You have entered, or you are thinking about it. Both count. One competition day teaches you more about your own game than three months of Tuesday training — and every single person has felt the nerves before that first match.
- You are weighed wearing your gi, right before your first match.
- The gi must be white, royal blue or black — and match.
- Bring a spare gi if you have one. It gets checked before the match.
1. Registering
Competitions in Norway mostly run on Smoothcomp. You create a profile and pick your club, rank, weight class and age category. Talk to your coach before you enter — they know which events suit a first-timer.
2. The weight class, and the mistake everyone makes
Here it is: in gi competitions you are weighed with the gi on, right before your first match. A gi usually weighs a kilo and a half to two kilos. Weigh yourself in your underwear at home, land right on the limit, and you will be over on the day.
Pick the class with some margin, and weigh yourself wearing the gi in the days before. In No-Gi you are weighed in the No-Gi uniform — rashguard and shorts.
3. Is your gi legal?
The gi is checked before your match, and having one rejected is a miserable way to end the day. If you own two, bring both. Unsure about yours? Send us a photo and we will take a look.
4. In the bag
- Your gi (and a spare, if you have one)
- Your belt, in your rank
- Mouthguard and finger tape
- Sandals — otherwise you will spend the day walking around barefoot
- Water and food you know agrees with you. Competition days run long.
5. The day itself
Arrive early, find your mat, and keep an eye on how many matches are left before yours. Warm up when there are two or three to go — not three hours beforehand. And do not watch every single match in your bracket; it wears you out mentally.
The match lasts a few minutes. It goes faster than you think.
6. You are going to lose one
Everyone does, including the people standing on top of the podium later. The only competition you genuinely lose is the one you did not enter. Go home, look at what happened, and bring it to training on Tuesday.
Rios was started for one reason: to give something back to local athletes. A good share of the profit has gone exactly there — to the people training and competing here at home. Designed in Norway, run out of Bergen by people who are on the mats themselves. And if you need to swap a size there's no customs, no three-week wait, and you can write to us in English or Norwegian.
See BJJ gisEverything for No-Gi
Questions about gear, sizing or anything else? Send us a message — there are real people here, and we answer in English.