Should I add GI BJJ to my schedule?

First off, I love NoGi and plan to compete NoGi and I'm also training BJJ for MMA purposes but will also enter grappling comps most likely, however have no plans or desires to compete in a gi.

With that being said, right now I train Monday-Thursday for 2 hours a day (1 hr striking, 1 hr NoGi grappling) and was either going to add the 2 gi BJJ classes which would be an extra 1hr 30mins on mon and weds before the other classes or go on Fridays for 2 hours (1 hr striking, 1 hr NoGi grappling).

Also I plan on lifting 2 times a week, if I pick option 1 I will lift on Friday and Sunday with Saturdays off, if I pick option 2 I will lift two days of the week and have weekends off.

I know there is a does gi help for NoGi debate with valid points for both sides, but I am a wrestler type who like to move fast hard and attack constantly and I fear training gi will teach me to be slower.

Thanks guys.

 

I think that it can only help you. I assume that you are quite new to grappling with submissions, training with gi on can really help with your posture and technique. Do everything!

 

More grappling is more grappling. Gi or nogi...training grappling more in either format is only going to make you better at BJJ.

 

I'm gonna go against the grain here. While I train more gi than nogi, if your primary focus is to compete in a nogi only format whether it be bjj or mma...then the gi training will not be that beneficial to your progress when you could be spending that extra time doing S&C. If you look at my track record on the S&C topic you'll see I'm pretty against it, as bjj is enough s&c imo for bjj, but you'll be doing mma as well so you may want to do 3 days lifting instead of 2 and a day of cardio. That'll still leave you with two rest days and they can be further apart.

 

Gi is a great experience. I dont think u necessarily need it if your focus is mma, but rolling in the gi imho is a trip.

 

I just started rolling in the gi after 3.5 years of nogi. It's quite frustrating and very challenging right now, but I know that the same feeling of accomplishment I've had as I get better nogi will happen rolling in the gi.

I'd say yes, put on the gi, take your licks. You'll get the same feelings of accomplishment as you master the gi.

 

training in the gi will make your improve your grappling dramatically, it's also way more fun than nogi

 

Cool. Thanks guys. I'm gonna try out gi today.

Lets see if we can get any opinions against it.

 

Just don't get too used to or focused on the Gi grips! You don't have to use them and I'd just want to be sure you don't form any habits with grabbing the Gi.

Other than that, it is excellent training for you, the Gi adds a lot of weight and slows down the game. This will make you feel much lighter and smoother in NoGi IMO, but the slower Gi grappling will show you new angles and holes in your game.

Gl man!

 

Yeah I'm gonna see if he will let me use regular grips and holds, but he might be strict and make me use the GI grabbing and pulling.

 

You should add the gi classes. I am in the exact same boat as you. I am decent wrestler and I wont compete in the gi til I am old. I compete in no gi very frequently. I feel if I didnt go to gi practice, I would not get the hours I need for my timing, execution, and adding of techniques to be adequate enough to compete at a high level. S&C is not as important as mat time. I do the bare minimum of S&C until about 2 months out of a major comp.

 

Lol

 

I think you should, maybe not all the time but a class or week.

Its also good to mix up who you train with.

Of course not focusing on collar chokes and sleeve grips etc is probably the best idea.

 

This ^^ I have the same game wheter its Gi or Nogi. Keep your game basic (over/under hooks , close/half gward , butterfly , heavy mount etc , ... ) focus on stuff you can do in both and you should be fine. I firmly believe that training in GI WILL make you more technical espacially for sub defense.

 

Yeah I think I'll try it out. I'm gonna try to keep it as close to nogi as possible. Just hope the instructor doesn't get mad if I don't grab the gi.

 

I didn't get to try out the class yet. But I watch the last 15 minutes of a couple and each time they were working passes while holding the gi.

Also, if I add the gi classes (1:30) ill be training 4 hours two days a week. Does that seem like too much?

 

I do that 5 days a week and I am 32.

 

Background: For the first ~18 months of my grappling I trained almost exclusively no-gi. I hated training in the gi because I found it frustrating: I couldn't move, and I didn't know how to deal with grips. Now I *love* the gi. I find that it offers me so many more options, and there's so much more to learn.

Anyway.

If you're going to train gi, learn the grips. They are what make gi grappling awesome. If you try to go into gi class and ignore the grips, you will get clowned: everybody else around you will know how to control you, and you'll lie on the bottom like a dead fish.

If you just want to get more mat time and don't care about getting the most out of it, then for sure you can go to a gi class and treat it like no-gi. But I assure you from my own experience that it will be annoying for you, your training partners, and probably the instructor. You will eventually either a) want to figure out what's going on so you can stop it or use it yourself; or b) get frustrated with the gi class and stop going.

 

Sounds good.

Well the reason I want to do it is to improve my NoGi game. And I have read in a number of places that it is important not to get caught up in the grips and not get used to yanking and pulling the gi since in NoGi it's clinching and squeezing.

Basically what I want out of NoGi is the traction of the gi to make it harder for me to move around so when the gi comes off, I am faster and stronger.

 

I understand, but friction/traction is only a small part of training in the gi... the grips are much more important, and way harder to deal with than a little extra material sliding against other material. For example, it can be a little harder to get your arm free if your opponent has an armbar locked on, but your bigger problem is going to be the grip they have on your collar, leg or sleeve that keeps you from escaping.

And I realize that I am probably in the minority here, but I also don't understand how training in the gi makes your no-gi better. There are a lot of people I respect very much who say it, but nobody has ever been able to explain it to me in a way that makes me think that specific gi training is worth doing over more no-gi training.

I'm certainly open to having my mind changed. Like I said, I love the gi and I'd love for all of my training partners to put their gis on and roll with me. And please don't get the idea that I'm discouraging you from training in the gi. It's awesome for its own sake.