Submission wrestling, also known as no-gi jiu-jitsu, is a way to fight an opponent in a match-up. The main difference between submission wrestling and traditional BJJ is that the latter uses a kimono, or a gi during the matches. Even though traditional BJJ is practiced with a gi, there are still many people that prefer the no-gi variant of BJJ. There are many benefits of doing submission wrestling instead of classic BJJ and we’ll talk about some of them below.
Submission wrestling is more applicable in a street fight
One of the worst things that you could do in a fight against more than one person is using BJJ techniques – we hope that you know that by now. But in a one-on-one fight, you will be better equipped if you know no-gi technique than traditional BJJ gi techniques.
The reason for this is simple – not everyone will be wearing clothing that can mimic the gi. The gis are made from materials that are exceptionally sturdy – meaning you can squeeze them and pull them without tearing up. What will happen if you try to do a baseball choke on your opponent if he’s wearing a regular t-shirt? That’s right – it will tear up and your opponent will be able to attack you.
On the other hand, if you know the no-gi variant of the baseball bat choke, then you will be able to grab your opponent’s head and perform it. This means that you will be able to perform no-gi techniques even if your opponent is completely naked – not that this is likely to ever happen in a street fight.
So, by learning no-gi Jiu-jitsu, you will be able to defend yourself better if you ever have a scuffle in a street fight.
You won’t have to worry about the gi
Typically, you will have to wash out your gi after every training session. This can be highly impractical for some of you. Moreover, you may need to purchase multiple gis just so you will be able to have a gi for every training session that you will visit. And as all BJJ practitioners know – high-quality gis are not that cheap.
But if you go and train no-gi jiu-jitsu, then you won’t have to worry at all about wearing gis and belts. You will be able to train in any old t-shirt and shorts. You don’t even need a t-shirt if you’re up for training half-naked. A great investment would be for you to get a rash guard though. This will protect your skin from rashes and it will look good on you. A rash guard is a lot cheaper than a kimono.
You won’t have to deal with annoying grips
Some people enjoy using their fingers in order to perform various moves in BJJ. But there are many others that loathe using their fingers in this sense. Well, in no-gi jiu-jitsu you won’t have to worry at all about this. You will be able to use your hand for various grips and clinches – but not your fingers.
The fingers can get stronger if you use them more often in BJJ, but they are still very fragile. If you grab your opponent’s gi and he explodes away from you, you may even experience a fracture of several of your digits. While the fingers are no-way near invulnerable in no-gi jiu-jitsu – they are still a lot safer than if you play with a kimono.
Moreover, the grips are known to kill the dynamics of a jiu-jitsu match. It’s a lot easier to move if there are no grips involved and this makes the no-gi matches a lot more exciting than their gi counterparts.
Prepare yourself for a killer neck workout
Your neck will grow to immense proportions if you begin training no-gi jiu-jitsu. This is because of the fact that your opponents will heavily utilize the clinching movement so that they can get a more favorable position or set you up for a submission. And your neck will get a killer workout in the process. It’s very likely that your neck will be very sore after the first few training sessions. But after a while, you will develop a powerful, bulldog neck that can withstand a lot of pressure.
In conclusion
It’s a mistake to think that traditional gi BJJ is the only way to go about this martial art and sport. If you would prefer to not use the gi, then there are many different jiu-jitsu schools that focus on the no-gi aspect of the art. You will immediately begin to experience and see the many benefits of the no-gi game and we think that you will end up loving it. But you won’t know if you don’t at least try it out for a while and see for yourself what it’s all about.
Check also:
- What is Combat Jiu-Jitsu?
- What is the most effective grappling martial art?
- The Most Effective Jiu-Jitsu Techniques For A Street Fight
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