Allen Mohler - Alliance Black Belt / School Owner/ Head Instructor Texas Alliance

NAGA and Reality Fighting run one of, if not THE best MMA and grappling events around. Professionally run, and with much respect given to every competitor, coach and individual. My students and I regularly participate in tournaments and MMA shows and will continue to do so for years to come.

Kru John Roderick - Head Instructor/Owner Southern New England MMA

NAGA has been a leader of the grappling revolution for many years and has pushed the sport forward by providing a fun and fair environment for athletes and schools to engage in competition to increase their skills and to foster positive and social family-oriented behavior. In addition, much of the current boom in MMA awareness can be directly traced to the dedicated work of Kipp Kollar and NAGA in building a grassroots fan base and a pool of MMA-ready grapplers. As NAGA goes, so goes the sport of grappling.

Todd Hester, Publisher, Gladiator Magazine

I attended NAGA New England yesterday and wanted to tell
you what a fantastic experience I had. Don't know if you remember me but
you helped me out with a t-shirt selection at the booth. This was my first
grappling tournament and even though I didn\'t win, I came out of the
experience 100% more enriched. I was nervous as hell going in, but was
totally taken back at how friendly your staff was, how professional the
referees were, and the overall comradery that was expressed by the
competitors. I can\'t wait to attend my next NAGA event. KUDOS to you and
your employees!

Brian Lopez

We signed up our 10 year old son for his first tournament on Valentines day. My husband and I were both happy at how extremely organized the event was. I personally liked how health consious the cooridinators were. we liked the philosophy that you teach and display the competitors.We felt our son was well prepared for his match thanks to his instructor Mike Golden from Plus one defense in connecticut. He did win but the experience and confidence he gained was more for us than his awards. Great Job to you and your organization!!!

Parents of a 10 year old

Just a quick note to say, wonderful event in Rhode Island. The casino was great and the professionalism by you and your staff was first rate. Our school (Aiki Academy) enjoys participating in your events.

Dennis Hill

I wanted to thank the entire staff at NAGA VA, it was my first time in a tourney and it was an awesome experience. I wanted to write and thank you for the opportunity to compete for your organization and I hope to compete for you again in the future.

Allen Norris

Kipp,

I just wanted to send a big thank you from the Arnold Classic. My
son Braeden Shimkus has been with Team Torres for 3 years now, fighting NAGA since then as well.

Sunday you approached us, we were thrilled that you had realized Braeden has been training and fighting hard. Acknowledging that you realize that he is always fighting kids 2, 3, and 4 years older than him meant a lot to him.  From his 1st fights we have always made sure that if he won we moved him up a skill level. Sometimes we felt that was harder on him than anything, but we raise our son to be honest and follow the rules. Thanks so much for recognizing that. 

We will definitely see you in Chicago in May. Hopefully if we can pull things together we'll also see you in Florida for the NAGA U.S. Open.

Sincerely,

Heather and Justin Shimkus

Heather & Justin Shimkus

I have two boys Peyton 8 and Corban 7 and they have competed at the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus this year and last year and both times it was a very positive experience for them. Thank you so much for making it possible for them to compete in a sport they love so much in a professional and fun environment. Keep up the good work! We will see you again next year in Columbus! Thanks, Jenn Mills

Jenn Mills

From the moment I signed my son up for his first fight I wan very impressed by the great customer service. Everyone was so friendly and helpful with everything. My sons safety during the fight was #1 and that is what I liked so much cause in this sport its easy to get hurt. My son won first place. Since this fight my son has entered another fight not with NAGA and there is no comparison the customer service was not helpful at all and during the whole event it was not organized and my sons saftey was a MAJOR issue. I will never register my son for another fight unless it is with NAGA it is the best. Mom of Joey Hamilton

