To Gi or Not To Gi...

**Dinko** · Posted On: 2/18/2006 2:00pm

I do JJJ, and most of the time we're doing no-gi, but my coach, who is a black belt in judo as well, teaches a gi class about twice a month...I consider myself pretty good at gi-throws and judo-type clinching; however, my gi-groundwork sucks. I know 2 or 3 collar chokes, 1 or 2 gi-sweeps, but have no real experience with using and combining them.

**Red Elvis** · Posted On: 2/18/2006 4:26pm

Prefer no-gi because in Kalifornia we don't wear much. In fact it was 90 here the other day when there was a blizzard over the whole east coast. No gi here lends itself better to MMA type fighting as well which I prefer over tournament style.

Nuances:

No-gi:
Faster game
Less submissions
Opponent is harder to grab/control
Lends itself better to MMA

Gi:
Slower game
More submissions available
Opponents easier to control
Get accustomed to being held by clothing / tangled

Best advice... Train both Gi and no-gi.

**Aesopian** · Posted On: 2/18/2006 4:28pm

Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. It's fun.

**Red Elvis** · Posted On: 2/18/2006 4:39pm

Originally Posted by Aesopian

Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. Do both. It's fun.

That some kind of binary code BJJ mind trick? For some reason I feel like training right now and I can't figure out why...

:dontknow:

**Roidie McDouchebag** · Posted On: 2/18/2006 4:43pm

I always liked gi work with my Kenpo gi, add any sweat and it was like slippery plastic, at Judo guys would go to throw me and it would slip out of their hands as they went to lift me.

Generally I don't like the gi, because I associate it with Jublow.

**Red Elvis** · Posted On: 2/18/2006 4:48pm

Originally Posted by I Choke You

I always liked gi work with my Kenpo gi, add any sweat and it was like slippery plastic, at Judo guys would go to throw me and it would slip out of their hands as they went to lift me.

Generally I don't like the gi, because I associate it with Jublow.

Like plastic? Where you wearing that vinyl gi that was all the rage in Japan?

:5bullwhip <---- Brokeback BJJ

**Roidie McDouchebag** · Posted On: 2/18/2006 4:50pm

No, it was polyester, not cotton ala Judo/BJJ.

**albert** · Posted On: 2/18/2006 4:55pm

I did a year and a half with a gi, and then a year without a gi. I think training with a gi builds better defensive technique, because if you get too excited you can get caught pretty easily.

Whereas with no-gi, I found myself being able to scramble a lot more. I prefer no-gi, but that's probably more because I associate the gi with getting owned (prior to taking up grappling with a gi I had no grappling experience).