I usually roll in sprawl/board shorts but I saw an Eddie Bravo clip where he says that rllng with gi pants in no gi grappling helps secure and maintain better guards, armlocks/triangle/omoplatas, etc. due to the friction of the pants. I tried it once and did notice a difference with a couple subs, but I feel like if my technique is right, it shouldn't matter what type of cloting I wear. I mean a good triangle is a good triangle, regardless of what pants/shorts I'm wearing, right? Any grapplers here have thoughts on this?
I go back and forth between the two when I roll nogi. You definatly get more friction with the gi pants, but you could also wear knee and ankle sleeves which would give a similar benefit. Personally, I like gi pants because they are designed to hold up to the abuse of grappling where as short are not as forgiving in my experience.
I always wear gi pants when I roll no-gi. This is because it really helps lock in triangle and omaplata combinations when your opponent is sweaty.
That's why Aoki wears his leggings. Which one is better for you depends on your aims. Most of the no gi tournaments I have been to specified shorts and I am assuming shorts are required for UFC and some other MMA orgs. I like to train without any artificial assistance when possible. That way my subs and guard work need to be tighter. Same applies to using a cup for armbars. However, I will periodically train equipped exactly as I compete to make sure I'm familiar with the differences.
Eddie Bravo says a lot of things. Personally though, I worry gi pants can be used against me when I roll, so I use shorts.
most of the top guys in no-gi wear a cotton shirt, but not pants which will almost certainly be used against you.
Ilike the the gi pants. 1) helps the mat burns on the knees. 2) My legs get so damn wet it's no fun for me or the guy i'm rolling with. 3) hides all the nasty bruises i collect
I do sometime because there is a nogi class before our gi class and I will forget my regular grappling shorts. Like I said though I just kind of do it as a warmup to our gi class and none of the other guys in the class seem to have a problem with it.
that is what I don't like too. Too easy to have your legs thrown around, especially if they are trying to pass.
I train MMA, so it would be pointless to wear gi pants which aren't legal in MMA or even in most sub wrestling tourneys.
That's the reason i think bravo is a hypocrite for advocating gi pants and tubi-grip. He says how good rubber guard is in MMA yet trains it in something that is not legal in most competitions because it gives him more grip...
i don't agree, bro. Eddie teaches to do rubber guard by using the bicep curl. He doesn't teach to grab the gi pants to hold rubber guard. He does prefer to roll in pants, for whatever reason. I do sometimes just to prevent infections or rashes. 99% of his students at Legends all train in MMA shorts including his instructors. I have never had an occasion where he or his instructors have shown techniques utilizing grips to the pants or shorts.
You guys keep saying "not legal in most tournaments" What the hell kinda tournaments are you competing in? NAGA, GQ, US Grappling, etc etc all dont give a shit
The only tournament where I've ever seen gi pants be illegal in the no gi divisions are the No Gi Worlds & the FILA tournaments. I had to buy a pair of board shorts for the FILA tournament I tried to enter last year (no women for me to fight). I wear gi pants and a long sleeved rash guard for no gi class. I don't care about the 'help' with submissions. I just don't want the sweat and hair of other people on my arms and legs. I've 'quit' no gi before, and after a few months, I came back to see if I was over that yet. I'm not over it, but I'm trying to stick it out.
I'd guess it depends on what kind've guards you like to play. Rubber/closed guard guys who are more looking for subs from the bottom probably could benefit from gi pants, but I doubt it would do much for me as I'm mostly looking to sweep and would probably end up just helping the other guy pass my guard.
You also have to worry about leg positioning with gi pants since they can put a lot of torque on the knees using certain techniques.
