Table of content
1. Introduction
The Masters are different from the adult division when competing in jiu-jitsu. Over the age of thirty, the masters have the option to compete in the tournaments of the master division. The International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation sets up tournaments in which the age division of thirty years and over can compete in the master division. If you started your BJJ career late after your 30s and wanted to compete in a jiu-jitsu competition, then you are allowed to compete in the master division.
The International Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Federation is the largest organization that arranges competitions all over the world. IBJJF tournaments have created different weight and age brackets to ensure the correct rule set for each sport. IBJJF has subdivided the six main categories into the master division, which is dependent on the age group and weight classes.
2. IBJJF Master Division Described
IBJJF breaks down the weight classes into three categories; juvenile, adult, and master division. The master division is further divided into sub-categories. If you are a jiu-jitsu athlete and over thirty, you can sign up for the BJJ competition in the Master division.
Follow the table that shows the division and the age group of the masters and adults:
| Division Of Fighters | Age Division |
|---|---|
| 18 to 29 | Adult |
| 30 to 35 | Master I |
| 36 to 40 | Master II |
| 41to 45 | Master III |
| 46 to 50 | Master IV |
| 51to 55 | Master V |
| 56 to 60 | Master VI |
Note that if the age group is according to the Master division, then you have to appear in the category of adult division, which ranges from 18 to 29 years old.
IBJJF is a company that organizes Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitions around the world. That includes the Pan Jiu-jitsu competitions, European Open Jiu-jitsu Competition, and World Jiu-jitsu Championship. These tournaments differ by the organization separations, which vary by gender, weight, belt rank, and age group.
International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) tournaments organized the masters divisions in Brazilian jiu-jitsu that are above the age of thirty and have been separated as per the above table categories. IBJJF has designed these categories as per the point system of the master division.
Competition organizers have set complete rules to encourage mutual respect, honesty, and justice in the tournaments. IBJJF organizers added the point that a master from the upper division can also compete with the lower division master. For instance, the Master at level 6 can square off in the Master 2 division, or a Master 4 can square off with the Master of Category 3.
3. IBJJF Master Division in Jui-jitsu
In the master division of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, the division has been made according to the following six categories, which start at the age of 30 and reach up to master level 6 which has the age limit of sixty years.
The master division is different from the adult division, as it ranges from 18 years to 29 years of age.
It is important to notice the difference between the master and adult competitions, which are further categories divided into three main levels:
- Belt level
- Life cycle
- Motivation
3.1. 2024 IBJJF Gender Specified Age Groups
Let us find out the age division set according to the IBJJF. The organizers have created an age division for women and men as per the rules of 2024. The athletes competing in the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation are specified with the age categories, that are different for male and female fighters. This step has been taken to regulate a guarded and cooperative environment for every contender. For that purpose, they have divided the fighters into the basic categories of age, gender, weight, and belt.
| Division Of Fighters | Age Division |
|---|---|
| 18 to 29 | Adult |
| 30 to 35 | Master 1 |
| 36 to 40 | Master 2 |
| 41to 45 | Master 3 |
| 46 to 50 | Master 4 |
| 51to 55 | Master 5 |
| 56 to 60 | Master 6 |
The International Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Federation has divided the categories for ages 4 to 60 years old.
For the age group 18 and up, it is divided into adult and master divisions, which are further subcategorized as they get older.
Might Mite
Might Mite is the category of BJJ, which is further divided into the
The four-year-old child can compete in the might mite 1 category.
The kids of 5 years old qualify for the Might Mite 2.
The children of six years can compete in the Might Mite 3.
Pee Wee
In Brazilian jiu-jitsu, kids above the age of seven can compete in Pee Wee competitions
The Kids of the age of seven years can compete in the category of Pee Wee 1.
Above eight years they are catagoried for competing in the Pee Wee 2 category.
In the Pee Wee 3 competitions, the kids above nine years can compete.
Junior
In jiu-jitsu children at the age of 10 or above can compete in three of the categories of Junior competitions:
The kids of 10 years can compete in the category of Junior 1.
Kids of 11 years can be part of Junior 2.
The children of 12 years can compete in the tournament of Junior 3.
Teen
The young fighters of BJJ can compete in the TEEN tournament, which has been subdivided into three categories, which are as follows:
The young fighters of the age of 13 are defined to compete in the category of teen tournaments.
The BJJ fighters of 14 years can compete in the category of Teen 2.
The athletes of the age group 15 can compete in the Teen 3 tournaments.
Juvenile
The grapplers of the age division of 16 years can compete in the category of Juvenile 1.
The competitive athletes of 17 years can square off in the Juvenile 2 tournaments.
