JJIF

Overview

Competitors contest matches in JJIF’s signature mixed-rules combat discipline, showcasing the complete Ju-Jitsu skill set. Each match flows through three phases: striking, throws and transitions, then groundwork.

How to win

• Decision priority: ippon/submission > points > referee decision; Tournament: single-elimination + repechage…
• Decision priority — Ippon or submission outranks points, which outrank referee decision.
• Tournament format — Single-elimination with repechage.
• Medals per division — Award gold, silver, and two bronze medals per weight, gender, and age division.

The game

• Two competitors per match; Weight classes follow JJIF schedule (Men: -56, -62, -69, -77, -85, -94, +94 kg…
• Two competitors — Each match has two competitors.
• Weight classes — Men compete at -56, -62, -69, -77, -85, -94, and +94 kg (+ variants).
• Age categories — Cadet, Junior, Senior, and Veteran.
• Officials — 1 mat referee, 2 corner judges, a scoring official, and a timekeeper.

Playing the ball

• Throw points — Full throw landing on the back scores 7 points (+ variants).
• Pin (15 seconds): 5 points; Submission via tap = total victory (ippon); Joint locks on arms + chokes legal at Senior…
• Continuous match — One 3-minute period with light-contact punches and kicks to permitted targets (+ variants)
• Light contact only — Clean permitted-area strikes score 1 point; heavy contact is penalized and knockouts prohibited.
• Continuous flow — Referee directs transitions; any phase stalemate restarts standing.

Fouls & penalties

• Heavy contact in Phase 1 (striking too hard): warning → point deduction → DQ…
• Heavy contact — Phase 1: warning, then point deduction, then disqualification.
• Illegal techniques — Eye-pokes, throat, spine, head-butts, leg locks: caution, then disqualification.
• Stalling / passivity — Penalty escalates from warning to caution, then opponent advantage.
• Unsportsmanlike conduct — Results in disqualification.

Equipment

• Gi (Kimono): JJIF-approved white gi (Phase 2 + 3); red/blue belt for distinguishing competitors…
• Gi (Kimono): JJIF-approved white gi (Phase 2 + 3); red/blue belt for distinguishing competitors
• Hand pads — Wear lightly padded, open-fingered gloves for Phase 1 striking.

🚨 Cardinal Rule— Serious violation — may trigger retaliation or social exclusion

• Release immediately upon the tap or verbal submission
  — When an opponent taps the mat, their body, or the competitor's body — or calls 'maitta' — joint locks and chokes must be released at once, even a fraction of a second before the referee signals. Holding on past the tap is considered a serious breach of the martial arts code and can end careers or cause permanent injury.(Applies equally in both competition and training. Delay is viewed as deliberate harm, not competitive edge.)[1]

⚠️ Strong Expectation— Most experienced players will take notice and be upset

• No trash talk or psychological intimidation on the mat⚡ Contested
  — Verbal taunting, stare-downs designed to intimidate, or any psychological pressure tactics before or during a match are considered contrary to the martial spirit. Unlike combat sports with showmanship traditions, Ju-Jitsu's budo roots make such behavior stigmatizing even when not penalized by referees.[1]
• Do not apply joint locks with sudden, wrenching force in training
  — In the training context that precedes and parallels competition, joint locks are applied with progressive pressure, giving the partner time to tap. Snapping on an armbar or shoulder lock without controlled escalation — especially against a less experienced partner — is a serious breach of trust and dojo culture.(Particularly salient in Ju-Jitsu where the fighting system includes submissions that can cause rapid joint damage.)[1]

📋 General Expectation— Generally expected; soft social enforcement among regulars

• Accept the referee's decision without public protest
  — Disputing a scoring call or submission ruling aloud, gesturing in disagreement, or appealing to coaches to argue loudly on the mat is viewed as a loss of composure incompatible with the martial arts ideal. Formal appeals through channels are acceptable; visible emotional protest is not.[1]
• Winning with humility — no excessive celebration⚡ Contested
  — Overt celebration after winning — fist pumps directed at the opponent, shouting in the opponent's face, or prolonged theatrics — is considered disrespectful and contrary to martial spirit. Acknowledgment of the win is expected, but it is directed at coaches or the sky, not performed at the opponent's expense.(Losing competitors have already shown courage by competing; the winner is expected to honor that.)[1]

🤝 Etiquette— Nice to follow; low consequence if ignored by newcomers

• Bow when entering and leaving the competition area (tatami)
  — Stepping onto or off the tatami without bowing — even when it is not formally required at that moment — is considered a lapse in respect for the space and the tradition it represents. Experienced competitors and coaches notice and quietly judge this.(A direct carry-over from Japanese dojo culture into the competition environment.)[1]