i've been training the past few months in no-gi grappling, but i've since moved and joined a gym that offers no-gi only twice a week and regular bjj 3 times a week. Would it be worth it to invest in a gi and take the regular bjj classes in addition to no-gi, or should i just stick with no-gi? I figure that the more grappling and rolling time i have, the better, but im also aware that throwing on a gi introduces a lot of techniques that cant necessarily be transferred over to mma. any thoughts?
I'm by no means an mma fighter - but heres how I view this: You should go as often as you possibly can. The gi will only improve your game (here comes the gi vs. no-gi debate - I'm really not trying to get into this..) The reason I can safely say that it will improve your game is because you also roll no-gi twice a week. From personal experience, I do something similar (gi and no gi every single week) and can tell you that in no-gi, im a MUCH better than in the gi because my technique tends to be better than those guys who only come to no gi days. What you learn in the gi may be "over the top" for MMA, but learning those things just reinforces your fundamentals. Not to mention, in the gi is more fun Also.. its great for grip strength as a bonus.
yes it would be worth it. just dont get too caught up in the grips and gi-specific guards like spider and de la riva and you'll be fine. If anything it will help you improve escape technique as you cant slip or power out of submissions so easy in a gi, forcing you to be more technical.
I havent been in the sport long enough to offer a real opinion on the subject, but I can tell you something I observe -- our head instructor insists that all the MMA guys who compete, even the two guys who fight pro, come to the gi sessions
if you want to be good at defense, practice in a gi. if you want to be good at submission, practice nogi. that's my take on it. in other words, take both.
As far as MMA goes the reason I train gi is because if I can escape an armbar when my opponent has my gi tangled up around my arm, then when I am slippery and there is no friction I can escape. China boxer hit the nail on the head. If it's difficult to submit you in a gi, it's much more difficult to submit you without one.
Darn near every grappler and/or mma fighter I've ever talked to has claimed that training with the gi has improved his nogi game. I've recently started training both and I agree. In some ways I think the gi forces your technique to be much more refined than in no gi.
not really dude.... Gi has its advantages, as does no-gi gi makes you really on your technique i think, and no gi enforces everything about BJJ and i believe makes it harder to pull off submissions and thus improving your game TAKE BOTH! nobody EVER got worse from more practice lineage: Carlson Gracie- Murilio Bustamante- Marcelo Perdomo- Me "There's nothing worse than a guy that talks a lot of s--- and then backs it up. That's the worst to me, and that's what he's doing. So God bless him for that, but I'll hate him for it. God bless him and I'll hate him." -Forrest on C.B. Dollaway
