Fighter — top_cat

The name itself gives you a bit of a clue... obviously, if you're training NoGi jiu jitsu, there will be "no gi" involved. Whoever coined the term was a veritable genius.

For those of you who wilt and suffocate under the weight of a heavy gi, this is fantastic news. You can still practice the gentle art, without having to deal with the insufferable kimono. But... what do you wear when training NoGi BJJ? 

Back in the days, a t-shirt and/or speedo would suffice. Yeah, really. Spend enough time with some old-school Brazilian grapplers, and they'll regale you with stories of their speedo days. Today, that doesn't fly too well. 

In the last decade, the NoGi uniform has professionalized. In replace of your everyday t-shirt - which tears easily and stretches when wet, creating bear traps for any unwitting toes or fingers - grapplers now wear lightweight rash guards, much like those used by surfers. Commonly made out of a durable, stretchy polyester and spandex mix fabric, rash guards are made to fit you like a second skin. Aside from the obvious - protecting you from rashes or mat burns while you're fighting to the death - they also protect you from mat-borne illnesses, such as ringworm, staph, and MRSA. Plus, because they're easily sublimated, rash guards have become a serious fashion statement on the mats, sporting anything from the academy logo, to superhero armor, to Chuck Norris, and everything imaginable in between. If you plan to become, or are, a competitor, several event promotions require you to wear a "ranked rashguard," which features your belt color... probably so you don't sneak into the black belt division and they have to carry your broken body off the mat. 

The bottoms of your NoGi uniform will vary just a bit. If you're attending a very old-school Gracie academy, it's likely that you'll fight yourself right back into a pair of gi pants (with a rash guard). However, most NoGi grapplers prefer to wear a pair of grappling shorts and/or spats. Unlike your standard pair of board shorts or athletic shorts, grappling shorts have no pockets - again, to prevent your or your opponent's fingers and toes from getting caught and injured - and are made from a slightly stretchy (but not too stretchy, though) polyester material. Many grapplers - mostly women, but some men, too... we don't judge - opt to wear "spats" instead. These are basically athletic leggings, typically made from a spandex and polyester mix fabric, that were designed to withstand the rigors of jiu-jitsu training. Just like a rash guard, they provide full-length protection against mat burn and other skin infections. And then there are even those who opt to wear both spats and grappling shorts, combining the protection of the spats with the modesty (because spats can be a bit too skin tight for some) of the grappling shorts. 

Whatever your style, remember to train safe and always, always wash your gear soon after use. Nobody likes to roll with the funky guy.

Train on... Oss. 

Photo by: Blanca Marisa Garcia

If you HAD to wear a gi in jiu jitsu, I'd probably have quit a long time ago! The simple answer is "no, you don't have to," but it's a little more complicated than that. Depending on the class or academy you're training at, you may or may not "have" to wear a gi. 

Jiu jitsu is comprised of two different styles: Gi and NoGi. The more predominant "gi jiu jitsu" is just referred to as "jiu jitsu", simply because Brazilian Jiu Jitsu - and it's antecedent, Japanese Jiu Jitsu - have traditionally been practiced in the gi (the term used for the jiu jitsu kimono). Just as it sounds, NoGi jiu jitsu is practiced without the gi.

Practitioners of NoGi jiu jitsu typically wear a snug-fitting rash guard and shorts or "spats" (athletic leggings). The use of a t-shirt and shorts with pockets is frowned upon in NoGi jiu jitsu classes due to safety reasons. When a cotton t-shirt gets sweaty, it stretches easily and your opponent can get a foot caught in the baggy material and hurt him/herself. Likewise, pockets are also hazardous for the same reason. Because jiu jitsu is a very close-contact, physical, and often explosive activity, it's easy to break a finger or toe if it catches in a pocket while your opponent is moving quickly and/or aggressively. 

Most Brazilian Jiu Jitsu academies principally offer classes in the gi, with maybe two or three NoGi classes each week. Many academies don't offer any NoGi classes at all. And very few academies - largely those affiliated with 10th Planet - offer only NoGi classes. 

My suggestion, especially for those just embarking upon their jiu jitsu journey, is to find an academy that offers both gi and NoGi classes. You may find that you prefer one over the other, but from personal experience, practicing in the gi improves your NoGi game by teaching you pressure and precise execution of technique, while practicing NoGi improves your Gi game by improving your explosiveness as well as your ability to scramble and push the pace. 

Whatever you choose, welcome to your marvelous journey. 

Train on... Oss. 

Probably the number one, most-asked question in jiu jitsu is: "what is the best jiu jitsu gi"? Of course, every jiu jitsu company is going to offer their own - highly-biased - opinion on the matter, but it really all comes down to personal preference and budget. 

