Wearing your no gi belt rank in the gi?

[brent_littell]

I know we don't have a standard on this but I see it on lots of pics on Facebook. I have my own opinion that you shouldn't do so but I am curious to hear others opinions.

My thought is that if you don't understand grip breaking and the nuances of the gi then it's not right to wear your no gi rank. If I were to walk into a gym and wear my black belt, I would be representing that I had a black belt understanding of the gi game, which I don't. Sure, I could beat plenty of black belts in the gi, but rank is also a representation of knowledge, not just ability.

I know it's fun to wear it but I think it's a little dishonest to do so. Cade, Sean Bollinger, and I all wear our gi rank in the gi, just to show that I'm not alone in this thinking

[Tom Carbone]

Would you have a problem with someone wearing their judo blackbelt during a JiuJitsu class

[Brent Smith]

I really couldn't care less what belt I wear. I train both gi and no gi and before I put my purple belt on (which I earned no gi from Gerald Strebendt) I asked my gi instructor what I should do. I was completely fine wearing the white belt but he said "I'd prefer you wear your purple belt. You earned it, wear it". It's just a belt so I'm not sure why it matters all that much. Say since I'm technically a white belt in BJJ would it be honorable to compete as a white, completely stomp the white belt division and take that gold medal home? Hypothetically speaking of course.

[Mike Dewitt Jr]

Do you think its ok to rock black belt ranked shirts or shorts in a nogi school if you havent been ranked in nogi?

[Paul Terry]

Do you think its ok to rock black belt ranked shirts or shorts in a nogi school if you havent been ranked in nogi?

I agree. That's like saying people like kron gracie and rener gracie who predominantly train and earned their rank in the gi should not grapple nogi at the rank that they worked hard to achieve. If someone who achieved their rank nogi want to compete with the gi, there should not be any discrepancy on if their rank is legit or not. It would just come down to their effectiveness when grappling and they have made the necessary changes to be successful in competition. At the end of the day a rank earned is a rank deserved.

[sean applegate]

I know we don't have a standard on this but I see it on lots of pics on Facebook. I have my own opinion that you shouldn't do so but I am curious to hear others opinions.

My thought is that if you don't understand grip breaking and the nuances of the gi then it's not right to wear your no gi rank. If I were to walk into a gym and wear my black belt, I would be representing that I had a black belt understanding of the gi game, which I don't. Sure, I could beat plenty of black belts in the gi, but rank is also a representation of knowledge, not just ability.

I know it's fun to wear it but I think it's a little dishonest to do so. Cade, Sean Bollinger, and I all wear our gi rank in the gi, just to show that I'm not alone in this thinking

i agree. its too different. some instructors tell you to wear it. i wouldn't if the choice was given though.

[brent_littell]

Do you think its ok to rock black belt ranked shirts or shorts in a nogi school if you havent been ranked in nogi?

Eddie doesn't recognize other black belts including jj machado black belts

[brent_littell]

Would you have a problem with someone wearing their judo blackbelt during a JiuJitsu class

Yes I would. The same way I wouldn't walk into a tae kwon do school rocking my black belt. They are different arts

[brent_littell]

. There would be a huge discrepancy in skillsets if a no gi black belt tried competing at gi black black. He would get wrecked with spider guard and cross chokes.

Horwich is a great no gi competitor and a brown belt in the system. He went into a blue belt gi tourney and lost two matches. Take the gi off and he would be competitive with any black belt in the world

[brent_littell]

We talk about a no gi revolution and then when we put on the gi we want to be recognized under their rule set?