Laura Hamilton

My name is Craig Hannigan and about five years ago out of the blue I started to have terrible pain in all of my bones and joints.  It got to a point that I could not even tie my own shoes or walk down a city block.  Every morning I would dread the thought of even getting out of bed.  At first the doctors had no idea what was wrong with me.  They thought it could be malaria or lupus.  After several doctor visits and extensive testing it turned out that I have rheumatoid arthritis (RA) an auto immune disorder that attacks my joins and puts me in extreme pain.  I was on Prednisone for two years and starting taking prescription level anti-inflammatory and weekly injections.  Eventually we got it under control and I am no longer in pain, but from being in pain and on the medications and unable to exercise for so long I ended up gaining about 45 pounds and blew up to around 240 pounds.  Because I am not the type of person that can mindlessly run on a treadmill for hours I decided to join Jerry Jones Ultimate Martial Arts in Nutley New Jersey and started learning Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu and grappling.  I immediately started loosing weight and started to fall in love with the sport.  Mr. Jones encouraged me to compete in Naga Worlds in 08' but I had to lose weight to get to the 224.9 mark for Heavyweight.  The Naga competition really gave me something to work towards and motivated me to exercise and burn off the fat.  I ended up taking fourth over all in that division.  Since then I have competed in every New Jersey Naga and they always motivate me to get in better shape and lose more weight.  After the 08 Worlds I won Battle at the Beach Masters Beginner and then I lost even more weight and won Masters Intermediate 199 in November.  Naga has really helped keep me motivated and excited to train.  Due to Kipp's policy on anti sandbagging I have always pushed myself to train harder for the more difficult divisions and this past weekend I had my greatest Naga success because I just won Masters Expert Division at 189 and now I am actually in better shape then I was before I got sick.

Thank you Naga for giving me something positive that have motivated me in such a great way.  Winning the expert division was really a huge highlight in my life.

Sincerely,

Craig Hannigan

Craig Hannigan

I am indebted to NAGA for its motivational tournaments that help me to stay healthy and enjoy life. As a former cardiac rehab patient in the Executive Division, I have the unique opportunity to compete as I never did in high school or college. In fact, I feared wrestling in high school and today I am more confident to get on the NAGA mat and compete as a senior citizen athlete with the support of my college team Western Connecticut State University Wrestling/Grappling Team. I have participated in seven NAGA tournaments during the past two years and earned 6 silver medals and one bronze medal. My mindset is on gold now and belt and with the help of my head trainer/coach Kyle Quine, I will be able to achieve my lifelong goal in my golden years!

I wanted to say what a class act you guys are.  Somehow you have managed to put on a huge tournament while allowing it to maintain a small tournament feel in terms of comfort.  My hat's off to you.

Respectfully,

William D. Kennedy, Psy.D.
Clinical and sports psychologist

William Kennedy, Psy.D.

DEAR KIPP:
HELLO, I WRITE THIS MASAGE FOR YOU TO THANK YOU FOR MAKE A GREAT TOURNAMENT ON ORLANDO FOR ME AND MY LITTLE SISTER, THANK FOR SEPARATE THE KIDS BY AGE ON MY RING THAT WAS FAIR FOR EVERY BODY, I DON'T GET FIRST PLACE BUT WAS FAIR AND THIS MAKE ME STRONGER, AND YOUR SUPPORT MAKE FEEL LIKE A CHAMPION AND A WILL COME BACK NEXT TIME MORE POWERFULL
I HAVE ONLY 18 MONTH OF TRAINING A THANK TO YOUR TOUNAMENTS I FAIGHTING ADVANCE DIVISION MAKING MY FAMILY, COUCH AND FRIENDS PROUD OF ME.
THANK YOU FOR FOR SUPPOR THIS SPORT TO LITTLE ONES LIKE MY LITTLE SISTER KAREN, SHE WAS TO HAPPY, SHE TURN ON FOUR YEARS LAST WEEK AND SHE SAID THAT SHE IS BIG NOW TO FIGHT NAGA, SHE FIGHT ON THIS TOURNAMENT FOR FIRST TIME AND WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR HER TO FALLOW MY STEP.
THANK YOU AGAING FOR SUPPORT US.
 
KEVIN ESTEVEZ
ADVANCE DIVICION FIGHTER

Kevin Estevez

We feel honored to be part of the family NAGA; Kipp Kollar is a exellent promoter and a real MARTIAL ARTIST. Every year that we go to NAGA World Championship is a very big experience. We cannot forget what a wounderful staff Mr. Kipp Kollar has, especially Mr. Joe Cuff. ENERGY BLESS YOU ALL PEOPLE.

