2026 IBJJF Seoul Open Wraps Up in Style With 200-Plus Teams From 23 Nations!

The 2026 IBJJF Seoul Open [Provided by KBJJF]

A world-class jiu-jitsu tournament held in South Korea drew more than 200 teams from 23 countries, wrapping up as a landmark celebration of the sport.

The Korea Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (KBJJF) announced Thursday that it hosted the 4th IBJJF Seoul International Open on Aug. 15 and 16 at Seo-Suwon Chilbo Gymnasium in Suwon — the first IBJJF international event held in Korea in seven years since 2019.

More than 1,000 competitors representing over 200 teams from 23 countries — including South Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, the United States and Australia — took part in the tournament, making it the largest IBJJF international event ever staged in Korea.

The seven-year gap underscored how far jiu-jitsu has grown in Korea. Compared with the 2019 edition, overall participation more than tripled, while female competitors jumped threefold and youth participants more than quadrupled.

The event was run to the same international standards as a world championship. The IBJJF headquarters chairperson traveled to Korea to oversee operations, and international referees dispatched from Japan, the United States and Australia worked the mats alongside domestic officials.

IBJJF international rules governed every stage of competition, from weigh-ins and gi inspections to bracket management. An ambulance and medical team were stationed on site in accordance with domestic regulations.

The opening ceremony drew prominent figures from politics, sports administration and the jiu-jitsu community. Lee Su-jeong, chairperson of the People Power Party's Suwon city chapter, and Suwon Special City Council members Lee Dong-yeop — who chairs both the Culture, Sports and Education Committee and the Council Operations Committee — along with Yun Gyeong-seon and Kim Jeong-seon attended to encourage the athletes.

From the martial arts world, Choi Sang-hak, president of the Korea Special Forces Martial Arts Federation, attended, as did John Frankl, dean of Yonsei University's Underwood International College and the first person to introduce jiu-jitsu to Korea, along with Kwon Seong-hwan, president of the Ansan Jiu-Jitsu Association, and Lee Hee-jin, a former national team coach and the first Korean woman to earn a black belt.

Also drawing attention was Park Jun-young, head of Toji Korea and the first Korean man to earn a black belt, who competed in the black belt masters division. The event brought together the figure who first introduced jiu-jitsu to Korea, a first-generation black belt and the next generation of active competitors under one roof.

The IBJJF, founded in 1994, is the world's largest Brazilian jiu-jitsu federation. It operates a unified global ruleset along with belt and athlete certification systems, and is widely regarded as the de facto standard body for international jiu-jitsu. The KBJJF, established in 2009, is South Korea's leading Brazilian jiu-jitsu organization and has served as an IBJJF national federation and official partner since 2012.

KBJJF President Lee Seung-jae, who organized the event, said it marked Korea's entry into the core of international jiu-jitsu. "This was the tournament that placed Korea at the center of international jiu-jitsu," he said. "Both the competition and our athletes will ride this momentum and compete on the world stage."

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