Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Weight Classes: The Ultimate Guide

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu weight classes group competitors by bodyweight to ensure fair matches where technique determines the winner, not size advantage. The International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) sets the standard divisions used worldwide, with separate categories for gi and no-gi competition, gender, age groups, and belt ranks. Understanding these divisions helps you choose the right class, prepare safely, and compete with confidence from your first tournament.​

What Are BJJ Weight Classes?

Weight classes create competitive balance by matching athletes of similar size. Instead of a 140-pound grappler facing a 220-pound opponent, the system ensures matches test technique, strategy, and timing rather than raw strength disparity.​

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu evolved from “vale tudo” (anything goes) open-weight roots, but modern competition adopted weight divisions to promote safety and fairness. The IBJJF standardized these categories, creating brackets typically separated by 10-15 pounds from the lightest Rooster weights to unlimited Ultra-Heavy divisions.​

For gi tournaments, you weigh in wearing your complete uniform—jacket, pants, and belt—so a standard competition gi adding 3-5 pounds factors into your total. No-gi divisions weigh athletes in fight shorts and rashguard, resulting in different cutoffs for the same division names.​

IBJJF Adult Gi Weight Divisions

Men’s Adult Gi Weight Classes

The IBJJF men’s divisions use Portuguese names with specific upper limits measured with gi on:​

• Rooster (Galo): Up to 57.5 kg (126.5 lbs) – Lightning-fast athletes known for complex guard work and berimbolo systems
• Light-Feather (Pluma): Up to 64.0 kg (141 lbs) – Potent blend of speed and strength with sophisticated leg lock systems
• Feather (Pena): Up to 70.0 kg (154 lbs) – Perfect balance of speed and power in highly technical matches
• Light (Leve): Up to 76.0 kg (167.5 lbs) – Most talent-dense division with optimal strength-to-weight ratio
• Middle (Médio): Up to 82.3 kg (181.5 lbs) – Power begins dominating with pressure passing emphasis
• Medium-Heavy (Meio-Pesado): Up to 88.3 kg (194.5 lbs) – Power-based games with strength-endurance focus
• Heavy (Pesado): Up to 94.3 kg (208 lbs) – Explosive athletes combining strength with surprising mobility
• Super-Heavy (Super Pesado): Up to 100.5 kg (221.5 lbs) – Maximum power with crushing top pressure
• Ultra-Heavy (Pesadíssimo): Over 100.5 kg (221.5+ lbs) – No upper limit, elite heavyweights redefining agility

The Absolute (Open Weight) division has no weight restrictions, allowing competitors from any class to compete for overall champion.​

Women’s Adult Gi Weight Classes

Women’s divisions follow similar structure with adjusted limits:​

• Rooster (Galo): Up to 48.3 kg (106.5 lbs) – Elite technical precision with speed-based systems
• Light-Feather (Pluma): Up to 53.5 kg (118 lbs) – Deeply talented with world-class conditioning
• Feather (Pena): Up to 58.5 kg (129 lbs) – Most competitive female division globally
• Light (Leve): Up to 64.0 kg (141 lbs) – Optimal strength-to-weight ratio for technical evolution
• Middle (Médio): Up to 69.0 kg (152 lbs) – Power development with mobility maintenance
• Medium-Heavy (Meio-Pesado): Up to 74.0 kg (163 lbs) – Growing division with power-based technical precision
• Heavy (Pesado): Up to 79.3 kg (174.8 lbs) – Elite power athletes with massive gas tanks
• Super-Heavy (Super Pesado): Over 79.3 kg (174.8+ lbs) – No limit, heavyweight innovators

Understanding how to choose a BJJ gi includes considering fabric weight if you compete regularly, as lighter gis provide buffer room under weight limits.​

Understanding the IBJJF

The International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation is the world’s largest BJJ governing body, setting rules for legal techniques by belt, match durations, uniform requirements, and official weight classes. The organization hosts prestigious championships including Mundials (World Championship), Pan Americans, and European Open.​

Most regional and national tournaments adopt IBJJF standards even without official affiliation because competitors expect consistency across events. Learning what is IBJJF helps you navigate the competitive landscape and understand what to expect at serious tournaments.