Prof. Steven Rodriguez

Linda Wilson

My Name is John Moran and my son, John, competed and won two gold medals in The Tournament of Champions. I am writing you to compliment and thank you for running such a professional tournament.

    My son was 7 at the Champions. He weighed in at 104 which I assure you consisted of minimal fat. Unfortunately you advised his sensei, Shark Bussade, that there was nobody under 11 for him to fight in the 114 pound division. We asked to see the kids because John has fought 11 and 12 year olds in our school and depending on the kid we might let him go. I was extremely impressed when your organization refused. You went to the 99 pound class and obtained permission for John to fight on the basis that he was only 5 pounds over and 7 years old. You ran the best tournament that I have ever seen in any sport. I played Division 1 college basketball and rugby all over the world. I also fought 36 fights but none in a venue like yours. You were spectacular and extremely professional. Thank you for making my little boy’s first competition so rewarding and memorable.

John Moran

Les Harrison / H-Clan Jujitsu

Mr.  Kollar,

I just want to send a quick note to thank you for a very well run Tournament.  This was my first NAGA experience and I was very impressed.  I am a student of Clint Crabtree, GRBJJ.  Of coarse winning Gold in my division makes it even better!! I started training bjj in Feb 09,  I'm hooked!!!   NAGA Indiana ......

Sincerely,

Nancy Churches

Nancy Churches

Brian F.

I just wanted to compliment NAGA on a wonderful event held on Sept. 12, 2009 in Atlanta, GA.  This was our first tournament for our 8 yr. old and I wanted to thank you for including the little guys in your events.  For the large amount of people attending, NAGA did an excellent job organizing the many matches for a one-day event.  We cannot wait to attend the next one!

Tawnda Thomas

Kipp,

I wanted to send you an email to congratulate you on an AMAZING event this
past weekend! Though this was my first tournament, I have attended several
other events in the past year in support of competitors from my gym and
hands down, your show was the BEST in all aspects!

The two most visible differences were that you started on time (very
important) and your division organization was precise. Other events I have
attended tend to start late due to trying to squeeze as many last minute
dollars from late arriving competitors which not only delays the start but
is also not respectful of the athletes who are ready to compete only to find
out the event is being delayed...I really liked your open weigh in schedule
which places the burden on the individual athlete to arrive before their
specific division and not punish the other hundreds of athletes who were
able to arrive on time!

The most common complaint I hear from competitors from my gym is that they
were scheduled to complete on multiple mats (i.e. Master's and Men's) and
would have to choose which one to compete in. You all have taken the
approach of keeping specific weight divisions and ability levels confined to
a specific mat and also publish this information for the competitors in
advance. I know this is a straight forward approach (i.e. provide the
competitor with the tools to succeed, but also place some of the
responsibility back on the competitor to be where they need to be when they
need to be there), but I am amazed that other organizations have decided to
"reinvent the wheel"!

Bottom line: I can't wait to compete in another one of your events,
hopefully even travel to broaden my exposure to other athletes now that I
feel assured that the event will be worth the effort to travel to. I will
continue you pass along my praise for your event and your superb staff,
especially Salvador who provided me with some GREAT post-fight advice on
things I could have done to be more successful, which I greatly appreciated.

Thanks again for making this event a GREAT experience!

LT Jason Deutsch

President Kipp Kollar,
Thank you for bringing Grappling to the DC/Metro area it was definitely a breath of fresh air. My Family and i want to especially thank you and all your staff who through their Time, Effort and great Professional attitudes made this event a historical and enjoyable environment.
we look foward to the next one!!!!

Richard Crafton & Family

Aloha Kipp!  I was an observer at the Hawaii NAGA today and just wanted to pass on my compliment to you and the NAGA staff for coming back to Hawaii and putting on an awesome tournament!  It was thrilling to see so many competitors from the all over the state.  Mahalo!

NAGA Hawaii

I competed in my first tournament today at the age of 42 (lots of other
sports, but new to MMA).  I was impressed at how smoothly everything ran
and how great everyone was.

Your staff was great, from the time I weighed in to the time I walked out
the door.  The competition was good and supportive, and I got to test me
skills.

