North American Grappling Association
The North American Grappling Association (NAGA) is an organization that began in 1995 to organize submission - grappling - and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournaments in America and Northern Europe. NAGA is the largest submission grappling association in the world with over 200,000 participants worldwide, including famous top athletes in grappling and MMA.
NAGA grappling events include both GI and NO-GI sections ("Divisions"). For No-GI participants, there are special rules that have been specifically developed for NAGA. GI fighters compete under largely standardized Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu rules of the IBJJF (see section rules ). NAGA also promotes mixed martial arts fights called Reality Fighting.
Experience levels
Competitors in NAGA events are divided into weight classes and experience.
The experience is broken down into two categories:
Adults / Masters / Directors / Executives, as well as Children / Teens, i.e. adults / Masters / Directors / Executives as well as children / teenagers.
Adults / Masters / Directors / Executives
- Novice (novices): (6 months martial arts experience )
- Beginner (6 months to 2 years of martial arts experience)
- Intermediate (2 years to 5 years experience in martial arts; BJJ blue belts are intermediates)
- Expert (professional) (5 years martial arts experience; BJJ purple, brown and black belts)
Children & teenagers
- Novice (6 months and less martial arts experience. Children are not allowed to submit submissions)
- Beginner (6 months to 1 year martial arts experience)
- Mediocre (1 year to 2 years of martial arts experience)
- Advanced (2 years to 3 years of martial arts experience)
- Expert (3 years and above)
Complete martial arts experience includes (list is not exclusive)
Wrestling , BJJ , Judo , Sambo , Jeet Kune Do , MMA, etc. Any training that includes grappling is added to the total experience.
Weight classes
Men & Master No-Gi & Gi, White Belts & Blue Belts
| Designation weight class | Upper limit | |
|---|---|---|
| in pounds (lb) | in kilograms (kg) | |
| Flyweight | 129.9 | 58.9 |
| Bantamweight | 139.9 | 63.5 |
| Featherweight | 149.9 | 68.0 |
| lightweight | 159.9 | 72.5 |
| Welterweight | 169.9 | 77.1 |
| medium weight | 179.9 | 81.6 |
| Light heavyweight | 189.9 | 86.1 |
| Cruiser weight | 199.9 | 90.7 |
| Heavyweight | 224.9 | 102. |
| Super heavyweight | No weight limit | |
Men gi purple, brown and black
| Designation weight class | Upper limit | |
|---|---|---|
| in pounds (lb) | in kilograms (kg) | |
| lightweight | 154.9 | 70.3 |
| medium weight | 174.9 | 79.3 |
| Cruiser weight | 199.9 | 90.7 |
| Super heavyweight | No weight limit | |
Master's Expert No-Gi & Gi Divisions (Age 30 and over)
| Designation weight class | Upper limit | |
|---|---|---|
| in pounds (lb) | in kilograms (kg) | |
| lightweight | 154.9 | 70.3 |
| medium weight | 174.9 | 79.3 |
| Cruiser weight | 199.9 | 90.7 |
| Super heavyweight | No weight limit | |
Men's Director's (40 years +) & Executive (50 years +) divisions
- These divisions are formed depending on the event, depending on the level of experience and weight classes, depending on the number of registered participants.
Women's Gi & No-Gi
| Designation weight class | Upper limit | |
|---|---|---|
| in pounds (lb) | in kilograms (kg) | |
| Flyweight | 119.9 | 54.4 |
| lightweight | 134.9 | 61.2 |
| medium weight | 159.9 | 72.5 |
| Light heavyweight | No weight limit | |
Children No-Gi & Gi (13 years and younger)
| Designation weight class | Upper limit | |
|---|---|---|
| in pounds (lb) | in kilograms (kg) | |
| Flyweight | 49.9 | 22.6 |
| Bantamweight | 59.9 | 27.2 |
| Featherweight | 69.9 | 31.7 |
| lightweight | 79.9 | 36.2 |
| Welterweight | 89.9 | 40.8 |
| medium weight | 99.9 | 45.3 |
| Light heavyweight | 114.9 | 52.1 |
| Cruiser weight | 129.9 | 58.9 |
| Heavyweight | 149.9 | 68.0 |
| Super heavyweight | 179.9 | 81.6 |
Teenager NO-GI & GI (14 to 15 and 16 to 17) years
| Designation weight class | Upper limit | |
|---|---|---|
| in pounds (lb) | in kilograms (kg) | |
| Flyweight | 99.9 | 45.3 |
| Bantamweight | 109.9 | 49.8 |
| Featherweight | 119.9 | 54.4 |
| lightweight | 129.9 | 58.9 |
| Welterweight | 139.9 | 63.5 |
| medium weight | 149.9 | 68.0 |
| Light heavyweight | 159.9 | 72.5 |
| Cruiser weight | 179.9 | 81.6 |
| Heavyweight | 199.9 | 90.7 |
| Super heavyweight | No weight limit | |
Set of rules
The rules of the NAGA differ significantly in some points from the standard rules of the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation (IBJJF)
In the Gi divisions, it is based on this; However, far-reaching changes are possible in No-Gi.
