The Conflict of Gi vs No Gi

[GreatSayiaman]

Part of learning the art is competing though. And you need rank to compete fairly.

I see where you are coming from when it comes to ranking and I have competed in the past and was fun, However I see comps as a way to see where I'm weak and strong at outside of sparring in my comfort zone and I see it where if I move up within the Ranking System within my school cool and keep training and learning.If not keep training and learning still. Like I said maybe it is due to the Muay Thai mentality I have now since training with my Kru.

 

[TSDTexan]

Here's what I tell my students regarding gi vs no-gi ...

Training in the gi is good for your defense. By wearing a gi you have provided your opponent with a whole bunch of sturdy handles they can use to control you. When you go to escape a submission or a bad position, you can't rely on explosiveness or slipperiness - you need good technique and proper leverage.

Training no-gi will sharpen your offense. You don't have convenient handles to control your opponent so you need good technique to keep them from escaping your submissions and dominant positions with explosiveness and slipperiness.

For self-defense, you and your opponent might or might not be wearing sturdy clothing of the sort which allows for gi-centric techniques, so it's good to be prepared for either eventuality.

for real fun roll with a gi on, against a no gi opponent.

 

[CoachRonald]

I was always wondering why there is always a conflict between the practitioners who like the train in the Gi and the Practitioners that only train No Gi. Never understood and never got it.

I do train in a gym that is primarily No Gi but they started to have Gi classes at the gym. and I have trained at Schools where they do train in Gi and No Gi. Personally I love both aspects of the BJJ Game.

Anyone know why this is when it comes to this issue within the BJJ community???

I was always wondering why there is always a conflict between the practitioners who like the train in the Gi and the Practitioners that only train No Gi. Never understood and never got it.

I do train in a gym that is primarily No Gi but they started to have Gi classes at the gym. and I have trained at Schools where they do train in Gi and No Gi. Personally I love both aspects of the BJJ Game.

Anyone know why this is when it comes to this issue within the BJJ community???

Hi buddy,

In Brazil there were an ancient conflict between gracie schools (Gi) and luta livre ones, that is a species of submission wretling modality.

I' m not sure about US, but I think it's for the same reason, since the gracie family tried to impose their system over the others current system, by chalanging and defeating figthers representative of these arts.

However, nowadays it's been overcome.

 

[donald1]

The way I see it if your going to a class where people wear a gi you should wear a gi. If you don't have one get one. There are plenty of schools that don't wear gi. I've always worn a uniform. So I rarely put thought to it. Other than the fact that wearing a black gi in the summer time gets really hot really fast.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Why did Chinese wrestling use jacket in the ancient time?

When you have

- no jacket on, you can move around and avoid wrestling, your opponent can't do much about it.
- jacket on, if your opponent grabs on you, it's hard for you to break away, you have to wrestle after that.

Also with jacket, when your opponent throws you, at the end of his throw, he can pull your jack and reduce the falling impact. The jacket is used to protect your opponent from injury.

 

[Chester Wright]

Typically I prefer No-Gi for a number of reasons. The first being that not everybody that walks into a gym/dojo has a Gi, most everybody does own a pair of shorts and a t-shirt at least to train with. Second being No-Gi usually allows for a wider variety of lower body submissions in competition. Third I am usually less sore after doing No-Gi, while when I work Gi my arms and especially my hands get pretty well wasted after a training sessions.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Typically I prefer No-Gi for a number of reasons.

The jacket wrestling can make you lazy. If you can use your monster grips to hold on your opponent's jacket, if he cannot break your grips, he cannot apply any technique on you. The problem is, if you just keep doing this, you can develop a strong defense (in jacket wrestling). But you still have not develop any offense skill yet.

It's like the BJJ ground game. You can hold your opponent on the ground but you can't arm bar, leg bar, or choke him. That will not be good either.

 

[PiedmontChun]

Doing both is good. Whether Judo or BJJ, the gi gives a lot of practice in controlling someone with their own clothing and defending against someone doing the same to you. A lot of technical submissions.
The flipside is training without the gi forces you to gain leverage in slightly different ways, be more explosive, and not rely on clothing grips. Its like learning both sides of a coin.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

The jacket wrestling can make you lazy. If you can use your monster grips to hold on your opponent's jacket, if he cannot break your grips, he cannot apply any technique on you. The problem is, if you just keep doing this, you can develop a strong defense (in jacket wrestling). But you still have not develop any offense skill yet.

