Benefits of Training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu without the Gi

Hi everyone, hope you are all going well. Here at Granite Fitness, for December, we are trying out a new thing – a series. This is where we get a bunch of articles from one of our partners and publish them over the course of a month. Obviously we can’t guarantee that you will like every article, but hey, let’s give it a shot, because some of them will resonate with you. FYI that also means the introductions will be the same in the series.

This series is by our partners at Born Tough and Elite Sports – manufacturers of sportswear. They sent me a rasher guard a few years ago and I can vouch that it is excellent!

Enjoy today’s article!

“Benefits of Training No GI BJJ

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is one of the most known and recognized forms of Jiu-Jitsu. A rendition of traditional Japanese style Jiu-Jitsu, BJJ is a very modern take with different rules and regulations. Apart from different rules, BJJ has two different variations depending on the technique and the attire. With Gi Jiu-Jitsu the fighter has to fight while wearing a traditional Gi. This also means that the opponent will have something to firm his grip. With no GI grappling fighter will not wear the traditional uniform instead, he needs to wear grappling shorts and a rash guard. With no GI, the pace is much fast and it is much closer to real life. The main thing is that you will not have something to hold on to and this will eventually impact the way you fight.

Most grapplers use just one style and they limit their style; however, it is better to know about both variations so you can stay ahead of the game. Some of the best and most famous BJJ fighters have trained in both forms and they have so far worked very effectively. To be a complete grappler you need to practice both. Famous fighters like Marcelo Garcia have proved that training in both types will help with becoming a good professional fighter.

With the help of this article, we will address both GI and no GI BJJ and why training without GI is important. We will also talk about how it becomes harder to adapt when you switch between GI and no GI BJJ and the main benefits of no GI BJJ.

Perfect for MMA

If you are into MMA and you want to pursue BJJ professionally, this can be your chance. You might have noticed that most fighters use BJJ with other forms of combat games so that they can increase the options and range. No GI BJJ is perfect for MMA training because in most cases, fighters only wear shorts. With no GI BJJ, you will have good enough practice to firm your grip without thinking about the clothing item. If you are a beginner and you are looking for the best way to train, try to use BJJ as a template training for your MMA fights.

Getting into street fights

We know that most people think street fights involve a lot of clothing but if you are fighting in real life most people end up tearing clothes. Apart from this, if you are into an underground fighting scene you will see a lot of fighters getting rid of their clothes. There are so many underground fighting rings where players are asked to get rid of clothes so that fighters have no place to hide any illegal equipment. If you practice with no GI, you will see that you will be able to perform better in street fights.

Escape the comfort zone

If you ask professionals, they will tell you to challenge yourself because this helps you to learn and grow. Most people heavily depend on the grips because they use choking techniques where they need to keep the opponent under their influence. Being a fighter, you need to stay ready for uncomfortable situations as well. With the help of no GI BJJ, you will be able to stay prepared for all kinds of circumstances.

Boost confidence

It takes courage to take off your clothes. Most fighters feel like they do not have good enough bodies that they can display. However, instructors say that no GI BJJ helps in boosting confidence by helping fighters to appreciate and accept their bodies. This also helps other people to appreciate their bodies and bring mutual body positivity as a result.

Very fast pace

More clothing means you have more things to hold to and this eventually impacts the speed. On the contrary, if you remove all these obstacles, the fight becomes very fast-paced. To be fast you need to increase the anaerobic performance and this helps with recovery as well. In real-life conditions, you will see that there is no way to hold the speed of your opponent because you cannot tell everyone to wear clothes or keep them slow. With the help of no GI BJJ, you will stay prepared for the fast-paced fighting style.

Bottom Line

To sum it all up, both types have their significance. If we look at the difference there is a main difference of uniform but we cannot forget about the technical difference. With GI, the opponent finds it easy to firm his grip on the fighter, and with the grip they keep the fighter restricted to one point. In short, it is a slow pace because grip slows down the fight. On the contrary, no GI BJJ is ideal for street fighters. It is a fast-paced fighting game that will not be restricted by the grip over GI. For professional BJJ players, it is better to practice both types because each type has its significance.”

Thanks once again to our contributing partner today. Don’t forget to check out their website.

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