Two weeks from today, the biggest event on the youth jiu-jitsu calendar arrives in Central Florida. The 2026 Pan Kids IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship runs July 24–26 at the Silver Spurs Arena at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee — and whether your child is competing or you're just curious what high-level kids' jiu-jitsu looks like, it's a weekend worth knowing about.
What Is Pan Kids?
Pan Kids is the largest kids' Gi jiu-jitsu tournament in the world, run by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) — the organization behind the sport's most respected competitions.
Divisions run from Mighty-Mite (around age 4) through Teen (around 15), across every kids' belt level from grey to green. Hundreds of academies from across the country and beyond send their young athletes, so the arena fills with thousands of families for three straight days of jiu-jitsu.
Key Details for Families
When and where
Friday, July 24 through Sunday, July 26, 2026, at the Silver Spurs Arena (Osceola Heritage Park) in Kissimmee, FL — about 30 minutes from Orlando and an easy day trip for much of Central and South Florida.
Registration is still open — but not for long
Per the IBJJF, registration remains open until July 15, so there's still a short window if your child's coach thinks they're ready. Athletes need a valid IBJJF membership to register. Full details, divisions, and deadlines are on the official event page at ibjjf.com. Talk to your child's professor first — they know whether this is the right event for where your child is now.
For spectators
Spectator entry is free, which makes Pan Kids one of the best family outings of the summer for any jiu-jitsu household. Younger kids who aren't competing yet often come home from a day of watching more motivated than any pep talk could manage.
Competing? A Few Ways to Prepare
If your child is registered, the final two weeks are about staying sharp, not cramming. A few things that help the day go smoothly:
Check the gi now. IBJJF Gi divisions require a rules-compliant uniform, and officials do check fit and condition. If the current gi is looking short in the sleeves after a growth spurt, don't wait until tournament week — a well-fitted option like our Jaguar Junior BJJ Uniform needs a few washes to settle in before competition day.
Know the schedule. IBJJF asks athletes to be in the bullpen area well before their division's estimated start time, and those times can shift during the day. Build in buffer, pack snacks and water, and treat the posted time as a rough guide.
Keep the pressure low. For most kids this is their first event at this scale. One good goal — a clean takedown attempt, staying calm in a bad position — beats any talk about medals.
Just Watching? It's Still Worth the Trip
The same venue hosts the Orlando Summer International Open the day before, on July 23, so Kissimmee becomes the center of the jiu-jitsu world for four days. If your child trains anywhere in Florida, walking into an arena where a thousand kids their age are competing is the kind of experience that reframes what "practice" is for.
Whether your young grappler is stepping onto the Pan Kids mats or cheering from the stands, we hope to see plenty of Florida families in Kissimmee. And if the gear bag needs a refresh before the big weekend, everything from gis to rash guards is in our BJJ collection.