Montreal was supposed to host Canadian championship of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu over the weekend, but the event was postponed after it was declared as illegal.

The Jiu-Jitsu competition was supposed to take place at the Pierre-Charbonneau Centre, near the Olympic Stadium. But the group's Facebook page said that it decided to cancel the event on Friday evening, for the first time in nine years after the police threatened to make arrests.

About 240 competitors, some as young as 9 years old, were registered to take part in the event.

The article 83 of Canadian Criminal Code states that only contests of combat sports which are "on the programme of the International Olympic Committee or the International Paralympic Committee" can be held.

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By that definition, Jiu-Jitsu, a Japanese martial art which has close combat but is not on the IOC's program, violates the law.

The Montreal competition features the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the organizers said that the game does not have any strikes of the fists, hands or feet. They also said that the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation should have been allowed to hold its annual event.

The event has been postponed until March 5th Sunday. The location for new competition has yet to be determined, but it will not take place in the Montreal. Organizers are currently in the process of contacting other municipalities in the greater Montreal area to see if the town officials and their local police forces will allow them to hold their tournament.

The participants who already registered for the Canada National Pro Jiu-Jitsu Championship but cannot attend on March 5th, can be reimbursed. The registration will be open again so that other competitors can join.

Mrudula Duddempudi.