i'm a computer programmer. my livelihood depends on how good i am at the computer languages i use like java. back in college, we were required to take a lot of math and physics subjects. i was like "what for?". but in the end, learning those subjects taught me values needed to be a good cp like thinking analytically. i guess gi and no-gi is like that. you train in gi to learn values, practices, or techniques that will help you in no-gi. training with the gi is like a launch pad for training without a gi. that being said, no matter how much i study math, that doesn't mean i'm gonna be a master at java. in the end what coach herzog is saying is right. if you want to get good in gi, train in gi. if you want to get good at no-gi, train in no-gi. gi and no-gi are two different animals. you can't tame one if you focus on the other. i've never grappled with the gi and so far it hasn't hindered my learning process. that's just my opinion anyways.