Should beginners start with gi or nogi?

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Are you a beginner in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) and wondering whether to start with Gi or No-Gi training? In this blog post, we’ll cover the differences between Gi and No-Gi BJJ, the benefits of each, and what we recommend for beginners.

What is the difference between gi and nogi?

Gi training is the traditional form of BJJ, which involves using a kimono-style uniform (the “gi”) to grapple with your opponent. This uniform provides a way to grip and control your opponent’s body, giving you more options to grip and control your opponent. This makes it easier to attack and control, but harder to escape positions.

No-Gi training, on the other hand, involves grappling without the gi uniform, relying instead more on positioning your body correctly to control your opponent. This makes everything much more dynamic, giving you less control and making it easier to escape positions.

Which one should you pick?

Training both gi and no-gi can help a practitioner develop a well-rounded grappling game, as well as adapt to different types of opponents and rule sets. Training both can lead to a more complete understanding and mastery of the art.

If you are starting out, do whatever your schedule allows you to. More training will lead to more improvement. You will get better at grappling training either one of them.

Basic course

In our basic course we train only no gi to make it easier to get started in the sport. Having fewer grips available simplifies learning the sport and not having to buy a gi makes it easier to try BJJ without having to commit before you know you enjoy training.

When you finish the basic course and move on to our fundamentals program, you can decide what suits your schedule best and whether you prefer training one or the other, or if you want to train a mix of both gi and nogi.

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