Not the answer you wanted, I know. But hold on, I'm going to give you some tips on how to actually find the best jiu jitsu gi... for you! 

Budget

You can easily spend hours and hours shopping for gis out of your price range... but then you'd have less and less time to actually train. You don't want that. Narrow your search by filtering for only those gis in your budget. Gis can get pretty darn expensive, so knowing what you can afford is key. The vast majority of gis range from about $80 for a basic, entry-level gi, to more than $200 for an extra-durable double weave. If you plan on training more than once or twice a week, you'll definitely need more than a few (so that you can cycle them through the wash and dry process). "You get what you pay for" is just as true with gis as anything else, so keep in mind that while you might be paying less for a gi, you might end up paying more in the long-term when that gi falls apart too soon. That being said, there are some exceptions: the Maeda Red Label, for example. 

Materials

Not all gis are created equal. In fact, there's quite a lot of variation in the bjj gi market, which is cool because not everyone likes the same thing. Another consideration when shopping for the "best jiu jitsu gi" is what kind of fabrics do you prefer? If you plan on competing in IBJJF events, you're limited to a cotton weave jacket, but you can decide what "weight" weave you prefer. Do you like ultra-lightweight weaves, or a bit more structured, heavier weaves? Some gis even have sublimated linings in the jacket, which wick sweat from your body and helps keep you cool during a hardcore training session. You can also choose which kind of pant you prefer: cotton or ripstop? 

Fit

Definitely the trickiest part of shopping for a jiu jitsu gi is finding one that fits your body type the best. Luckily not all gi brands use the same design pattern for their models. Unfortunately, you don't really know how a specific brand will fit on your body unless you actually try it on! Arg. BUT, there are some resources you can use to get a better idea: 

• Sizing guides - While most sizing guides are pretty generic, offering only a height and weight reference, some provide more specific measurements, such as arm and leg length, wingspan, etc. 
• Customer reviews - Many reviews will offer insightful information into the fit of a gi, such as whether the fit is more tailored than others, or if it fits loose around the shoulders, or if the length runs shorter or longer than other gis. 
• Customer service - Especially here at Fighters Market, our customer service representatives are pretty savvy about the fit on a wide range of brands and can give you some valuable information about how they might fit your body. 
• Friends and Teammates - If you see a friend or teammate wearing a gi that you like, don't be afraid to ask if you can try it on. Considering how much sweat we exchange rolling on the mat, it won't be weird. 
• Event Booths - By far the best way to check the fit of a gi... is to actually try it on. Major jiu jitsu events - especially IBJJF events - typically have venders selling gis and other bjj gear and apparel. 

Hopefully this guide helps you to choose the "best jiu jitsu gi" for you. See you on the mat! 

Train on... and look sharp. Oss. 

At no other time do we - and every other e-commerce business - receive more returns than after Black Friday. We get it. Online shopping can be tricky, and things might not fit as you like.

However, returns are a hassle... both for you and for us. And on top of that, it's not the most eco-friendly practice, as this TED Talk points out. So we've decided to give you some tips to help you minimize your returns, improve your shopping experience, and keep more products out of the landfill. Read on...

Do Your Research

Especially during Black Friday, when there's this "rush" to omg-get-it-quick-before-they're-all-sold-out... it's easy to make impulsive buys without doing your homework about what's the best fit for you, or whoever you're buying for. The most common reason for product returns is - you guessed it - a wrong size. That's understandable. With online shopping, you can't "try on" anything... yet. I'm sure sometime in the future this might be a possibility. What you can do is research what size might be the most appropriate for you. There are many resources available in this regard: 

• Sizing guides - most brands/products will have a sizing guide. This should always be your first stop before buying an article of clothing. Check out both our provided sizing guide, as well as the brand's guide. 
• Reviews - After that, skim the reviews. See what previous buyers had said about the product, and particularly about its fit. Often some generous reviewer has included his/her height and weight, which gives you a very useful reference point when choosing your own size. 
• Customer Service - Customer service often gets a bad rap, but you should know that these brave guys and gals have heard it all, and answered it all, so they are highly knowledgable about appropriate sizing. Particularly at Fighters Market, almost all of our CS representatives train, so they really know their stuff when it comes to the fit of gis and training gear. 
• Social Media - Especially in the jiu jitsu community, there are a ton of online forums and Facebook groups where you can pose your questions about the fit or quality of certain brands. In my experience, people love to give advice, so you are bound to get any number of responses... some great, and some not-so-much, but hey, it's the thought that counts. 

