male Novice$80
Under 18 Male Intermediate$80
Under 18 Male Open$80
Under 18 Female Novice$80
Under 18 Female Intermediate$80
Under 18 Female Open$80
Under 21 Male Novice$80
Under 21 Male Intermediate$80
Under 21 Male Open$80
Under 21 Female Novice$80
Under 21 Female Intermediate$80
Under 21 Female Open$80
Senior Male Novice$80
Senior Male Intermediate$80
Senior Male Open$80
Senior Female Novice$80
Senior Female Intermediate$80
Senior Female Open$80
Veteran Male Novice$80
Veteran Male Intermediate$80
Veteran Male Open$80
Veteran Female Novice$80
Veteran Female Intermediate$80
Veteran Female Open$80

Organizer

IJC Student-Athlete Support Services

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where is the 2027 Big Apple Classic held?

Sunday, January 31st, 2027 at Queens College CUNY, Fitzgerald Gymnasium, 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Kew Gardens Hills, NY 11367.

What are the registration deadlines and entry fees?

Early Bird registration (before January 8th): $80. Regular registration (January 9th to January 29th): $90. Registrations close on Friday, January 29th, 2027 at 9:00 PM.

Is there a spectator fee?

Yes, the spectator fee is $5.

When and where are weigh-ins held?

Weigh-ins are onsite at IJC Martial Arts, 28-20 120th Street, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11354 on Saturday, January 30, 2027 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM.

What if I miss the Saturday weigh-in?

If you miss the Saturday weigh-in you may weigh in onsite at the venue on Sunday, January 31, 2027 throughout the day, but you must arrive at least 2 hours before your division start time to weigh in on site.

When are the coaches meeting and brackets published?

On Saturday, January 30, 2027 the Coaches Meeting is at 6:00 PM and brackets are published at 9:00 PM.

What are the coach certification and matside rules?

To coach matside, coaches must hold a current USA Judo coaching certification including current background screening and concussion and SafeSport training, must complete the coach registration form, and must be listed on the USA Judo Certified Coaches Registry; only one coach is allowed matside inside the barricade during each match.

How are brackets formatted for different numbers of athletes?

1 athlete: Single elimination with automatic gold; 2 athletes: Best of three matches (first to two wins takes first place); 3 athletes: True round robin with placing by number and method of wins (Ippon > Wazaari > Yuko); 4+ athletes: Modified double elimination with a loser's bracket for bronze.

What is the refund policy and who do I contact for refunds or questions?

If you are uncontested you will receive a refund or a medal; in any other case there will be no refund, though under special circumstances entries may be credited to the next Big Apple Classic. All refund requests or questions must be submitted to danielmalayev.events@gmail.com.