What it costs to compete: the items to budget for

The entry fee is almost never the heaviest item. The real bill comes from the travel, the membership and the medical — and none of these appears on the event page.

BJJ Square · Updated on 08/11/2026

People looking up what it costs to compete find the price of the entry fee, and stop there. It is the most visible item and almost never the dearest: a competition in another region costs mostly in fuel, tolls and hotel.

Careful On this page you will not find an average figure for Italy, and that is a choice. Fees change by organisation, by how far in advance you enter and by type of event, and nobody publishes comparable data. What we can give you is more useful: the complete list of items, so you can do your own sum before entering.

The items you always pay

  • The entry fee for the competition. Almost everywhere it costs less if you enter well in advance, and it rises as the closing date approaches.
  • The Open Class entry, if you decide to do it: in the major circuits it is a separate fee.
  • Competitive membership, which is not the same as the one you already have in order to train: insurance cover for competition is usually a different thing.
  • The competitive medical certificate. It costs more than the non-competitive one, has to be renewed every year and in many cases is not covered by the public health service.
  • The trip: travel, a hotel night if needed, meals. The item that almost always exceeds all the others.

The items you find out about later

  • The ticket for whoever comes with you. Many venues charge spectators for entry.
  • A legal kimono. Some rulebooks have requirements on colour, fabric and measurements: your training kimono might not pass the check.
  • Patches and logos, which in certain circuits have precise rules about where they may sit.
  • A second membership, if during the year you compete in different circuits that each require their own.

Note The simplest way to avoid surprises is to ask your coach what the last trip cost somebody who has already been, everything included. It is the only genuinely comparable number, and somebody at the gym always has it.

How to keep it down

  1. Enter early. It is the biggest and most certain discount there is.
  2. Start with a competition close by. Your first does not have to be the important one: it has to be the one you can get to and back from in a day.
  3. Organise the trip with the gym. Shared cars and twin rooms halve the heaviest item.
  4. Check what your current membership covers before paying for another.

The costs of training, which are a separate matter: What it costs to train in BJJ.

Find a competition near you

Frequently asked questions

What does it cost to enter a BJJ competition?
It depends on the organisation and on how much notice you give: almost every circuit applies rising fees as the entry deadline approaches. The exact figure is on the event page.
Do you need a competitive medical certificate to compete?
For competitive activity in Italy a specialist examination is required, which costs more than the non-competitive one and has to be renewed every year. Check in good time what the competition's organisation requires.
Does the membership for training also cover competitions?
Not always: cover for competition is often a different membership. Ask at the gym before entering, because it is the cost people find out about latest.
What is the biggest expense of a competition?
In most cases the trip, not the entry fee. It is the reason it is worth starting with a competition you can get to and back from in a day.

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