Question about gi vs. no-gi

[jclaudevandamme]

One more thread that becomes gi vs no-gi fanboyism? I love how people add self-defense in it everytime.

If you have 5 years of gi training you will beat up the shirtless guido fuckhead that tried to fuck you up. The same if you have 5 years of no-gi living in Iceland.

Gi training develops better technique due to friction and yadda but there is the problem of having to deal with collar chokes when you do not care about them like if you are some MMA wannabe guy, tungstenium guard and kids that stay ultra-low while trying to jump to guard as soon as they grip something. Also, gi competition is not interesting to watch and the urban legend of no-gi champions that only train in gi and then start training for no-gi 2 weeks before competition is an urban legend. Deal with it.

Pros and cons. You make your pick.

And how someone is getting their fingers fucked by gi training? Unless you broke your hand multiple times in your life and you got arthritis you are not supposed to have your hands fucked by the gi. This is not how biology works.

 

[mammothreis]

Gi brutalizes your hands. I like no-gi because my knuckles don't hurt like hell after class.

No-Gi is better for defending against Guido's because they take their shirts off. You can't pull off a cheap collar choke on a shirtless Guido.

How do I deal with the guidos. I know they grease...

If you want to learn the whole art and invest a considerable amount of time achieving rank then go gi. If you want to be more self defense/mma oriented then go no-gi.

thank you

You should do both, because the two formats sharpen different skill sets.

Gi sharpens your skills in areas that are more difficult with more friction and grips that can be used against you, primarily defense like escapes and guard retention, but also some offense like non-gi-reliant chokes (arm triangles, RNCs etc.). Gi also gives you a greater understanding of grips, which are really almost the same with and without the gi, but the importance of proper grip fighting - and grip prevention - and the dominance of each grip/leverage point is so much more evident in the gi, where the grips are much, much stronger. Additionally, the gi forces you to think about a lot more threats/options, while at the same time slowing everything down in a 'pedagogic' manner.

No gi is basically the other way around, sharpening your skills in areas that are more difficult with LESS friction and fewer/weaker grips. Naturally, these are mostly offensive aspects like how to control someone positionally, be it passing the guard, holding them down in side control or staying tight on the armbar to keep them from slipping out. No gi is also a lot faster, fostering the ability to stay ahead of the opponent in scrambles and anticipate the next position. In addition to tightening up your offense, no gi sharpens your defense against attacks that are less common in the gi, like no gi chokes (especially guillotines) and leg locks (especially the heel hook, if allowed).



I just use no gi grips/controls regardless of format, easier on my fingers.

Thanks for the input

My thoughts:

I feel when I train Gi I have to be more technical and the game is slower and more methodical. The friction caused by the Gi make it tougher to get out of submissions. You can't rely as much on speed and power because of the extra friction and grips that are allowed. There are way more submissions in Gi, specifically chokes.

In no-Gi its a quicker game and speed and power come into more of an advantage here. Without the Gi I find I can slip and power out of positions that in the Gi I would be stuck in. No-Gi I also find is more of a cardio workout for me. It's harder to stall and really grind your partner.

IMO they both compliment each other and I see no reason to train both.

If you can only pick 1 then I would always pick Gi, but that's because I like Gi. 95% of my training is in the Gi, but during open mat I will do some no-gi rolls and enjoy the change and associated challenge.

Conclusion: Gi vs No-Gi : Neither one is better. They are different and you should try both. If you are able, do both because they compliment each other. If you can only pick 1 due to some reason, do whichever one you enjoy more. It's your money you're spending on a gym membership, you might as well do something you enjoy.

I think I'm gonna try doing both

Train in the gi because you earn ranking(belts) afters months/years of training. I personally love the gi. You don't want to train no-gi for 3 years and not earn some kind of rank(get a blue belt for example) and when you do decide to train gi you might start out as a white belt(if your were to change to a gi school). At least make your mat time count in terms of ranking.

But if you absolutely love no-gi and don't care about all the ranking/belt stuff then just train no-gi.

But like I said I rather train gi because 1) you are learning an art(which requires gi training, 2) you earn rankings(belts). To me, its like going to college and earning credits to get a degree.

When you train BJJ/grappling long enough you'll end up training both gi and no-gi at some point in your career. There will be folks who wants to grapple in gi only or no-gi only and you must know how to grapple well both ways.

But if your completely new to BJJ or grappling and want to learn BJJ I suggest train in the gi first.

gi=knowing how to fight people with jackets/thick clothing on

no-gi=knowing how to fight people shirtless or with just a shirt on

I think at my gym you don't have to train gi to earn a belt

No, you should not wear a gi to a NO-gi class.

No-gi is traditionally done naked, although in some areas of Brazil, they make it more challenging by dousing practitioners in baby oil. Some people think that's cheating, because when oil and sweat mix, it becomes incredibly slippery and wet, and it is really hard to berimbolo.

so should I let my chest hair grow for grip?