It's like the BJJ ground game. You can hold your opponent on the ground but you can't arm bar, leg bar, or choke him. That will not be good either.

Some of the Judo and BJJ uniforms address the issue by making the lapel too thick to grab as easily. The sleeves on most BJJ uniforms are close enough to the arm to also make them harder to hold onto.

 

[Hanzou]

Both are awesome. Some of the stuff those no-gi guys pull off is a sight to behold. However, there's something almost magical about jiujitsu in the gi, and tying a belt around your waist. I used to love buying a new gi (always white) and putting it on for the first time.

About the ONLY thing I prefer about no gi over the gi is that it's cheaper to buy shirts and shorts than it is to buy a good gi. Considering that I had to wash my gi almost every time I practiced made me yearn to be in a 10th planet gym.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Both are awesome. Some of the stuff those no-gi guys pull off is a sight to behold. However, there's something almost magical about jiujitsu in the gi, and tying a belt around your waist. I used to love buying a new gi (always white) and putting it on for the first time.

About the ONLY thing I prefer about no gi over the gi is that it's cheaper to buy shirts and shorts than it is to buy a good gi. Considering that I had to wash my gi almost every time I practiced made me yearn to be in a 10th planet gym.

I have to say I'm with you on the feel of putting on a gi. I could train in street clothes, but I just like putting on my gi too much.

 

[quasar44]

No-gi is more mma version . More Easy to learn because they gut many things out !!!

GI is more complex . It has insane amount of submissions and positions . Gi is more like physics

No Gi is more athletic ability and they teach more leg locks !!

 

[Gerry Seymour]

No-gi is more mma version . More Easy to learn because they gut many things out !!!

GI is more complex . It has insane amount of submissions and positions . Gi is more like physics

No Gi is more athletic ability and they teach more leg locks !!

Gi and no-gi may or may not have that different a focus. The main difference is - as the "no-gi" term suggests - the presence of the gi. That gi changes many things in small but significant ways. It provides more to grab on (and more to need to defend against), a few cloth-based techniques (like a scarf choke - I've long since forgotten the technique name), more friction, etc.

 

[joemoplata]

Good gyms are doing both.

 

[dvcochran]

Good gyms are doing both.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with schools/gyms doing both but there has to be a dividing line. This reminds of what has happened to a lot of TKD. Much of it has became so competition focused there are original training/tools/skills not being taught in some dojangs.
Competition is great; it was a huge part of my life but there are fundamental aspects that get lost or never learned if competition is the only focus.
No style covers everything; that is why there are many different styles. When tenured people within a specific style can see deficits within the teaching methods of certain groups within That style, that is a indicator of potential problems.
It sounds like the Martial Art vs. Martial Sport argument.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

GI is more complex .

IMO, non-jacket wrestling is more complex.

For example,

With jacket, you can do foot sweep by holding on your opponent's sleeve and upper collar.

Without jacket, you have to train:

- Upper arm push. shoulder pull sweep.
- Neck wiping sweep.
- Elbow locking sweep.
- Palm lift upper arm sweep.
- Eyebrow wiping sweep.
- ...

Without the wrestling jacket, you have to find many different contact points. This make the throwing art more complicate.

Good gyms are doing both.

One should learn both:

- Winter time ski slope SD skill, and
- Summer time sand beach SD skill.

 

[drop bear]

No gi in summer. Gi in winter

 

[Gerry Seymour]

IMO, non-jacket wrestling is more complex.

For example,

With jacket, you can do foot sweep by holding on your opponent's sleeve and upper collar.

Without jacket, you have to train:

- Upper arm push. shoulder pull sweep.
- Neck wiping sweep.
- Elbow locking sweep.
- Palm lift upper arm sweep.
- Eyebrow wiping sweep.
- ...

Without the wrestling jacket, you have to find many different contact points. This make the throwing art more complicate.


One should learn both:

- Winter time ski slope SD skill, and
- Summer time sand beach SD skill.

Offense is more complex in no-gi. Defense is more complex with the jacket. Best to practice both.

 

[quasar44]

I don’t have time or strength to do both
I only do no-gi

 

[quasar44]

I will always be a white level lol