No-Gi vs Gi Weight Categories

No-gi grappling uses similar division names but lower weight limits since you weigh in wearing shorts and rashguard instead of heavy kimono. A typical gi adds 1.5-2.5 kg (3-5 lbs), so athletes often compete one class lower in no-gi.​

The game changes dramatically without gi friction and grips. Analytics show pace and speed metrics jump approximately 20% in no-gi, demanding 15% higher cardiovascular fitness as scrambles increase and positions become less secure. Strategy shifts from collar and sleeve grips to wrestling-based takedowns, body locks, and pure athleticism.​

Major no-gi organizations use different systems entirely. ADCC (Abu Dhabi Combat Club) employs wider brackets: 66kg, 77kg, 88kg, 99kg, and 99kg+, creating unique strategic challenges as athletes from multiple IBJJF classes compete in the same ADCC division. Submission-only promotions often simplify further with broad categories like “Under 170 lbs” and “Over 170 lbs.”​

Masters and Juvenile Divisions

Masters Age Categories (30+)

Masters divisions separate competitors into age brackets while maintaining the same weight classes as adult divisions:​

• Masters 1: Ages 30-35
• Masters 2: Ages 36-40
• Masters 3: Ages 41-45
• Masters 4: Ages 46-50
• Masters 5: Ages 51-55
• Masters 6: Ages 56-60
• Masters 7: Ages 61+

This structure accounts for metabolic changes, slower recovery, and joint health considerations that come with age. Athletes over 30 can choose to compete in Masters divisions against age-matched opponents or test themselves in adult divisions against younger competitors.​

If you’re considering starting BJJ at 30 or later, Masters divisions provide competitive opportunities tailored to your life stage.​

Juvenile Weight Classes

Youth divisions prioritize safety and skill development over weight cutting. Kids and teens compete at natural, healthy weights with strict safety protocols including mandatory medical clearances and parental consent. Major organizations prohibit unhealthy weight cutting for juveniles, focusing entirely on technical learning and positive competition experience.​

Weigh-In Protocols

Timing and Procedures

IBJJF-style tournaments conduct weigh-ins immediately before your division starts, not the day before. You step on the scale wearing full gi—jacket, pants, and belt—receiving confirmation you made weight or need to remove accessories.​

If slightly over, you can remove your belt (200-300 grams), rashguard under gi, or jewelry. You cannot weigh in without the jacket—full uniform is mandatory.​

Unlike combat sports with morning weigh-ins followed by evening fights, BJJ tournaments run continuously. Your bracket might start 30 minutes or 3 hours after check-in, requiring strategic planning for nutrition and warm-up around uncertain timing.​

Hydration Testing and Safety

Many organizations introduced strict hydration testing through urine specific gravity (USG) tests. Athletes must provide samples meeting minimum hydration levels (typically ≤1.025 USG) to compete. Medical staff may conduct blood pressure and heart rate screenings to identify dangerous dehydration.​

Athletes showing severe dehydration can be disqualified or required to obtain medical clearance before competing.​

Missing Weight Penalties

Failing to make weight carries serious consequences. Most organizations offer a 1-2 hour reweigh window, but continued failure results in forfeited registration fees, potential additional fines, and disqualification or forced movement to higher weight classes affecting bracket seeding.​

Even missing by 0.1 lbs typically results in strict enforcement—no allowances.​

How to Choose Your Ideal Weight Class

Assess Your Natural Training Weight

Track bodyweight consistently over 2-4 weeks during normal training. Weigh yourself same time daily (ideally morning, post-bathroom, pre-eating) to establish baseline walk-around weight. Add gi weight to determine competition weight for gi divisions.​

If you naturally walk around at 78 kg and your gi weighs 2 kg, you’re at 80 kg competition day—comfortably in Middle division (82.3 kg limit) with buffer room.​

Consider Body Composition and Frame

Athletes with naturally lean builds and fast metabolisms often perform better at natural weight rather than bulking to fill heavier classes. Individuals carrying extra body fat may find moderate, healthy weight cuts reveal better performance without compromising strength or endurance.​

Skeletal frame matters: broader, stockier builds at 75 kg have different strength characteristics than taller, leaner frames at the same weight. Neither is better—just different strategic considerations for which division suits your body type.​

Avoid Extreme Weight Cutting

IBJJF tournaments weigh you immediately before matches, leaving zero rehydration time. Arriving severely depleted from water restriction or caloric deficit destroys cardio, strength, and mental sharpness exactly when needed most.​

Safe weight management focuses on gradual reduction of excess body fat over weeks, strategic meal and sodium timing in the 24 hours before weigh-in, wearing lighter gis, and staying hydrated to compete at full strength.​

For your first BJJ class and early competitions, focus on technique over weight cuts—compete at natural weight.

