The long-anticipated debut of heel hooks in the IBJJF no-gi format has finally arrived. The Dallas No-Gi Open went down on Sunday, March 7. It was a historic event as the first tournament in the history of the IBJJF to allow heel hooks for adult brown and black belts. 

2020 was a challenging year for competitors to earn recognition. Still, a few competitors have found ways to throw themselves into the limelight. These six athletes, the candidates for Breakthrough Grappler Of The Year, sought out the biggest challenges, and routinely flourished.

The opening day of the 2020 IBJJF American Nationals was filled with upsets, blowouts, and close, gritty matches. Here were some of the best matches from the first day of Nationals:

The IBJJF returns Dec 5-6 for the 2020 American Nationals, a two-day event which will include gi and no-gi tournaments.

The majority of 2020 Pans black belt champions saw the top of the Pans podium for the first time this year. Ten of the 16 gold medalists had not previously won a black belt division at Pans. Of those 10, five had not previously competed at Pans in a black belt division.

The latest edition of Pans was full of upsets. The black belt roster was packed with rookies looking to make their marks on their new divisions, and veterans hoping to edge themselves into the top of the pack. While many relatively unknown names made waves, a few contenders stole the show.