BJJ weight classes, and why you weigh in with your kimono on
The number you read in the table is not your weight: it is your weight with the kimono on. It is the mistake that costs the most disqualifications at a first competition.
BJJ Square · Updated on 08/11/2026
At IBJJF tournaments in the gi, the divisional limit is measured with the kimono on. The rulebook says so explicitly: the athlete is weighed in the gi, and the number in the table is the maximum weight allowed *dressed*. A complete kimono weighs roughly between one and a half and two kilos, so that is your real margin on body weight.
Careful It is the classic first-competition trap: you enter by looking at your weight on the bathroom scales, in your underwear, and you turn up at the tournament in the wrong division. Anyone over the limit is disqualified, with no refund and no option of moving up to the division above.
The men's divisions, in the gi
- Rooster (Galo) — up to 57.5 kg
- Light Feather (Pluma) — up to 64.0 kg
- Feather (Pena) — up to 70.0 kg
- Light (Leve) — up to 76.0 kg
- Middle (Médio) — up to 82.3 kg
- Medium Heavy (Meio-Pesado) — up to 88.3 kg
- Heavy (Pesado) — up to 94.3 kg
- Super Heavy (Super-Pesado) — up to 100.5 kg
- Ultra Heavy (Pesadíssimo) — no limit
The women's divisions, in the gi
- Rooster — up to 48.5 kg
- Light Feather — up to 53.5 kg
- Feather — up to 58.5 kg
- Light — up to 64.0 kg
- Middle — up to 69.0 kg
- Medium Heavy — up to 74.0 kg
- Heavy — up to 79.3 kg
- Super Heavy — no limit
Note In the women's draw there are eight divisions and not nine: there is no Ultra Heavy, and Super Heavy is the one with no limit.
In no-gi the limits are lower
It seems obvious — the clothing weighs less — but the difference is not constant: it goes from about 2 kg in the light divisions to 3 kg in the heavy ones. Anyone who says “in no-gi it is two kilos less” is rounding. And in no-gi you do not weigh in undressed either: you step on the scales in your competition rash guard and shorts.
How the weigh-in works
- You are weighed immediately before your first match, not the day before.
- There is one attempt only. You do not go back to the toilets to sweat off half a kilo and try again.
- No tolerance is published: the limit is the limit.
- Anyone who does not make weight is disqualified from their division.
It is a substantial difference from other circuits. At the ADCC the weigh-in is the day before, and the divisions are few and far apart — which makes weight cutting a widespread practice. At AJP tournaments, by contrast, anyone over the limit is moved up to the division above instead of being disqualified.
Careful The numbers above are the ones in force as we write, for the adult division. The tables get updated and every event publishes its own: before you enter, check the table on the page of the competition you are entering. At tournaments in the United States the limits are expressed in pounds, with rounding that gives a few tens of grams of extra margin.
The Open Class
The Open Class, or absolute, is the division with no weight limit. At IBJJF tournaments you enter on site, straight after the medal ceremony for your own division, and for coloured belts it is reserved for those who finished first, second or third. You do not need to have won: the podium is enough.
The upcoming competitionsFrequently asked questions
- Are BJJ weight classes measured with or without the kimono?
- At IBJJF tournaments in the gi you weigh in dressed, kimono included: the number in the table is the maximum weight with the uniform on. In no-gi you also weigh in wearing a rash guard and shorts.
- How much does a BJJ kimono weigh?
- Roughly between one and a half and two kilos, depending on the fabric and the size. That is the margin you have to subtract from the divisional limit to know what you can reach on your bathroom scales.
- What happens if I do not make weight?
- At IBJJF tournaments you are disqualified from your division, with no refund and no possibility of being moved up to the one above. At AJP tournaments you are instead reallocated to the next division.
- When does the weigh-in take place?
- At IBJJF tournaments, immediately before your first match, with one attempt only. At the ADCC the weigh-in is the day before the competition.
- Who can enter the Open Class?
- At IBJJF tournaments, for coloured belts, anyone who placed first, second or third in their own division. You enter on site, straight after the medal ceremony.
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