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Safe Weight Management Strategies

Gradual Approach

The smartest weight-making method involves losing 1-2 pounds weekly over 8-12 weeks leading to competition. This ensures fat loss while preserving muscle, avoiding the performance paradox where cutting more than 3-5% bodyweight through dehydration decreases strength, speed, and endurance.​

Nutrition Planning

Focus on high protein intake (1.6-2.2g per kg bodyweight) to preserve muscle while dieting. Cycle carbohydrates—more on heavy training days for energy, fewer on rest days. Pack meals with micronutrient-rich vegetables and fruits, timing nutrients properly before and after training.​

Post-Weigh-In Rehydration

After making weight, drink approximately 1.5 liters fluid for every kilogram (2.2 lbs) lost within the first two hours. This fluid must contain electrolytes—sodium, potassium, magnesium—to restore what you lost. Plain water isn’t enough.​

Replenish muscle glycogen with easily digestible carbohydrates like fruit juices, rice, or potatoes. Avoid heavy, greasy meals causing bloating and sluggishness.​

Impact on Performance

Power-to-Weight Ratio

Smaller, lighter athletes may be physically weaker in absolute terms but much stronger relative to bodyweight, providing advantages in certain movements. Leverage mechanics vary—athletes with longer limbs in lighter divisions may excel at strangulation submissions and guards, while shorter, compact athletes in heavier classes might dominate pressure passing.​

Energy System Demands

Lighter weight classes demand higher metabolic efficiency for fast-paced scrambles. Heavier divisions require sustained power output. Training must adapt accordingly—lighter athletes need more sprint-interval work, heavier athletes require strength-endurance protocols with tailored recovery plans.​

Psychological Factors

Competing where you feel strong and confident provides significant mental edge. Difficult weight cuts leave you drained and anxious before stepping on the mat. The ideal weight class is sustainable, allows strong training, and doesn’t compromise well-being for short-term advantage.​

Common Risks and Safety Considerations

Extreme Weight Cutting Dangers

Severe dehydration causes cardiovascular complications like arrhythmia and dangerous blood pressure swings. Brain function declines, resulting in slower reaction times and poor decision-making. Immune system suppression makes you vulnerable to illness before competition.​

Research shows cutting more than 3-5% bodyweight, especially through dehydration, almost always decreases performance.​

Long-Term Health Issues

Repeated aggressive cuts risk acute kidney injury and long-term damage. Hormonal balance disruption affects testosterone, cortisol, and thyroid function. Chronic calorie deficits weaken bones, reducing density and increasing fracture risk. Pressure to make weight can distort relationships with food and body image, leading to eating disorders.​

Best Practices for Safety

Never attempt significant cuts without medical supervision. Both athletes and coaches need education on safe weight management and dangers of extreme methods. New competitors should never attempt large cuts for first tournaments. Build support systems working with qualified nutritionists and sports psychologists.​

Absolute Division Strategy

The Absolute (open weight) division allows competitors from any weight class to compete without restrictions. This crowns an overall champion regardless of size, testing pure technique and heart against sometimes significant weight disadvantages.​

Competing in Absolute makes sense if you want maximum mat time and additional experience, feel comfortable with defensive guard and escapes against larger opponents, are naturally heavier with less size disadvantage risk, or are testing yourself and building mental toughness.​

Absolute is optional at most tournaments, running after weight-class brackets complete. Many conserve energy by skipping it, while others see it as the ultimate test of their jiu jitsu.​

First-Time Competition Tips

Weight Class Selection

Register for your natural class without attempting weight cuts for your first tournament. Weigh yourself with gi at home 1-2 weeks before to know exactly where you sit. Arrive early for parking, check-in, and warm-up buffer time.​

Competition Day Essentials

Bring backup gear including extra gi in case yours fails inspection and different belt if needed. Stay hydrated and fueled—eat normally the night before and morning of competition. Don’t starve yourself.​

Focus on technique, not weight. Skill development matters far more than cutting 2 kg. Competition experience builds confidence and reveals gaps training alone won’t expose.