From disorganized to dominant: Int’l Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation’s Costa Mesa Winter Open packs the mat
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The International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation’s first tournament in the U.S., at UC Irvine in 1996, brought together about 200 competitors and was “disorganized,” according to federation spokesman Jon Medina.
“Back in the day … it would say ‘you start at 1’ but [your match] wouldn’t finish until 10 p.m.,” Medina said. “Now it says ‘you start at 10 a.m.’ and you will start at 10 a.m. We’ve taken much pride in organizing ourselves and making sure we run a good show.”
The size of their tournaments also grew as the popularity of combat sports and jiu jitsu exploded over the decades. There were 640 adults and 430 youth signed up to compete in the upcoming Orange County Winter Open, which is considered one of the federation’s smaller events.
This year’s tournament takes place Saturday and Sunday in the Hangar at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, and will bring together practitioners of all ages and skill levels. About 30 or 40 jiu jitsu academies, mostly from Orange, Los Angeles and San Diego counties, will be represented, Medina said.
“You see old friends from all over and from rival gyms,” Medina said. “They become friends because you’ve competed with each other so many times.”
Smaller tournaments like this week‘s also give practitioners breaking into the pro level a chance to rise up the ranks and qualify for bigger events. That can lead to opportunities to fight in organizations like the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Medina said.
“This is where you go to make a name for yourself,” He said. “... What IBJJF provides more than anything is prestige.”
Some competing at the highest levels in the federation have been practitioners for most of their lives. Tournaments also invite people who may have never stepped on a mat before but are curious about jiu jitsu to learn about the martial art.
“If you don’t train you may not understand the intricacies of what’s going on, but you’ll definitely understand when an exciting match is going on,” Medina said. “You’ll see the intensity of it. You’ll see the athleticism of it. And you’ll see some really exciting moves, submissions and throws.”
Registration for this weekend’s event in Costa Mesa has already closed. Practitioners in Orange County who want to test themselves at an IBJJF Tournament can look forward to the local Spring Open on April 11, which should draw more than 2,000 competitors, Medina said.
The federation, in partnership with its sister organization, the Confederação Brasileira de Jiu-Jitsu, has based its U.S. and international operations out of Orange County since 2006. Coastal Southern California, as a hub for extreme sports and entertainment, made sense as a home away from home for Brazilian jiu jitsu, Medina said.
“And, with O.C. in particular, they come from Rio de Janeiro where they love surfing,” Medina said.
