I'd like to play devil's advocate, and suggest that the comment is misunderstood and overused. Gi slows down your game because of friction, which can mke things easier or tougher (both can be useful). It's harder to smash through a guard, pull out of an armbar, or slip in a quick d'arce when there is all that material - even RNCs are much tougher. Plus, it's harder to advance position because as you open up, it's easier for someone to grab some random grip and slow you down while they recover guard.
So, because of that, when you drill these moves, your technique has to be more precise, or they won't work. The idea is that you perfect your technique while doing the techniques. It's no different than when you learn a new move, and do it real slow the first few times. Say you are having a hard time escaping armbars. Spend a few weeks trying to slip your elbow out in a gi - if you can do it, then it will be extra easy to pull out in no-gi. It can also make it easier to practice: can't hit that butterfly hook sweep when rolling? Try it with a belt grip, find the angles, drill, then try again without the grip and adjust.
Then there are the other advantages, though I will admit they are minor. The gi is heavy and hot, and screws with your cardio and body temp, which can improve training. Also, in a real street fight, nobody wears a full gi, but usually someone is wearing a hoodie, jacket, etc. Cross chokes work in real life, and help set up armbars when they don't. People wear belts.
I'm not saying "gi is right, no-gi is wrong". I love no-gi. And if you prefer no-gi, maybe cross chokes by looping the gi around the body are not for you. Maybe just roll in the gi without using grips, just to increase friction. Maybe work on defending your neck better and keeping your chin tucked, since your opponent can capitalize quicker when you don't. Maybe do your next set of 100 burpies in the gi, and see how your cardio would hold up in a hot bar wearing jeans and a leather jacket. Basically, focus on training no-go through the gi, rather than training for gi. With the right mentality, I guarantee you learn something new from it.
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