Fighter — cat_Gi Guides

So you've tried a class or two - have suffered the indignity of the "loaner" gi - and have now made the life-altering decision to join a jiu jitsu academy. Welcome to the party. But exactly what kind of training gear do you need?

Here's our "starter pack" list of key items for the beginner practitioner: 

• Gis - Unless you've joined an academy or gym that only offers no-gi training, you'll need a gi. Actually, make that two... At least. Yes, gis can be expensive, but if you plan on training more than once every few days, you'll need a fresh, clean gi to wear while your other dries.
• Rash Guards - Even if you don't plan on trying no-gi - which is silly, you should at least try it - some academies require you to wear a rash guard under your gi, for sanitary reasons. If you do plan on doing no-gi, rash guards help keep you from getting mat burn, ringworm, or other mat-bourne illnesses. Again, at least two is advised. 
• Grappling Shorts - For those open to no-gi training, especially if you're male, a couple of grappling shorts to pair with your rash guards is necessary... Unless you plan on rocking the rash guard/spats combo, which is cool, too. 
• Compression Shorts/Spats - Regardless of whether you're going to train only gi, only no-gi, or plan on training both, compression shorts and/or spats is absolutely necessary. For gi training, you will want to wear something under your gi. Your training partners will thank you. 
• Flip-flops - If someone hasn't already told you, you shouldn't walk around barefoot while you're off the mat. Between traveling from the locker room and back, and getting on and off for water breaks, you'll need something to slip your feet in and out of easily.
• Reusable Water Bottle - Unless you enjoy standing in line for the water fountain during water breaks or in between rolls, you'll want to have your own water nearby. 
• Anti-Bacterial Soap - Whether you shower at the academy - if you're lucky enough to have one there - or you shower at home, you'll want a good anti-bacterial soap. You may have the cleanest academy in the world, but the fact is, you're rolling around in close contact with other people whose hygienic practices are not known to you.  
• Nail Clippers - You should already have these, but it's not a bad idea to carry an extra set with you. With your busy life, and likely close-toed-shoe job, it's easy to forget about the last time you clipped your toenails. Don't risk scratching your training partner with your gnarly ogre feet. 
• Gear Bag - Considering all of the above, you'll want a separate gear bag just for your jiu jitsu gear. This not only helps keep everything in one place (so you don't forget some crucial piece of attire while you're rushing out the door in the morning), but it also keeps that sweaty, pungent post-training smell from infecting the inside of your car on your way home. 

Of course, as you continue on your jiu jitsu journey, you'll find you might need a number of other things, but these are the core things that every jiujiteiro should have.  

Train on. Oss. 

The vast majority of jiu jitsu gis in the market today are relatively plain... aside from the logo, maybe some designed patches and nice embroidered details, there's usually not much more to it.

However, nearly every major brand offers at least one gi model with a fully designed interior. The Maeda Brand Akashio Jiu Jitsu Gi has to be one of the coolest we've ever seen. 

Like most of Maeda Brand's products, the exterior of the Akashio limited edition gi is streamlined and elegant. The adornments are never over-the-top, and the patterns and color ways are always very appealing. 

What makes the Maeda Akashio gi special, however, is the interior of the jacket. 

First of all, the name Akashio comes from the Japanese for "red tide", which alludes to this imagery of an ocean stained red by the blood of one's enemies. Kind of badass, right? Playing on that, the main image is from an ancient Japanese painting of two samurai warriors engaged in mortal combat on a pebble beach, into which the distinctive Maeda emblem logo and stamp logo have been incorporated. Across the yoke and the interior of the lower lapel is a pattern depicting seagulls over a blood red tide (patterns are highly popular in Japanese art, fabrics, and general iconography). 

Taken as a whole, the design appears as a work of art... you might even be tempted to frame it and hang it on your wall.

But it's far from being a delicate piece of wall adornment. The Akashio is constructed to withstand even the most rigorous training. The jacket is a relatively lightweight 480 GSM Pearl Weave Plus (a tighter, stronger weave than regular Pearl Weave), the interior sublimated lining is made from Cool Max fabric (a mesh type fabric that's lighter and wicks moisture better than a rash guard liner), and the pants are made from a mid-weight 10 oz cotton drill pants. 

Whether or not you plan on using it, the Maeda Akashio is an excellent addition to your gi collection. We give it a solid 5 stars out of 5. 

Train on. Oss.

