Gracie Nationals 2027 January 23–24, 2027 Los Angeles Convention Center @ The Fit Expo Los Angeles Gi. 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 Gi and 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 (NOGI) & Sunday, January 24, 2027 (GI)

Los Angeles Convention Center The Fit Expo Los Angeles

Competition Format

Gracie Nationals will feature:

• Gi
• No-Gi

The current competition structure is planned as:

Saturday No-Gi

• Adults
• Masters

• Kids ages 13-16 Yellow Belt - Green Belt
• Juvenile 1 ages 15-16 Blue Belt
• Juvenile 2 age 17 Blue Belt

Sunday GI

• Adults
• Masters

• Kids ages 13-16 Yellow Belt - Green Belt
• Juvenile 1 ages 15-16 Blue Belt
• Juvenile 2 age 17 Blue Belt

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

Registration Pricing

Early Registration

October 1 – November 11 $109.00

Regular Registration

November 12 – January 6 $129.00

Late Registration

January 7 until registration closes $149.00

Additional Divisions

$69.00  per additional division

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

Youth Eligibility

Gracie Nationals youth competition is intended for experienced competitors.

To compete in a youth division:

• Competitors must be at least 13 years old
• Competitors must be a minimum of Yellow-White Belt

Not Eligible

• Competitors under 13 years old
• Competitors below Yellow-White Belt

Final age, weight, and belt category structures will be listed in the official divisions.

Match Time Limits

Youth

Yellow Belt: 4 minutes

Orange Belt: 5 minutes

Green Belt: 6 minutes

Adults

Blue Belt: 6 minutes

Purple Belt: 8 minutes

Brown Belt: 10 minutes

Black Belt: 10 minutes

Adult Eligibility

There will be no Adult White Belt divisions at Gracie Nationals.

Adult competition begins at the Blue Belt level.

Complete belt, age, weight, and submission eligibility will be listed in the official rules and division descriptions.

Weigh-Ins

All competitors will weigh in the same day they compete.

Check-in and weigh-ins will take place outside the expo hall near the entrance of the Los Angeles Convention Center.

There will be no day-before weigh-ins.

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.

A competitor must weigh in 3 hours before they compete or they will risk disqualification. 

Submission-First Competition

Gracie Nationals is designed to produce decisive outcomes through Jiu Jitsu.

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

There are no judges' decisions.

Overtime will continue until a winner emerges.

The three available overtime starting positions are:

• Back
• Armbar
• Mount

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

EBI Overtime Escape Rule

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

An escape is only awarded when the defending competitor establishes some form of guard.

Three-quarter mount is not considered an escape.

The overtime sequence remains live through positional transitions and scrambles until:

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

The truck remains a legal live transition position during overtime.

Athlete Safety

Athlete safety is a major priority at Gracie Nationals.

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.

Tournament Floor

The current Gracie Nationals competition area is planned around:

• 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

Competitors will move through a structured event flow:

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

Check-In and Weigh-In Location

Check-in and weigh-ins will take place outside the expo hall near the entrance of the Los Angeles Convention Center.

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

Detailed arrival windows will be released closer to the event.

TheFitExpo Admission

Gracie Nationals takes place inside The Fit Expo Los Angeles.

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.

Important Event Information

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

Competitors are responsible for monitoring:

• The Smoothcomp event page
• Their Smoothcomp account
• Official Gracie Nationals communications

for updates leading into the tournament.