Chicago hosts the largest share of BJJ tournaments in Illinois, with Oak Lawn the second busiest location. Carol Stream and Barrington also host regular events, and Springfield holds several opens a year.
Grappling Industries Chicago is by far the most frequent event, returning many times a year with round-robin brackets. Other recurring competitions include the Combat Sports Report Invitational, the NAGA Chicago Grappling Championship, FUJI BJJ's Chicago and Springfield Fall Opens, the Grappling Games' Chicago Fall and Winter Games, the Nitro Grappling Expo, NEWBREED's Chicago Winter Championship and the Tap Cancer Out Chicago BJJ Open.
Gi and No-Gi divisions are both widely available, and around four in ten events run kids divisions. Adult entry is typically around $30–$100. November is the busiest month, followed by October and September.