Want vs. Need

Another major reason for returns is that the customer simply didn't want it anymore. This is the "want vs. need" dilemma. You've been there... you're browsing an online catalog and you see a cool rash guard that catches your eye. At that moment, you want it. It will look perfect in your collection, all your training buddies will "oooo" and "ahhh" over it. You gotta have it. You add it to your cart, click purchase, and done. It's yours. Except when that shopping adrenaline high wears off, you realize that you really don't need another rash guard... or maybe you need to pay your gas bill first. It comes, and you immediately send it back (after trying it on, of course, and getting all your sweaty armpit funk all over it). 

Fighters Market is a business, so we'd love to sell you as much stuff as possible, but we're also members of your jiu jitsu community. Not only do we want you to like and enjoy the products we provide, we also want you to be able to afford to keep living well and keep training hard. So before you buy, ask yourself: 1) can I afford this, 2) do I really need/want this, and 3) is there a possibility that I might return it? 

If You Really Must...

Now, you've done everything you can to prevent the dreaded return, but you find that you simply must do it. Here's how best to do it: 

• Please, for the love of Bob, don't wear it. Try it on, sure. But don't do it right after training, or a long day of burning through your deodorant, or right after you've just doused yourself in cologne. If an item returns to us with any kind of funk - good or bad - we can't sell it again. We wouldn't want to!
• Fold it back up as best as you can - yeah, we know there are some of you who can't even fold a hand towel - and return it in it's original packaging. Just because you don't want it doesn't mean that you should smush it up into a ball and return it like that. Don't be that guy. 
• FULLY read the Returns & Exchanges policies. This provides you easy-to-follow directions on how to return your item. You won't believe how many emails our poor, brave customer service reps get about returns, from people who are too lazy to look on the website. It takes less than a minute to read the return policies and fill out our return form. 

Just as recycling is becoming a norm - and not just something hippies do - we feel that being conscious shoppers should also become a norm, to keep as much returned items out of the landfill as possible... because the more we do to keep our planet healthy, the longer we - and our future generations - will be able to train jiu jitsu.

Train on... and shop wisely. Oss. 

Let's face it: jiu jitsu is an expensive hobby. First there are monthly membership fees, which can get pretty steep depending on where you live and which academy you're going to. Then there are the gis - plural, because you can't just have one - and the other gear that you need to train in. And if you're a competitor, add hundreds of dollars in registration fees, travel and meals. 

Ugh. 

So with all of that in mind, it would be silly not to look for ways to cut costs, where and when you can. One of the best ways is by scoring deals on your gis and gear. Here are a few ways that you can: 

Browse the Sale Sections

Almost every retail e-commerce business will have a sale section. We do. These sale sections serve important roles for businesses, because companies often have only a certain amount of warehouse space to hold all of their inventory. And new products - new gis and gear, which can take up quite a lot of space - are always coming out. So in order to make room for the new, companies have to get rid of the old... and quickly. They do that by marking down a lot of perfectly good products that either don't sell fast or which they have a lot of. Unfortunately, the most popular sizes are usually gone when they do this, but you can always cross your fingers and hope! Luckily, with our Sale Section, you can filter by size, so you don't have to waste any time discovering if something in your size exists. 

Coupon Codes

Make sure you follow your favorite brands on social media. Often, they will post special event coupon codes on their Instagram or Facebook, codes which they may not publish on their websites. Here at Fighters Market, we regularly post coupon codes for between 10-20% off of your entire purchase (with some brand exceptions, like Hayabusa). That means that you can often get a great deal on a name brand gi or article of no-gi gear at Fighters Market, even when the brands themselves aren't advertising a discount. Also, don't forget to sign up for newsletters. Companies love to gather customer emails - mostly to send future deals and advertisements - so in exchange, they often offer a coupon code for a certain percentage or dollar amount off of your first order. 

Holiday Savings

Here's a little secret: companies put a lot of effort into planning their holiday sales events. And each year they tend to start a little bit earlier than that last, banking on the fact that people usually plan their holiday gifting well in advance. Except for you procrastinators... There's no hope for you. Anyway, in order to take the best advantage of these savings - either for yourself or your loved ones - mark your calendar with these common sales days: Valentine's Day, Mother's and Father's Days, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Halloween, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas and New Years. Start checking a week or two in advance of the holiday to see if they've posted about their holiday sales. 

Past Models

Keep an eye out for new gi or gear model updates. Companies love to put out new versions of solid favorites, and when they do, the past versions are often put on heavy discount. Unfortunately, you never know when a company will put a new version out - unless their marketing team is on-point and have been posting teasers about a new version - so it's hard to plan your purchase of past gi or nogi gear models. However, that only makes it more important to follow a brand or company on social media; so that you can spot those deals and snap them up before it's too late. 

We hope these tips will help you make your jiu jitsu journey a little more friendly on your wallet. 

Train... and shop... on. Oss.