One of the longest running jokes in the BJJ community is that of some newbie showing off a jiu jitsu technique that he/she "saw on YouTube"... something that looked really cool online, but once exposed to ruthless truth of the jiu jitsu mat proved to be as full of holes as a piece of Swiss cheese.

Nevertheless, YouTube is in an invaluable resource to a jiu jitsu practitioner's study regime, and there are a ton of good, and very valid, channels out there. The question is: which ones are the good ones? Well... we've compiled a list of our top 10 favorites (in no particular order):  

FloGrappling (30K+ subscribers, 240+ videos)

While the bulk of FloGrappling's content is locked up in their own website's subscription service, they still offer more than 240 videos - and counting - for free, on their YouTube channel. Because FloGrappling focuses on the sport jiu jitsu industry, the value in these videos for BJJ study is in the real-life application of techniques in the competitive arena.

BudoVideos (83K+ subscribers, 810+ videos)

Before there was FloGrappling, BudoVideos was pretty much the main provider of jiu jitsu video content in the industry. Co-founded by Jacob "Budo Jake" McKee, a BJJ black belt and 3rd degree aikido black belt, BudoVidoes has over 800 videos on YouTube. With instructional videos, interviews, and podcasts featuring all of the jiu jitsu scene's greatest names, it's definitely a channel worth following.

IBJJF (66K+ subscribers, 1,570+ videos) 

Especially if you're a competitor, or just a competitive jiu jitsu fan, there's no better place to access - free of charge anyway -  the sport's greatest IBJJF black belt matches than the federation's own channel. They've even organized their videos into playlists by event, making it easier to find that match everybody was talking about in the locker room last night. 

BJJ Scout (59K+ subscribers, 95+ videos)

Are you the ultimate jiu jitsu nerd? Fascinated about the step-by-step breakdown of certain techniques - particularly in the sport jiu jitsu community - and why they work? Nobody does it better than BJJ Scout. Recently, BJJ Scout has transitioned from the use of text and arrows to illustrate details, to including a stilted automated voice dub, but the information is still top-notch.

Gracie Breakdown (355K+ subscribers, 200+ videos)

Hosted by Ryron and Rener Gracie, Gracie Breakdown is another channel that offers technical breakdowns, and initially gained notoriety by breaking down jiu jitsu moves employed in in UFC bouts. In recent years, this channel has expanded into including BJJ lifestyle and tip videos, as well as highlighting the application of jiu jitsu in real-life situations.

Chewjitsu (62K+ subscribers, 450+ videos)

Run by Nick Albin, a Renato Tavares black belt, Chewjitsu is chock-full of jiu jitsu and grappling instructional videos, as well as training and competing tips and thought-provoking - and entertaining - philosophy, such as "What is a 'Dick Move' in BJJ." 

Keenan Online (62K+ subscribers, 200+ videos)

From the mind of one of the jiu jitsu community's most intellectual - and dryly humorous - practitioners, Atos black belt Keenan Cornelius, Keenan Online offers a plethora of instructional videos, breakdowns, match highlights, and... some other stuff that can only have come from the mind of Cornelius. 

Jason Scully (107K+ subscribers, 150+ videos)

Black belt Jason Scully was one of the first jiu jitsu practitioners to jump on the online instructional bandwagon, with his website The Grapplers Guide. Our favorite part of his YouTube channel is his collection of "Short But Sweet" series of instructionals, featuring a ton of submissions, defenses, drills, etc. in short, 4-8 minute videos. 

Stephan Kesting (243K+ subscribers, 490+ videos)  

Like, Scully, BJJ black belt and combat submission wrestling coach Stephan Kesting has also been at the instructional game a very long time, with his own website Grapplearts, in addition to his YouTube channel. And with an astounding 243K subscribers, it's obvious he delivers. 

Stuart Cooper Films (58K+ subscribers, 210+ videos)

There can't be a discussion about jiu jitsu videos without talking about BJJ black belt and documentary filmmaker Stuart Cooper. Renowned for his exceptionally produced highlight videos and deeply personal biographical documentaries on some of the sport's most iconic athletes, Cooper is a legend in the BJJ community. 

BONUS: 

Enter the Dojo Show (302K+ subscribers, 240+ videos)

For the more serious practitioners, we present the crowning jewel to your jiu jitsu study: Enter the Dojo Show. While it doesn't focus entirely on Brazilian jiu jitsu, it contains invaluable tips and techniques for any martial artist. Check out their BJJ-related videos here.  

