Most adults who compete in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu will be aware of the basic ruleset in IBJJF competitions. However, as an adult, you may not be as well versed in the rules surrounding kids competitions. More precisely, parents often question the rules regarding children’s competitions which can be a little confusing. Remember, certain competitions have differing rules and regulations when compared to others. However, in this article we will be focusing on IBJJF rules which are typically the most common ruleset which children compete under.
For the record, it’s safe to assume that if it’s illegal for white belt adults, then it’s also illegal for all kids categories. For instance, white belt adults can’t jump guard, knee reap, do wrist locks, various leg submissions or slam people. All of these concepts apply for kids regardless of the childs rank. However, unlike adults – kids also have a few other rules added which are in the name of safety.
Table of Contents
No leg locks
Although most leg locks are banned for adults until brown belt and beyond, white belts can do straight ankle locks. The Achilles lock is a fairly common submission for adults, even at white belt level. However, the IBJJF has always been a bit taboo towards leg locks in general. As a result, children cannot do any form of leg lock when competing, even straight ankle locks. Whilst it’s obvious kids can’t do heel hooks or toe holds, literally any other form of leg lock is also off the table. The idea behind this is that straight ankle locks are too dangerous and you don’t want ligament damage on a kid’s foot.
No omoplatas
For kids, the omoplata is also banned. Again, no one wants to see a kid with a broken shoulder or socket damage. However, with the omoplata it may be that the attacker may be over-willing to apply the submission. Most adult practitioners apply the submission slowly with control. Overall, it’s probably one of the more slower applied submissions that you’ll see in BJJ. However, as kid’s brains aren’t developed as much as the adult brain, they may apply the omoplata at pace which could result in a nasty injury.
No pulling the head during a triangle choke
The triangle choke is allowed for kids and you will commonly see it in competition. However, the idea with kids is to protect the other child’s neck. Sometimes you can hurt your neck whilst defending a triangle. In short, the choke may not actually be on. However, if someone has both hands pulling your head downwards then it can hurt your neck muscles.
Remember, a kid’s neck muscles are still developing so it’s important to avoid long-term injuries which could be caused by pulling the head. Having said this, children can grab their shin to make the choke tighter as an alternative. With this said, if your child is winning with a triangle locked in – make sure they know not to pull at the head, as this could otherwise result in disqualification. Whilst all forms of disqualifications are disappointing, they’re especially worse when done from a dominant position.
No guillotines
You may have gathered a pattern at this point. Whilst guillotines are a standard choke for adults, they can be seen as entering neck crank territory for kids. Even when done in good faith, guillotines can turn into neck cranks and there’s not much way of noticing if you’re in the zone and trying to submit the opponent. Because of this, the same logic is applied here as it is to grabbing the neck during a triangle choke.
No arm triangles
Similar to triangles and guillotines, these are also banned. Again, the idea is that it can slip into a neck crank. We won’t go into much more detail than that. In brief, it falls under the same umbrella that a child’s developing neck muscles are too fragile to risk life-long injuries with.
No Ezekiel chokes
Once more, the same reasoning is applied to Ezekiel chokes as it is above. Interestingly however, it is often quite rare that the Ezekiel choke results in a neck crank. Whilst guillotines often do result in cranks through bad technique, this isn’t the same with Ezekiel chokes. Whilst it can turn into a neck crank, mechanically it seems much harder to do compared to some of the other moves. With this said, the Ezekiel choke seems a bit of a harsh addition. When you think that stuff like bow and arrow chokes are legal yet can also slip into crank territory – this one doesn’t make as much sense.
No banana splits
The banana split is legal at white belt for adults. However, sometimes with inexperienced refereeing it can lead to a disqualification, especially if entered from the electric chair position. With this said, although it is technically legal for all adults, it can still be a grey area if the wrong ref is involved. Regardless, the banana split is illegal for kids. The reasoning behind this is probably that it can cause bad damage to the groin muscles if applied too harshly.
Summary
As seen, these are the moves that aren’t IBJJF legal for kids. Whilst this information is correct as of 2020, the IBJJF can and does sometimes change its rules from time to time. As a general idea, it’s best to think that what is illegal for white belt adults is also illegal for all kid’s competitors.
Not only this, but the IBJJF often bans moves that are a threat to the neck muscles of children. Whether you agree with the logic behind the banned moves or not, it’s always good to read up on rules to make sure you are ready for an upcoming competition. The last thing you want to happen is to throw away a gold medal due to a technicality.