The official set of rules of NAGA writes (translated from English into German), page 56 ff:
“(...) A brief overview of some of the differences between NAGA-BJJ-Gi rules and those of the IBJJF. Note: This is only a brief description of the nuance differences in NAGA-Gi competition rules and does not represent every difference!
(...)
- The Gi colors are not mandatory. For example, a black top can be worn with red pants (or any possible color combination).
- You can weigh yourself without wearing your gi.
- Rash guards (a kind of tight-fitting " jerseys " when grappling, note) under the Gi are allowed and desired. T-shirts are not allowed.
- The duration of the bout may change at the discretion of NAGA. It is the same in the Gi and NO-Gi divisions.
- Purple belt rules for adults are the same as in IBJJF if only purple belts are represented in the division. (From purple the division is generally open up to black.) If a brown or black belt participant is present, the brown / black belt rules apply.
- White belts may only jump into the guard if they are competing against higher classes ( i.e. blue, purple etc.).
- Groin guard is allowed (and recommended) for male competitors.
- Children and adolescents participants may use guillotines (head pull) and pull the opponent's head down to end triangle chokes : The guillotine from a standing position is also allowed, which is not the case for children and adolescents according to the IBJJF rules.
- Children and young people are allowed to use the GI-Choke " Ezekiel ".
- Children and teenagers are allowed to use a straight-ankle-lock pedal.
- Children and young people are allowed to use the “Gogoplata” (only from below, not from the mount).
Note: There are further differences in the division of the rules into Legal / Illegal in the Kids & Teens NAGA Gi divisions.
- Jumping into the guard is illegal for all children and young people from novice to advance level. Teens experts are allowed to jump.
- Stalling (standstill, i.e. the fact that the fight is stuck when a fighter dominates the mount and there is no more movement worth mentioning) can be reset by the referee. The Referee will not force a fighter to move unnecessarily and risk loss of control. In the event of an obvious and deliberate standstill, however, this is punished (...) "
Reality fighting
NAGA's MMA Division, Reality Fighting, hosts mixed martial arts events in New Jersey and Massachusetts. The rules are set by the states athletic commissions.
Reality Fighting has historically produced champions such as BJJ Schwarzburt and UFC veteran Gabriel Gonzaga , as well as the current Reality Fighting Light heavyweight champion and Mike Stewart, who hosts the US program " The Ultimate Fighter Television Show ".
Well-known fighters who competed in Reality Fighting are also: Frankie Edgar, Joe Lauzon, Kenny Florian, Tim Sylvia, Jorge Rivera, Kurt Pellegrino, Jim Miller, Dan Miller, Rob Font, Joe Proctor, Matt Bessette, Josh Diekman, Josh Grispi, Anthony Porcelli, Joe Forentino and Angelo Riveria.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Nagafighter.com . North American Grappling Association. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
- ↑ NAGA 2018 regulations , accessed on February 24, 2018
- ↑ List of the various classes (divisions) on www.nagafighter.com , accessed on March 9, 2018.
- ↑ IBJJF rules as a reference for comparison with the NAGA rules , accessed on February 24, 2018.
- ↑ NAGA 2018 regulations , accessed on February 24, 2018.
- ↑ Fighting Website NAGA Reality Fighting , accessed on February 24, 2018.
- ^ States Athletic Commission , accessed February 24, 2018.
- ^ New Jersey State Athletic Commission , accessed February 24, 2018.
- ↑ Fighter Profile Gabriel Gonzaga on UFC.com , accessed February 24, 2018.
- ↑ Fighter Profile Mike Stewart on sherdog.com , accessed February 24, 2018.
- ↑ List of known fighters , accessed on March 9, 2018.