3.2. Male IBJJF Weight Division
The following table shows the weight division of male fighters that can compete in GI and juvenile competitions:
| Weight Division Name | Male - Juvenile Gi | Male - Gi Weight kg/lbs |
|---|---|---|
| Rooster (under 127lb) |
53.50 kg / 117.9 lb | 57.50 kg / 126.5 lb |
| Light Feather (107 – 118 lbs) |
58.50 kg / 129.0 lb | 64 kg / 141 lb |
| Feather (under 129 lb) |
64 kg /141.1 lb |
70 kg / 154 lb |
| Light (146 - 155lb) |
69 kg / 152.1 lb | 76 kg / 167 lb |
| Middle (162.6 – 175.6 lbs) |
74 kg / 163.1 lb | 82.30 kg / 181 lb |
| Medium Heavy (175.6 – 188.6 lbs) |
79.30 kg / 174.8 lb | 88.30 kg / 195 lb |
| Heavy (188.6 – 202 lbs) |
84.30 kg / 185.8 lb | 94.30 kg / 208 lb |
| Super Heavy (202 – 215 lbs) |
89.30 kg / 196.9 lb | 97.50 kg / 215 lb |
| Ultra Heavy (215 lbs and up) |
No weight limit | No maximum |
The following table shows the weight division of male fighters that compete in the No Gi juvenile competitions:
| Weight Division Name | Male - Juvenile No - Gi | Male - No-Gi Weight kg/lbs |
|---|---|---|
| Rooster (under 127lb) |
51.50 kg (113.5 lb) | 55.50 kg / 122.5 lb |
| Light Feather (107 – 118 lbs) |
56.50 kg (124.6 lb) | 61.50 kg / 136 lb |
| Feather (under 129 lb) |
61.50 kg (135.6 lb) | 67.50 kg / 149 lb |
| Light (146 - 155lb) |
66.50 kg (146.6 lb) | 73.50 kg / 162.5 lb |
| Middle (162.6 – 175.6 lbs) |
71.50 kg (157.6 lb) | 79.50 kg / 175.5 lb |
| Medium Heavy (175.6 – 188.6 lbs) |
76.50 kg (168.7 lb) | 85.50 kg / 188.5 lb |
| Heavy (188.6 – 202 lbs) |
81.50 kg (179.7 lb) | 91.50 kg / 202 lb |
| Super Heavy (202 – 215 lbs) |
86.50 kg (190.7 lb) | 97.50 kg / 215 lb |
| Ultra Heavy (215 lbs and up) |
No maximum | No maximum |
3.3. IBJJF Female Weight Division
The following table shows the weight division of female fighters that can compete in GI and juvenile competitions:
| Weight Division Name | Female - Juvenile Gi | Female - Gi Weight (kg/lb) |
|---|---|---|
| Rooster (under 127lb) |
44.30 kg / 97.7 lb | 47.50 kg / 107 lb |
| Light Feather (107 – 118 lbs) |
48.30 kg /106.5 lb | 52.20 kg / 115 lb |
| Feather (under 129 lb) |
52.50 kg / 115.7 lb | 57 kg / 125.5 lb |
| Light (146 - 155lb) |
56.50 kg / 124.6 lb | 62.80 kg / 138.5 lb |
| Middle (162.6 – 175.6 lbs) |
60.50 kg /133.4 lb | 69.10 kg / 152 lb |
| Medium Heavy (175.6 – 188.6 lbs) |
65 kg /143.3 lb | 76.10 kg / 167.5 lb |
| Heavy (188.6 – 202 lbs) |
69 kg / 152.1 lb | 82.30 kg / 181.5 lb |
| Super Heavy (202 – 215 lbs) |
No maximum | No maximum |
The following table shows the weight division of female fighters that can compete in No- GI and juvenile competitions:
| Weight Division Name | Female - Juvenile Gi | Female - No-Gi Weight (kg/lb) |
|---|---|---|
| Rooster (under 127lb) |
42.50 kg /93.7 lb | 46.5 kg / 103 lb |
| Light Feather (107 – 118 lbs) |
46.50 kg / 102.5 lb | 51.5 kg / 114 lb |
| Feather (under 129 lb) |
50.50 kg / 111.3 lb | 56.5 kg / 125 lb |
| Light (146 - 155lb) |
54.50 kg /120.2 lb | 61.5 kg / 136 lb |
| Middle (162.6 – 175.6 lbs) |
58.50 kg / 129.0 lb | 66.5 kg / 147 lb |
| Medium Heavy (175.6 – 188.6 lbs) |
62.50 kg /137.8 lb | 71.5 kg / 158 lb |
| Heavy (188.6 – 202 lbs) |
66.50 kg /146.6 lb | 76.5 kg / 169 lb |
| Super Heavy (202 – 215 lbs) |
No maximum | No maximum |
4. Master Competitions of Age Divisions
The International Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Federation organizes various competitions all over the world on seven continents. The biggest BJJ tournaments, where the top contenders compete to test their skill sets, are:
- European Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship
- The Pan jiu-jitsu IBJJF Championship
- Asian Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship
- Brazilian National Jiu-Jitsu Championship
- Pan Pacific Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship
- World Master IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship
- Rio BJJ Pro IBJJF Championship
The World International Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Tournament is organized annually and is widely considered the most prestigious and important championship of the year. IBJJF is considered the best-ever edition of the jiu-jitsu tournaments.
At the world's largest jiu-jitsu tournament, new champions were crowned, and dominant competitors solidified their legacies that are marked in the historic record of jiu-jitsu. The following are some of the main storylines from the event.
5. FAQ
5.1. Why do you have to compete in the Master division?
What are the reasons that make you capable of competing in the master category?
The jiu-jitsu fighters who have a delay in the commencement of the jiu-jitsu journey are required to fight in the master categories.
Despite the fact that BJJ is based on techniques, competing against a young fighter in a similar weight division and belt rank.
The BJJ sport is continuously growing and evolving, despite its growing age. For the old athlete, BJJ will provide the tactics and methods that will allow them to overcome the hindrances.
5.2. Can you compete in another age division?
Yes, IBJJF provides the opportunity for the older jiu-jitsu fighter, which lets you compete in the adult practitioner bracket if you are part of the master division.
In this way, it is a different experience to compete with a younger fighter in the same rank and weight division. You can compete in the tournaments as per their rules and regulations.
6. Conclusion
Each athlete will begin the jiu-jitsu journey at a different point in their life. This is due to various reasons, some of which may include: they might have changed their sports, to learn self-defense, or they want to start a new sport. Note that every competition has different criteria or sets of rules for the intense IBJJF Kid Championship, allowing four-year-old kids to take part in the competition. BJJ is an art of learning and growing; a number of practitioners who commenced late are most likely to compete in the master division.
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