The Benefits of Training Both Gi and No-Gi Grappling

The argument over whether to focus on Gi or No-Gi grappling and which style is better was already ongoing when I started training in jiu jitsu almost 20 years ago. Many people have an ardent loyalty to either one or the other discipline. However, each style offers unique benefits, and training in both styles can significantly enhance a jiu-jitsu practitioner’s overall game. I have enjoyed training both, and I believe they have their strengths and weaknesses, and each one helps the other.

Understanding the differences between Gi and No-Gi grappling

Gi jiu-jitsu involves wearing a traditional kimono, which provides numerous gripping opportunities via the lapels, sleeves, and pants. The Gi adds friction when rolling and tends to slow down the pace, emphasising technical control and grip-based submissions more.

No-Gi grappling is usually practised wearing rash guards and shorts without any additional clothing to grip. In addition, gripping the shorts and rashguard is forbidden under most No-Gi rulesets. The lack of friction and gripping opportunities when rolling No-Gi leads to a faster-paced, more explosive game that generally requires heightened athleticism and more fluid movements.

The benefits of training in the Gi

• It enhances your defensive skills: training in the Gi allows numerous grip-based control points and a wider array of attacks and submission opportunities. Defending against these submission threats forces practitioners to become highly skilled in defence and develop more sophisticated escape techniques. If your defence is good in the Gi, it will likely be very good No-Gi when there are a much smaller number of submissions available and less friction, making escapes somewhat easier.

• It develops a higher degree of technical precision: The slower pace of Gi grappling encourages a more methodical, technical approach to rolling. It can level the playing field against more athletic and stronger practitioners and encourage players who rely on strength and physical attributes to focus on technique and timing instead of athleticism alone. 

• It encourages patience and strategy: Rolling in the Gi often becomes a game of strategy, and for this reason, it is sometimes referred to as “human chess”. The slower, thoughtful pace at which rolls occur is excellent for learning the finer details of techniques and improves practitioners’ ability to plan several steps ahead and become more cognisant during rolls.

• It helps us to understand the concept of kuzushi: Gi training heavily incorporates grip-based takedowns, many of which come from Judo. Most Judo takedowns rely on grips to control and break your opponent’s posture and balance – something Judo players call kuzushi. Kuzushi not only helps with takedowns but is also important in many other phases of grappling and is a pre-requisite for many sweeps, reversals and submissions.

The benefits of training No-Gi

• It enhances your submission skills: Because of the lack of grips and relative lack of control points, No-Gi grappling drastically reduces the number of submissions available. Rolling No-Gi forces players to rapidly isolate and exploit attacking openings, resulting in a more direct and aggressive approach to submissions reliant on fast and fluid transitions. If your attacks and submission game is on point No-Gi, then this will carry over and enhance your Gi submission game greatly, when suddenly a wide arrange of grips and control points are available.

• It develops your conditioning: Because of the lack of grips and friction, No-Gi grappling is more akin to wrestling with frequent scrambles and a greater degree of agility required in transitions. Because of this, training No-Gi regularly will inevitably increase your cardiovascular fitness, speed and reflexes. The resulting improvement in your overall stamina and strength is highly transferable to Gi grappling, particularly in the competition arena, when many players initially struggle with the increased intensity and pace. 

• It improves your positional control: Controlling a slippery opponent in No-Gi is far more difficult than in the Gi when you can grip the lapels, pants and belt. Controlling your opponent from a dominant position No-Gi instead requires the use of underhooks, overhooks and body positioning. These skills will considerably enhance your positional control in the Gi.

• It will develop your leg lock game: One of the areas where No-Gi grappling particularly shines is the development of leg locks. Attacking the legs is far more accessible and more commonly taught No-Gi. While many Gi-only grapplers shy away from learning advanced leg locks, many No-Gi grapplers focus on heel hooks, toe holds and knee bars as central components of their game. Once you have learned these advanced-level leg locks, they will become formidable additions to your Gi grappling game as you progress up the ranks.

Training both WILL improve your overall performance

You benefit from the best of both worlds by incorporating Gi and No-Gi into your training regimen. Gi training builds technical precision, posture control, grip strength and defensive awareness, while No-Gi sharpens your submission game, positional dominance and leg lock proficiency. Each style complements the other, and the skills learned in one are transferable to the other.

Adapting between the two styles also forces you to adjust your game plan based on the situation. This mental flexibility makes you a more versatile grappler who can thrive in different rule sets and competitive environments. Together, these two styles create a balanced approach and create a complete and well-rounded grappler.

Together, these two styles create a balanced grappling approach. No-Gi helps sharpen your attack and submission efficiency, while Gi improves your defence and escape skills due to the added complexity of grip-based control.