Very well done

Makr Cenit

Kipp-
I tried to speak to you as we were leaving on Sunday, but other people
grabbed you.  I just wanted to say again how professional and family
oriented your events are.  My sons competed on Sunday and they had a
blast.  It was my youngests first event and even though he has been at this
sport for a year he is still a novice.  Your refs enjoyed watching him try
his hardest and looked out for him in every match.  The guy was actually
apologitic that Graham didn't win.
Thank you again for running a quality show.  We look forward to the next
event.

Deana Smith

  I wanted to say thank you again for your efforts to be fair. I understand that no one can control everything that happens but sunday was my 7 year olds very first fight at her very first naga and she was wronged and heartbroken by a fighter with much more than 6 months training. I am never one to complain but in this case I felt I had to since my childs love of bjj seemed crushed. I really do not know kipp or understand much about who he is but he immediatly looked into what happened and got to the bottom of it. My daughter was allowed to fight again and her confidence was restored.
I do not expect her to always win but on this day I was so glad we had good people around us who took fairness seriously. so if kipp ever sees this I would like to say from one father to another......thank you.

Chris Herbert

"Hi Kipp.....just wanted to say that meeting you on Sunday was pleasure.
The attitude and respect you showed and expected of others was wonderful.
I'm also glad you kept reminding the "adults" about how important it is to support loses as well as wins.  Sunday was my first experience of seeing a tournament and I was hooked.  This was my nephews first big match and he still wants to continue this education.  Thanks for all you do!!!!!!"

Rhonda Berry

I just wanted to let you know how smooth the team thought you guys ran the tournament.  Many of the cadets had commented on that throughout the day.  I know you had a million things going on at once, but you guys did a great job of juggling them all.  We always look forward to that tournament, because it is one of the biggest and toughest tournaments around.  Thanks again for all of your hard work and we look forward to seeing you again in the spring.  Take care.

Major James Smith

I was hit by shrapnel in Iraq and told I would never get off of the crutches ever. After a very long therapy battle, I joined Lavallees BB Champions and fell in love with Mixed Marial Arts, especially jiu-jitsu. I haven’t been rolling that long but I work hard. This past weekend I competed in my first NAGA and earned a second place at the Florida Championships. The people who run NAGA are awesome. They care about all of the fighters  and are trying really hard to weed out the sandbaggers to make it a fair competition for grapplers. Martial Arts begins and ends with respect. Uso. Hard work pays off.

Ryan Agnew

We compete almost exclusively at NAGA events. It's my belief NAGA
rules, refs and the promoters are the most unbiased, professional, firm but
fair events ran.  The leaders of the North American Grappling Association
are all people of integrity.  I have ran my own Grappling based MMA school
since 1993, trained Pro and Joes, managed fighters and proudly had many kid
and adult NAGA World Champions and Reality Fighting Champions.  I have
worked as a Grappling / MMA Director for several large companies, am on the
Advisory Board for Martial Arts Teachers Association and feel only
comfortable endorsing NAGA ran events because I know they will be treated
fairly no matter what school they are from or background.  If you are new
to grappling, a new school owner not sure or thinking of trying a grappling
event, NAGA will have a fair division for you if you have trained for 3
months or 3 decades.  You know it's a good event if I've been dealing
with NAGA from the beginning. I have been honored to be a NAGA Instructor of
the Year and yet I am treated no different from anyone else, nor expect any
favoritism.  These are professional, paid and well trained referees that
travel with the events. It doesn't get any better.

Jerry Jones

I would like to thank you for the event hosted on Nov,2009 at FAU.

My son Mauricio Maroto participated in the GI and No-Gi divisions.

Although he did not win 1st/2nd or 3rd.
He still won because he gained experience since this was his FIRST time ever competing.

What makes me so proud of my boy is that he told me:

Dad, I want to keep competing...

I look foward to registering him for Feb..

Also, I would like to thank the gentleman (bald / slim / ring announcer).
That posed with my Boy to take a picture as we were leaving the facility.

My son is so proud of his (2) medals that he received for competing. He keeps them next to his bed...

Thank you once again.

