Debate rages within the jiu-jitsu community, regarding whether training Gi or No-Gi Jiu Jitsu is best.  

There are many arguments both for and against training with a Gi, and without a Gi. 

In this article, we outline some of the key differences and the pros and cons of each. 

At the end of the day, it does come down to personal preference, like most things, and what you are hoping to get out of your Jui Jitsu training, and what you want to do with your Jiu Jitsu.

What is the difference?

The main difference between Gi and no-GI Jiu Jitsu is in the clothing that you wear while fighting.

As the name suggests, traditional Brazilian Jiu Jitsu requires wearing a thick cotton fighting garment consisting of pants, a top, and a belt, called a Gi. During the fight, you are able to use this garment as you fight and hold onto it and use it to try and gain superiority over your opponent. There are many different types of Gi available.

Whereas in no-Gi Jiu Jitsu, you do not wear the Gi garment and instead wear a rashguard and very tight-fitting no-Gi shorts. 

You are not allowed to grab onto people’s clothing to try and achieve submission or win the fight.

Pros of Training Jiu Jitsu With Gi

More Available Moves and Submissions

When you are training Jiu Jitsu with a Gi, there are more moves and submission techniques available to you as a fighter. 

Because the clothes are allowed to be used in the fight, and the rules clearly state that you can try and grab onto the clothing and use it to your advantage, this opens up a range of moves and ways you can try and gain superiority over your opponent.

More Gi Training Opportunities Than No-Gi Opportunities

Traditional Jiu Jitsu where a Gi is used, has been around for a longer period of time than no-Gi Jiu Jitsu. As a result, there are more opportunities to train with a Gi than to train without a Gi. 

So if access to the maximum amount of training opportunities is of importance to you, this may suggest that Gi training is a better pick for you.

More ‘Life-Like’ And Prepares For Real World

Training in Gi Jiu Jitsu has been described as more lifelike. 

Not in the sense that if you were to get into a fight in the street someone else’s like to be wearing a Gi, but they are likely to be wearing clothing, which you could use to your advantage in a grappling fight.

Compared to No-Gi, where you expressly do not use your opponent’s clothing in any way to try and win the fight and gain submission, Gi Jiu Jitsu definitely prepares you better for how you could utilize an opponent’s clothing to your advantage in an actual fight.

Cons of Training With a Gi

Can Harm Offensive Skill Development

Many Jui Jitsu practitioners argue that training with a Gi is actually harmful to your offensive skill development. 

The reason they make this argument is that they feel that the fact that you have clothing you can hold onto and try and use in the fights, actually decreases your Jiu Jitsu skill development in terms of body positioning and overall strategy because no-GI Jiu Jitsu is harder and is, therefore, a better learning experience.

Slower Style of Fighting

Training Jiu Jitsu in a Gi is also a slower style of fighting, so if you are looking for fast-paced training then Gi Jiu Jitsu may not be for you. The fact that both people grappling are wearing a thick cotton garment creates significant friction between both individuals and can make certain moves slower to achieve, and make it harder to manipulate your opponent. 

In one way having the thick cotton garment is an asset to you in the fight as it’s harder for the other person to move you as quickly as they may like to, but likewise, it’s also harder for you to manipulate your opponent due to the friction between the two garments.

Pros of Training No-Gi

Build Better Offensive Skills

If you are training Jiu Jitsu with no-GI, it forces you to develop better offensive skills. 

If you have no gear on that you are allowed to hold on to, it forces you to rely solely on your offensive positioning, and overall Jiu Jitsu strategy and technique. 

Some would say this makes you a better Jiu Jitsu fighter as you are relying on your technique alone,  and not relying on holding the other person’s clothing.

But if you train without a Gi, there is nothing stopping you from later training and competing with the Gi, which some people think gives you the best of both worlds. 

It means you have spent the time to develop a No-Gi offensive skillset, you then compliment that at a later date with the Gi, and the other moves that having a Gi opens up to you, to make you a more advanced fighter.

More Compatible with MMA

Many people are learning Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to use it as a complementary skill set in a broader mixed martial arts fighting repertoire. 

If you are wanting to use Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in MMA fighting, then you will not be able to use a Gi, so your training should reflect and prepare you for that.

Less Financial Outlay

Not having to have a Gi also means there is a smaller financial investment required to get started with Jiu Jitsu.

Jiu Jitsu Gi’s are not necessarily a huge expense, but they definitely are an additional expense, and people often find that Jiu Jitsu gyms that are No-Gi gyms, also have cheaper lessons. So the combination of not needing to purchase multiple Gi’s, and potentially cheaper training fees, can make No-Gi Jiu Jitsu a cheaper sport to participate in.

Different Culture

A lot of people find that No-Gi Jiu Jitsu gyms have a different culture. Given that No-Gi Jiu Jitsu is a more modern, less traditional approach to Jiu Jitsu, a lot of people find that the gyms are a bit more relaxed.

Cons of Training No-Gi

It May Be Harder To Find ‘No-Gi’ only gyms

No-Gi Jiu Jitsu is not as common as Gi Jiu Jitsu.

Especially if you’re looking for a training gym where it is exclusively No-Gi. 

Many training centers will offer both Gi, and No-Gi training, however, if you are looking for an exclusive No-Gi training facility, you may have fewer training options.

Strength More Important Than In Gi Jui Jitsu

A lot of people that train Jiu Jitsu state that if you are training No-Gi, then you have less of the typical leverage techniques that are available in Gi Jiu-Jitsu, and those leverage techniques make it easier for you to fight people stronger than you.

Whereas without the leverage of the Gi to use in your Jiu Jitsu training, you require a greater amount of strength to fight someone stronger than you.

Less Helpful In A Real Life Street Fighting Scenario

Many argue that No-Gi Jiu Jitsu is less helpful in preparing you for a real-life street fight scenario. Training without a Gi is an artificial environment, and less lifelike because in the real world it is highly unlikely that you will only fight someone who is wearing a rash guard and not other forms of clothing.

So if you are expressly trying to prepare yourself for a real-world street fighting scenario, and self-defense, then training Jiu Jitsu with a Gi may be a better option for you.

Final Thoughts

Throughout this article, we have explored some of the positives and negatives of both training Jiu Jitsu with a Gi and training Jiu Jitsu without a GI. The best type of Jiu Jitsu training for you is going to depend on what you hope to get out of your Jiu Jitsu training.

For example, if you are trying to train in Jiu Jitsu to prepare yourself for potential self-defense scenarios, then training with a Gi is more likely to prepare you for that, whereas if you are preparing for MMA  fighting, then No-Gi will be a better option for you.

Once you are clear on your training aims, the best type of jiu-jitsu training for you will become apparent.