Gi BJJ uses a traditional heavy cotton uniform that you and your opponent grip, choke with, and control. No-gi BJJ strips that away. You wear a rash guard and shorts, and rely entirely on body-based grips. Both develop your jiu-jitsu. Neither is better. They're different games with overlapping foundations.
What is gi BJJ?
Gi training is the traditional form of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. You wear a gi (also called a kimono): a heavy woven jacket, reinforced pants, and a belt. Your training partner grips your collar, sleeves, lapel, and pants throughout the roll.
Those grips change everything. The gi creates friction that slows the pace. Movements are more deliberate. Escapes are harder because your opponent can anchor themselves to your clothing. Control positions last longer.
The gi also opens up an entire category of techniques that don't exist in no-gi. Collar chokes, lapel guards, sleeve drags, and cross-collar grips are all built around the fabric. A 2023 pilot study published in the Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology found that gi practitioners develop measurably greater grip strength than their no-gi counterparts.
Most IBJJF competitions are gi-based. The scoring system rewards positional control: sweeps, guard passes, mount, and back takes all earn points. White belts compete exclusively in the gi at IBJJF events.
If you want to understand what gear you need for gi training, read our guide on what to wear to your first BJJ class.
What is no-gi BJJ?
No-gi training removes the traditional uniform. You wear a rash guard and shorts or spats. There's nothing to grab onto except your opponent's body.
This changes the entire dynamic. Without fabric grips, you rely on underhooks, overhooks, wrist control, collar ties, and body locks. The pace is faster. Scrambles happen more often. Athleticism and explosiveness play a bigger role.
No-gi also allows a broader set of leg attacks at most competition levels. Heel hooks, inside heel hooks, and knee bars are standard in no-gi rulesets like ADCC. In gi competition, many of these techniques are restricted or banned at lower belt levels.
Research on the metabolic demands of no-gi sparring shows it places roughly 72% of its anaerobic energy demand on the glycolytic system, making it an intense, explosive form of training.
What are the key differences between gi and no-gi?
Grips and control
Gi: You grip collars, sleeves, lapels, and pants. These grips create strong anchors for sweeps, passes, and submissions. Control feels tighter and more precise.
No-gi: You grip the body directly. Wrists, necks, legs, and waists become your primary handles. Sweat makes everything slippery. Positions are harder to maintain, which forces faster transitions.
Pace and style
Gi matches tend to be slower and more methodical. The friction from the fabric rewards patience, grip fighting, and incremental positional improvement.
No-gi is faster. Less friction means quicker escapes, more scrambles, and a heavier emphasis on movement and reaction speed. You'll burn more energy in shorter bursts.
Submissions
Gi opens up chokes using the collar: cross-collar choke, loop choke, bow and arrow choke, ezekiel choke. These don't exist without the fabric.
No-gi emphasizes guillotines, darces, anacondas, rear naked chokes, and leg locks. The leg lock game is far more developed in no-gi, partly because ADCC rules have always allowed them.
Rules and competition
The IBJJF governs most gi competitions. Points are awarded for positions. Advantages break ties. Certain submissions are restricted by belt level.
ADCC is the premier no-gi competition. The first half of each match is submission-only with no points. Points only count in the second half. Pulling guard earns a negative point. The ruleset encourages aggressive, submission-focused grappling.
Which is better for beginners?
Start with whatever your gym offers. Seriously. The best training is the training you actually do. If your gym runs gi classes on Monday and no-gi on Wednesday, do both.
That said, many experienced coaches recommend starting with the gi. The slower pace gives you more time to think. The grips teach you tighter control. And the friction of the fabric punishes sloppy technique, which forces you to develop cleaner movement patterns early.
Others argue that no-gi teaches better body awareness because you can't hide behind fabric grips. Both arguments have merit.
If you're completely new to BJJ, read our complete guide on how to prepare for your first jiu-jitsu class before you walk through the door.
Should you train both gi and no-gi?
Yes. Training both makes you a more complete grappler. Skills transfer in both directions.
Gi training builds your grip strength, patience, and technical precision. When you switch to no-gi, you'll find your control is sharper than someone who only trains without the gi.
No-gi training builds your speed, scrambling ability, and body-based control. When you switch back to gi, you'll find you're harder to pin down and your transitions are faster.
A biomechanical study comparing gi and no-gi practitioners found measurable differences in physical profiles between the two groups. Training both develops a broader physical and technical base.
Many of the best competitive grapplers in the world train both. The gi sharpens certain tools. No-gi sharpens others. Together, they make a more dangerous game.
Is no-gi taking over?
No-gi has grown massively in recent years. The 2025 IBJJF No-Gi World Championship broke registration records with over 4,000 competitors. ADCC drew 13,000 fans to the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas in 2022.
High-profile athletes like Gordon Ryan, who competes almost exclusively no-gi, have brought massive visibility to the style. The entertainment value of no-gi's faster pace translates well to streaming and live events.
But gi BJJ isn't going anywhere. The IBJJF remains the largest competition organization. Most gyms worldwide still teach gi as their primary curriculum. The overall growth of BJJ has lifted both styles.
The trend is toward cross-training both, which is the healthiest outcome for the sport.
What about self-defense?
For self-defense, no-gi is more directly applicable. Real-world confrontations don't involve gis. Your attacker is wearing a t-shirt or a hoodie, not a reinforced cotton jacket.
No-gi techniques transfer more naturally to street clothes. Underhooks, body locks, guillotines, and rear naked chokes work the same whether your opponent is wearing a gi or a winter coat.
Gi training still has self-defense value. Controlling someone by their clothing is a real option. Jackets, hoodies, and collars can be used for chokes and control. But the primary grips you'll use in a real situation are no-gi grips.
How does competition differ between gi and no-gi?
The competitive landscapes are distinct ecosystems.
Gi competitions are more structured. The IBJJF runs events worldwide with strict rules about gi color, fit, and technique legality by belt level. The pace is slower. Matches are often decided by small positional advantages. Strategy and patience win.
No-gi competitions are generally faster and more dynamic. ADCC's ruleset, with its submission-only first half and negative points for guard pulling, rewards aggression. Matches end in submission more often. The atmosphere is different.
For your first competition experience, gi or no-gi, check out our guide on what to expect at your first BJJ competition.
What gear do you need for each?
For gi training:
- A BJJ gi (white, blue, or black for IBJJF competition)
- A rash guard or fitted t-shirt underneath
- Compression shorts or athletic underwear
For no-gi training:
- A rash guard (fitted, not loose)
- Board shorts or BJJ shorts (no pockets, zippers, or hard plastic)
- Spats (optional, worn alone or under shorts)
Both require a mouthguard once you start sparring, flip-flops for walking off the mat, and a towel. Read the full gear breakdown in our guide on what to wear to your first BJJ class.
Key takeaways:
- Gi BJJ uses the traditional uniform with fabric-based grips, slower pace, and a broader submission set including collar chokes.
- No-gi BJJ uses rash guards and shorts, relies on body-based grips, and moves faster with more scrambles and leg attacks.
- Both develop your jiu-jitsu. Training both makes you a more complete grappler.
- Beginners can start with either. The gi's slower pace can be helpful for learning fundamentals.
- No-gi has grown rapidly but gi BJJ remains the larger competitive scene worldwide.
- For self-defense, no-gi techniques transfer more directly to real-world situations.
- The best approach is to train both and let your preferences develop naturally over time.
Don't overthink it. Pick whichever class fits your schedule and start training. The techniques you learn in either style will make you a better grappler. For everything you need to know about getting started, explore what BJJ is and why you should practice it.