Happy studying! Oss.

There are few debates in the jiu jitsu world more heated and polarizing than that of gi pant material preference. I mean, we've seen jiu jitsu players nearly come to blows over it! 

Well, not really... but in all seriousness, an individual's preferences on the material of gi pants does tend to be very particular. There are few bjj players in the community who don't care either way; people either prefer cotton, or prefer ripstop. 

So what's the difference? We'll tell you: 

Cotton Pants

Cotton is the most traditional material for jiu jitsu gi pants... and really for all kinds of martial arts kimonos, as cotton fabric manufacture has been around for thousands of years. In the Brazilian jiu jitsu gi market, two different kinds of cotton fabrics dominate: twill and duck. Much like in gi jackets, those two terms refer to the weave. Duck (sometimes called "canvas") has a standard square basket weave, and twill (of which "drill" is a variation) has a more diagonal weave. Because these fabrics are made from 100% cotton, they will shrink, depending on how you wash and dry them. This is because the cotton fibers are stretched during weaving, and when heat is applied, they retract to a more natural state. 

Ripstop Pants

Ripstop was developed during WWII for the manufacture of parachutes, replacing silk, which was much more costly. It soon became a material of choice for military uniforms, camping gear, sporting equipment, and... Brazilian jiu jitsu uniforms. The ripstop made for jiu jitsu gis are often made from a polyester/cotton blend, with stronger reinforcement fibers woven in a cross-hatch pattern throughout, giving ripstop its distinctive look. Because of the synthetic makeup of the fabric, ripstop tends to shrink less - and sometimes not at all, depending on the cotton-to-polyester ratio of the fabric. As its name suggests, it is also a very durable fabric, highly resistant to tearing. 

The Verdict? 

The preference for cotton versus ripstop jiu jitsu pants really comes down to feel and performance during grappling. Cotton is a much softer fabric, and has a bit of stretch, especially when wet (with sweat, of course). Because jiu jitsu involves a lot of contortions of the body, unrestricted range of motion is key, so some practitioners like to have a bit of stretch in their pants. Ripstop doesn't have as much give, and tends to be a bit stiffer, which can be an issue, depending on how tight you like to wear your pants. However, ripstop also tends to be harder to grip, which is why a lot of competitors prefer ripstop pants. 

The best way to determine your preference is try them both. The old adage "If you never try, you'll never know" applies to both your jiu jitsu practice, as well as your jiu jitsu gi pants. 

Train on. Oss.

We've all experienced it. That dreaded moment when - after months of training, weeks of cutting weight, and too many hours getting your gi perfectly patched up - the gi checker says it's illegal. Not the fit... which is an entirely different crisis... your patch. 

Out come the scissors, and your beloved academy patch, brand logo, or dedication to your mom doesn't get its deserved publicity on the mat.

That sucks. To help you avoid this situation, we decided to give you the short-and-sweet on gi patching regulations for the major jiu jitsu promotions. Read on...

IBJJF 

As you can see, IBJJF gives you plenty of surface area for gi patches. It is important to note the areas in which you cannot patch: below the elbows, underneath the belt, around the knees, and 15cm from the bottom of the pant hem. The reasoning behind this that these are "high-grip" areas, and patches - which are often made from material that has less texture, making it harder for your opponent to grab - in those areas would provide an unfair advantage. You might as well be fighting no-gi in that case. In my personal experience at IBJJF tournaments, I've seen more people fail gi check for fit and wear (tattered belt or lapel) than I have for excessive patching.

UAEJJF

You'll note that UAEJJF has similar patching regulations, for the same reason. There are some key differences, however. Gi brand logos (but no other patches) are allowed within the 15cm area from the bottom of the hem, but they must be fabric patches, not embroidered, and cannot be more than 36cm square. Be careful with embroidered gi brand logos in any other area of the gi (thigh or jacket skirt, for example)... sometimes they'll pass you through, sometimes not. Patches along the side of the pant cannot be wider than 10cm. UAEJJF gi checkers are also very picky about BJJ patches that just barely creep into the non-patching zone (especially around the knees).

Better Safe Than Sorry

Most local promotions follow the IBJJF and UAEJJF gi regulations, but be sure to check each event's rulebook to make sure. Also, if you happen to have a gi that you think might be borderline, don't assume the gi checker will give you the benefit of the doubt. It's always wise to bring a spare, ultra-minimally adorned gi whenever you compete... just in case. 

Train on. Oss.