Larry Maroto

Naga I wanted to write this to tell you how much I enjoyed your event. As a long time grappler of grapplers quest I attended NAGA Vegas for some good competition and got it. While I lost to John Valentine in the NO GI I did win my purple belt division and had fun in both. You stalf helped me calm my nerves while your event pushed my game to new heights and for than I am thankful! I look forward to getting my revenge on the lost to Valentine and to attending my next NAGA event! Will you ever consider belts for other divisions other than advanced? Brad Ishner

Brad Ishner

I would like to express my thanks for making Saturday's tournament very enjoyable.  My son competed in the 9yr old beginner no-gi division and he truly is a beginner.  I appreciate the effort you put in to making sure the divisions were fair (no sandbagging) and also adding a losing bracket for the kids who wrestled once and lost.  My son did not win but it meant a lot that he received a participant medal and each match he wrestled in he got more confident.  I can't wait to sign him up for anther one of your tournaments it really encouraaged my son to work hard and get better.

Merry Christmas & God bless.

Jeannette Sandquist

My name is Steve Byce and I started training Ju Jitsu about 1 1/2 years ago at Reding Martial Arts in Denton. I received your letter regarding the complaints about the last tournament at the Will Rogers Stadium. I just want to say that it was my first time to compete at one of the tournaments and I thought it was awesome (Gladiator Style). I look forward to competing in the tournaments to come and I will keep doing my part to help the sport grow.

Steve Byce

We attended the NAGA competition yesterday in Ft. Worth, Texas with our two boys ages 8 and 10. I just wanted to say what a postitive experience it was for them both. The referees were very conscience of saftey and made sure everything was kept very positive for the kids. It was a great a day and an invaluable learning experience.

Christy White

Just wanted to let you guys know I'm 39 years old and competed in my first NAGA here in Fort Worth.  Your event was first rate, professional, and a great experience.  Placing 3rd wasn't too bad, either.  Great respect and sportsmanship was displayed by all competitors.  Thanks!

Neil Bertrand

jay uhlich

I just wanted to say thanks for being so helpful in addressing one of my fighter's situations on Saturday. He was the 17yr old who had to fight in the adult division, and lost badly to an experienced wrestler. You were able to arrange another match for him and it was much appreciated as he was able to win and it changed his whole outlook on the tournament. I understand the huge amount of work involved in running such a competition and I'm sure the majority of emails you receive are complaints, so I just wanted to say thanks again for the hard work and let you know that such dedication actually makes a huge difference in some kid's lives.

Timothy Bruce

Ryan Atticus Agnew

Just wanted to say Thank You for an AWESOME NAGA tournament this past weekend in Newark. Every time I attend, I see the little things NAGA does to improve the experience for the participants,  like killer pre-registration Tee Shirts (I'll pre-register for every competition I ever plan on going to from this point out if the tee shirts are like the World Championship ones), the credit card covers, license plate covers, etc. Even the NAGA stickers that were all white last year have colors in them this time around - to the big things like how the tournaments are run - how smooth the transitions are between divisions & classes are -etc.  point being that you guys are constantly moving forward, constantly improving and fine tuning on the experience for the competitor & the spectators as well. I really, REALLY appreciate that. 

I'm very proud  to be a NAGA fighter. I look forward to more great experiences at the tournaments. Thanks again!

Aronicimo Richotti

Colton Posey

Gregory

I dont really have a question more of a comment. This past tournament in Ft Worth was the first for my son and I. Everyone was very helpful and made it a great experience. I thought it was well organized and fair. My son and I will definetly return for future events.

Brandon Maynard

Just wanted to let you guys know that my son recently competed in your Va Beach Tournament. I was highly impressed by the way you guys do business.

Your staff was very organized and the tournament went by quickly without delays.

DJ Marasco

I just wanted to let you know how pleased I am with the NAGA no-gi rules.

In fact, I recently drove from Tampa to compete in NAGA Georgia, even though there are plenty of local grappling tournaments. I appreciate that all holds are legal for adult no-gi in all of the skill divisions. As far as I am concerned, NAGA is the only grappling tournament in which I wish to compete. I also found the tournament to be very organized and professionally run. Keep up the good work!

Erica C.