Why you need to train the Gi

[Vince Kroff]

my old coach used to say that training in the Gi is like training wheels for grappling and he heard this from his coach Baret Yoshida. Regardless, grappling is grappling, singlet, board shorts or a Gi. Its all fun and do what you have the most fun doing.

[Jacl Dixon]

I'm just going to drop my two cents in here.

Jiu-jitsu in Brazil is fucking huge. It's like D1 wrestling here in the states. So you literally have thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of people who do jiu-jitsu. In such an environment you are going to have some real killers. Guys like Marcelo, Rafa and Gui Mendes, Galvao, Braulio, and Cobrinha are like the cream of the crop; the best of the best. But think of how many dudes who are damn good in their own right who have never won a medal, or a title. There is a fucking ton of them.

But the talent for jiu-jitsu here in the states is a lot smaller. And if your coach is going to make that argument about how many world champions have trained in the gi, then why hasn't he produced any champions? Think of how many jiu-jitsu schools actually produce world beaters and savages.

This is my personal take on the subject. It's not the gi that makes you good or bad; it's your instructor and teammates that make you good. If your jiu-jitsu is legit, then you will have no problem transitioning between the gi and without the gi. Conversely, you don't need the gi to be legit. Just go out and smash fuckers and leave no doubt. Don't talk no mess; let your deeds speak for you.

And on the note of Eddie not going and winning a bunch of tournaments; who is this fucking toolshed to critique anyone's abilities based on their competition record. Shit, someone should call up Greg Jackson and tell him that he should stop teaching people MMA, cause he ain't no champion.

[Aaron Gustaveson]

This is a tired old argument, and it makes a classic <i>cum hoc ergo propter hoc</i> fallacy. Man, shit sounds so much cooler in latin. Anyway, I'm going to refrain from offering a long-winded rebuttal; instead I'll just offer a counterexample from personal experience. (Also, LoL @ Eddie Bravo using "psychical [sic] attributes (strength and speed) to fight." That cracks me up!)

I won't name names because I don't want to seem like I'm trying to discredit anyone, but I've trained with many of the very best grapplers around today; ADCC champions, IBJJF champions both gi & nogi, and Pan-am champions. In my opinion, none of them have been anywhere near the devastation that is Josh Barnett, who doesn't train in the gi. Honestly, I pick him over any other grappler alive today in a no-gi jiujitsu match with or without points.

I think the gi is great, and any sort of grappling training will make you better at grappling. But I see no reason to believe that it is necessary.

Im just trippin right now that the giant wrestler dude knows latin and gave cora that super technical advice on the other thread.
Youre a bad mofo Mr. Allam.

Beast.jpg

[Daniel D.]

i seriously don't understand why gi people are so fucking close minded about no-gi. also, that condom quote is great. only sailors use condoms.

[Joshua Jarboe]

I train both. I actually have a legitimate reason for doing so. Five days a week I am in a suit for work. I am regularly in a courtroom and I often anger criminal defendants and/or their family. Therefore, I would like to know how to defend myself with what I wear to work! I also run around in shorts and a t-shirt when I am not working so I love training no-gi as well. Saying that . . . they are different as well as compliment each other. However, I don't have a problem if someone doesn't want to train with a gi. It is their own decision.

Yeah, I think the truth is somewhere between the "Gi For Life" folks and the "Gi is useless" folks. Marcelo trains 50% gi, 50% no-gi and is developing a style to work for both.

What else do you need to know? That's how I'm charting my course.

On self defense, if you live in Seattle as I do (Greater Seattle Area anyway) and you're whining about sleeves and collars, you need to double-check your thinking next time you put on that hoodie, which you probably did because it's probably raining.

In regards to the gi making your no-gi game better, I could see that argument flying in one place: if you don't use gi-only passes it could make your passing game better like running with ankle weights could make your running stronger.

But it seems to me that training no-gi could improve your guard game in the same way.

We're open minded right? I hold out hope that some day soon, 10p in a gi isn't going to make you unwelcome in the gi class and a weird gi-step-child in the 10p class. In my mind, for my situation, it's all about doing 10p Marcelo style. We'll see how it goes.

[Andrew Alexander]

Hmmm... Tony Ferguson is beast mode in UFC, then vinny mag and George sotoropolis lol just to name a few that fought in the UFC and won

[Brent Smith]

Weidman trains no gi. Mighty Mouse just recently even purchased a gi. Have a hard time believing Hendrick's style has anything to do with the gi. Same with Cain and Jon Jones. Ive been seeing this argument for the past 8 years that I've been training. I'm starting to think it'll never go away.

Hmmm... Tony Ferguson is beast mode in UFC, then vinny mag and George sotoropolis lol just to name a few that fought in the UFC and won

People like to argue Sots and Vinny have a gi background.

[AKRhino]

i seriously don't understand why gi people are so fucking close minded about no-gi. also, that condom quote is great. only sailors use condoms.

This goes both ways. Train what you enjoy. People need to give way less of a fuck about what other people are doing.

[Brent Smith]

I'm just going to drop my two cents in here.

Jiu-jitsu in Brazil is fucking huge. It's like D1 wrestling here in the states. So you literally have thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of people who do jiu-jitsu. In such an environment you are going to have some real killers. Guys like Marcelo, Rafa and Gui Mendes, Galvao, Braulio, and Cobrinha are like the cream of the crop; the best of the best. But think of how many dudes who are damn good in their own right who have never won a medal, or a title. There is a fucking ton of them.

But the talent for jiu-jitsu here in the states is a lot smaller. And if your coach is going to make that argument about how many world champions have trained in the gi, then why hasn't he produced any champions? Think of how many jiu-jitsu schools actually produce world beaters and savages.

This is my personal take on the subject. It's not the gi that makes you good or bad; it's your instructor and teammates that make you good. If your jiu-jitsu is legit, then you will have no problem transitioning between the gi and without the gi. Conversely, you don't need the gi to be legit. Just go out and smash fuckers and leave no doubt. Don't talk no mess; let your deeds speak for you.

And on the note of Eddie not going and winning a bunch of tournaments; who is this fucking toolshed to critique anyone's abilities based on their competition record. Shit, someone should call up Greg Jackson and tell him that he should stop teaching people MMA, cause he ain't no champion.

Great post Jack

[Jacl Dixon]

Great post Jack

Sup cuz! How the fuck you been?