Possible to compete without a rank?

[NAAberle]

Just curious, due to the fact that my mom currently pays for my college and said she won't pay anymore if I fight MMA, I've been thinking about competing in jj. The only problem is that I don't train at a traditional school of any kind so I don't have any rank of sort. Is it possible to participate in competitions without a rank?

Also does anyone know if there are ever any tourneys in the Minneapolis or Omaha areas since those would probably be the closest to me?

Thanks

[Ari Bolden]

Yes. There are many people who compete without belt ranking.

[NAAberle]

Yes. There are many people who compete without belt ranking.

Good, so how do they determine who you fight then? Just on how long you've been training?

[danjr]

probably how long you've been training. and that's a long way to go for a tournament.

[LongV]

in no gi, one of the factors in putting someone in a division is experience. Some nogi tourneys will put you in a division based on how many years you have grappled and age.

[NAAberle]

...that's a long way to go for a tournament.

Minneapolis is only 6 hrs from me and Omaha is 5-6, which is the price you pay when you live in the midwest with nothing close to you. There are a few towns closer that might have tourneys, but those two would probably be my best bets.

[danjr]

Some of the ones that I've heard of

Greater Midwest Submission Hunt
it's in Minnesota just north of Minneapolis, probably closest to you that I know of

King Grappler in Wisconsin
Sasquatch Open in Davenport, Iowa (Miletich doesn't place, if you can believe that)
NAGA in Chicago (probably too far for you but just 3 hours for me)
ummm A lot of tournies in Milwaukee

[NAAberle]

Thanks danjr, I'll definitely look into those. although most of them have past and I'll have to wait until next year, which will give me more time to train.

Thanks again.

[danjr]

Yeah I think Submission Hunt is the closest one to you that I know of, but ask people locally, theres bound to be more that I've just never heard of because I live in eastern Iowa and have no reason to go to tournaments in SD

[Dannicus]

If you just do a bit of research you can find them.There was just a big tourney in Madison that some of my teammates went to. But the Subhunt would definitely be the largest one in the area. The submission hunt was to be my first tourney. This past May, but I got injured right before and had to pull out. It has beginner divisions in no gi (no wrestlers) and in gi.

Greater Midwest Submission Hunt (http://www.submissionhunt.com/index.html)

Good luck in your search

[PacificFlows]

I plan on competing on my own, as well. I'm just going to sign up for the noobist division there is and hope I clean house. If I do, cool. If I don't, I wouldn't be surprised. Don't plan on losing, though.

MMA is something I'd look into after I could afford health insurance. Hahah.

[NAAberle]

There was just a big tourney in Madison that some of my teammates went to.

Good luck in your search

Oh man wish I had known about the one in Madison. Do you know if you they had a no-gi division or just gi?