US Grappling has a referee certification process and high standards for reffing

For some people, the stress of being a referee can be a miserable experience.  I have been involved in one way or another in US Grappling tournaments for years, and have always looked forward to the experience of being a referee.  Shortly after getting my purple belt, there was a referee certification clinic put on by US Grappling in the gym I regularly train at.  I got invited, went, and I was hooked.

The referee clinic was a good experience.  I was nervous at first, but the more I learned and listened, the more I understood how to do well at tournaments.  My understanding of why points were scored and how the decision was made helped me to change and develop my overall tournament game plan more effectively.  Up to that point, I was willing to settle on my back and play guard.  After going to that clinic and discussing it with a local competition machine “Bagels”, I had an epiphany.  Bagels told me “You score from the top.  The only way to even score from the bottom is by going to the top”.  He was right, and my game plan for competition changed.

An experienced ref understands positions, how they change, and where they end up.  By standing on the mats and watching hundreds of matches over the tournaments I’ve worked, I understand those things better than some, and not as well as others.  I feel that seeing all of those matches, getting to watch what’s fresh and new, and be exposed to all of those different styles has helped me not only as a referee but also as a bjj practitioner.  It’s a great way to give back to the bjj community, and will only help you in the long run!

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Sean Zorio is a purple belt under Guy and Rob Pendergrass

School Points
1st – BJJ Conquest
2nd – BETA Academy
3rd – Yamasaki Rockville

Team Points:
1st – BJJ Revolution Team
2nd – Roberto Traven
3rd – Marcelo Garcia (Fifty/50)

School Points:
1st – Revolution BJJ
2nd – Charlottesville BJJ
3rd – Combat Sports Center

Come test your skills in the purest format available – Submission Only. If you haven’t experienced it yet you might be surprised to learn that these events do end at a reasonable time. In fact, the average match length is only around 8 minutes!

Submission Only tournaments have gi and no gi divisions for men, men over 30, and women. We do not have Juvenile divisions at Submission Only events.

And remember, there are no spectator fees at US Grappling Submission Only tournaments.

Next, we’re bringing Juvenile divisions (ages 4-17) back to the Diamond State Games for the first time since 2008. As with our other events, brackets for competitors aged 4-17 will be made using the Madison Bracketing System.

Family members, coaches, and injured teammates will be happy to know this is also our first event with no spectator fees!

And lastly we’ve simplified pricing for competitors entering more than 4 divisions (only applies to men over 30).

Preregistration Fees (through 8PM EDT 6/9/2011) are as follows:

One Division – $65
2-4 Divisions – $90
5-8 Divisions – $115

Day of Registration Fees: (including Friday night):

One Division – $80
2-4 Divisions – $105
5-8 Divisions – $130

For more information and to register online visit the Diamond State Games page.

Adult Team Points
1st – Carlson Gracie
2nd – Alliance
3rd – BJJ Revolution

Adult School points
1st – Revolution Defense & Fitness
2nd – Carlson Gracie HQ
3rd – New Breed

Juvenile Team Points
1st – Team Corral
2nd – Team Curran
3rd – Carlson Gracie

Juvenile School Points
1st – Team Corral
2nd – Team Curran
3rd – Power Source