From March 2020, the UK BJJ calendar for Jiu Jitsu tournaments became non-existent due to the Covid Pandemic. While America and South America were back competing in the Autumn of 2020 and Europe towards the end of the year. The UK has only just got back hosting BJJ competitions this year in 2021. Already this year several events have taken place around the UK with good results.

While the IBJJF has not made a return to the UK or Europe and is yet to make any announcements regarding a possible return date. Most of the mainstay local and national competitions have announced dates and/or run competitions. Within the UK BJJ event scene, promoters such as Empire Grappling, All Stars BJJ and BJJ 24/7 are just a few of the promoters who have returned with several competitions taking place. At these events some of the top UK based competitors have been entering trying to shake the cobwebs off. At the local competitions you will see European and World Medalists such as Jakub Zajkowski, Taylor Pearman, Janis Riekstins, Sean Coates and Progress JJ athlete Ellis Younger competing, which is unusual since they usually save themselves for the bigger BJJ events. Many of these top names were spotted on the competition mates during the British Nationals.

Across Europe other promoters have run Events such as AJP, Grappling Industries and ADCC, which have all been widely successful with most competitions attracting a high number of competitors. In Poland we recently saw the first ADCC trials take place where in some divisions competitors needed to win 6 matches to take Gold and win their spot at ADCC worlds, the UK was very successful with welsh athletes Ashley Williams and Eoghan O’Flanagan taking gold, and 17 year old Fightzone Phenom Nia Blackman winning a Bronze medal. ADCC has been a great event for highlighting future up and coming competitors on the UK and European Jiu Jitsu scene.

Within the UK the British BJJ Open recently took place, being highly successful with loads of competitors signing up. In fact throughout all the Jiu Jitsu tournaments taking place within the UK the numbers of competitors entering are high, showing the appetite for competing being extremely high. Another of the biggest competitions in the UK, the English Open BJJ has announced dates for November, with the competition being based in London at UEL Sportsdock, it is easy to travel to for most of the country, while the IBJJF London Open won't be returning anytime soon, NAGA and other competitions will be taking place in London. Competing in London is a favorite destination for grapplers on the scene looking to mix it up with a variety of opponents. In terms of the bigger international Competitions, the Abu Dhabi Jiu Jitsu Pro (AJP) will be running the London Grand Slam in 2022 which offers cash prizes for Brown and Black belt, and is widely viewed as one of the best run competitions in the circuit. 

Here at Progress JJ headquarters we thought we would create a BJJ competition calendar with some of the Jiu Jitsu tournaments taking place here in the UK to help you the jiujiteiro plan your competition schedule. 

• Roll Models 13 GI and No Gi - September 19th - Stoke on trent.
• Empire Grappling Lancashire Open - September 25th - Manchester
• Dorset and Hants Open - September 25th 
• Arnold UK NoGi Invitational - October 2nd - Birmingham 
• All Stars BJJ Liverpool Pro - October 2nd & 3rd - Liverpool 
• Roll Models 14 Gi and No Gi - October 17th - Stoke on trent. 
• All Stars BJJ Welsh pro - October 17th - Cardiff 
• NAGA United Kingdom Grappling Championship - October 23rd - London 
• Grappling Industries Belfast - October 31st - Belfast 
• Empire Grappling 18, Autumn Open - November 6th - Leeds 
• Glasgow BJJ Open - November 7th - Glasgow 
• All Stars BJJ Southern Pro - November 14th - Fleet
• English Open BJJ Championships - November 27th - 28th - London 
• All Stars BJJ Northern Pro - November 27th - Manchester 

2022 

• ABU DHABI GRAND SLAM JIU-JITSU WORLD TOUR 2021-2022 - London - March 27th 

Looking forward to seeing you on one of these competition mats soon!