Jiu-jitsu Times featured an article about the contentious “Gi or No-gi” debate:
Gi Or No-gi?
The conventional wisdom is that it is easier to kimono bjj guys to make the switch to no-gi than for no-gi students to make the transfer over to training with the gi.
For the no-gi guys putting on a kimono, all of a sudden there are all of these new grips to contend with and collar chokes threatening from many positions.
There are several significant differences that I had to make in starting to train and teach more no-gi grappling.
Here are 5 Adaptations for the Gi to No-gi Grappler
1) Wrestling ties and controls become more important.
Forget the collar and sleeve grip from standing and look for under hooks, collar ties, whizzers and more leg attacks (ex. double and single legs)
Out goes the judo and in comes the wrestling takedowns.
2) Different guard style
That spider guard and controlling the sleeves has disappeared. Butterfly guard and seated guard become much more useful.
The opponent has no pants to control knees so bullfighter passes are much less effective.
Good bye collar chokes and increased importance of triangles and omomplatas.
3) “Sweat and scramble”
One of my black belt training partners is fond of describing no-gi as “sweat and scramble”.
Without those handy gi grips to control and opponent’s escapes, the rolls can be more fast paced with more exchanges of position.
Sweaty limbs slip out of submissions more easily.
4) Headlocks, guillotines and Darce chokes oh my!
The instinctive thing in no-gi is to grab the opponents head and neck…and your neck will be attacked as never before.
Drilling escapes and relieving pressure from guillotines will be much more important.
A good wrestlers headlock control can be punishing and you will have to learn to counter it!
5) Passing in close
In order to pass the guard, you need to get in closer than with the kimono.
Many of the matches in ADCC you observe one playing seated butterfly guard and the other hand fighting and looking to flatten the opponent and cut through.
X-pass and Torreando style passes where you control the knees are less effective.
How have you adapted your gi jiu-jitsu to your no-gi game?
on Jiu-jitsu Times: Train With Old Master or Young Phenom Competitor?
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