Competition
IBJJF Weight Classes: Every Division, and Why You Weigh In Wearing the Gi
Updated
The IBJJF splits adult gi competitors into nine weight divisions for men and eight for women, plus an Open Class, and every limit includes your gi, because you step on the scale wearing it. You get one attempt, just before your first match. Miss the weight and you're disqualified, with no switching divisions.
Adult male gi divisions
Limits are the IBJJF's, in kilograms, gi on. The same list covers the Masters divisions. The pound column is our conversion; events in the US publish their own pound figures, so use the event's list on the day.
| Division | Maximum, with gi | ≈ lb (our conversion) |
|---|---|---|
| Rooster | 57.5 kg | 126.8 |
| Light Feather | 64.0 kg | 141.1 |
| Feather | 70.0 kg | 154.3 |
| Light | 76.0 kg | 167.6 |
| Middle | 82.3 kg | 181.4 |
| Medium Heavy | 88.3 kg | 194.7 |
| Heavy | 94.3 kg | 207.9 |
| Super Heavy | 100.5 kg | 221.6 |
| Ultra Heavy | No maximum | — |
Adult female gi divisions
| Division | Maximum, with gi | ≈ lb (our conversion) |
|---|---|---|
| Rooster | 48.5 kg | 106.9 |
| Light Feather | 53.5 kg | 117.9 |
| Feather | 58.5 kg | 129.0 |
| Light | 64.0 kg | 141.1 |
| Middle | 69.0 kg | 152.1 |
| Medium Heavy | 74.0 kg | 163.1 |
| Heavy | 79.3 kg | 174.8 |
| Super Heavy | No maximum | — |
Women's divisions stop at Super Heavy, with no limit. Men's go one further, to Ultra Heavy.
Open Class
The Open Class, or absolute, has no weight limit: the IBJJF weight list marks it "Free" for adults and masters. Who gets to enter it is set in each tournament's own rules, so check the event page. One rule that is fixed: if you're alone in the absolute (or in Ultra Heavy), you still have to pass the uniform check to take the medal.
How weigh-in works
- Gi check first. An inspector checks your gi against the uniform rules before you step on the scale.
- One go on the official scale, in the gi, just before your first match. No shoes, nothing extra beyond the uniform and kit you'll compete in. Knee and elbow braces can come off for the scale, but you wear them for the gi check.
- Over the limit means disqualified. No moving up a division on the day and, per the IBJJF, no refund.
- The gi you weigh in with is the gi you fight your first match in. You can't change it after the scale.
Each event also states which unit its official scale uses in its important info. The full uniform checklist is in our IBJJF gi requirements guide.
Where our size-finder users land
Here's how those typed weights spread across the divisions. It's body weight with no gi on, so it flatters everyone near a limit.
| Division | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Rooster | 9% (Rooster and Light Feather together) | 3% |
| Light Feather | 6% | |
| Feather | 11% | 17% |
| Light | 15% | 22% |
| Middle | 14% | 14% |
| Medium Heavy | 16% | 10% |
| Heavy | 13% | 9% |
| Super Heavy | 9% | 19% (no limit) |
| Ultra Heavy | 13% (no limit) | — |
Two things to read into it. First, a lot of people sit right under a line on their bathroom scale, and the gi can be what pushes them over it. Second, typed weights bunch on round numbers, so treat the within-2-kg share as a rough read, not a measurement.
No-gi divisions are different
No-gi events use their own weight list, and you weigh in wearing the no-gi uniform, not the gi. Don't carry your gi division across. The kit differences are in gi vs no-gi.
Masters and kids
Masters use the same weight list as adults. What changes is the age bracket, from Master 1 at 30 up to Master 7 at 61 and over, and shorter matches. Juveniles (16 and 17) and kids have their own lists, published on each event page. Belt eligibility by age is in our BJJ belt order guide.
The part everyone gets wrong: weighing yourself without the gi
People check their weight at home in shorts, see they're under the line and stop there. The IBJJF limit is with the gi on, and a gi is not light, especially a heavier weave in a bigger size. How much it adds depends on the gi and the size, so the only number that counts is you, in that gi, on a scale. And because you can't swap gis after weighing in, the gi you weigh in with has to be the one you want to fight in.
Our recommendation
Weigh yourself in your competition gi before you register, and again a week out. The first check picks the right division while you can still choose it; each event page gives its own deadline for changes. The second leaves time to drop the last bit sensibly instead of the night before. Pick the gi you'll compete in and don't switch after that. If the jacket and trousers are the wrong size, you'll find that out in the weigh-in queue too: our gi size calculator sorts that part first.
Frequently asked questions
- What are the IBJJF weight classes?
- Men: Rooster (57.5 kg), Light Feather (64), Feather (70), Light (76), Middle (82.3), Medium Heavy (88.3), Heavy (94.3), Super Heavy (100.5) and Ultra Heavy (no limit). Women: 48.5, 53.5, 58.5, 64, 69, 74, 79.3 kg, then Super Heavy (no limit). All limits include the gi.
- Do you weigh in with your gi at IBJJF?
- Yes. At IBJJF gi events you weigh in wearing the gi, and every division limit includes it. At no-gi events you weigh in wearing the no-gi uniform. No shoes or extra items on the scale.
- What is super heavyweight in BJJ?
- At the IBJJF, men's Super Heavy is up to 100.5 kg with the gi on; above that is Ultra Heavy, with no limit. For women, Super Heavy is the top division, over 79.3 kg with the gi, with no upper limit.
- What is the Open Class?
- The Open Class, or absolute, is a division with no weight limit where competitors of every weight at the same belt meet. Who can enter it is set by each tournament's rules, so check the event page before registering.
- When do you weigh in at an IBJJF tournament?
- Right before your first match, not the day before. You get one attempt on the official scale, in your gi. If you miss the weight you're disqualified and can't change divisions.