Fighter

The short answer to this question: jiu jitsu gi color means absolutely nothing. While BJJ gi belt colors carry some serious significance - primarily in alerting you to the level of shark you're swimming with on the mat - jiu jitsu gi colors don't carry any special significance. 

However, while we're on the topic, it's worth noting the history of the jiu jitsu gi colors, as well as when certain colors are more appropriate than others. 

First and foremost, white is the most traditional uniform color for many martial arts with Japanese roots. In Japanese culture, the color white signifies "purity" or "truth", which is likely why it was adopted as the color for martial arts training, particularly judo and jiu jitsu. When judo competitions became popularized, a blue gi was utilized to distinguish one competitor from another, and this was subsequently adopted by jiu jitsu. 

Today, white and blue are the only colors available for judo gis (the sale of which is heavily regulated by the International Judo Federation (IJF), which keeps regulation judo gis limited to those two colors). The International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation (IBJJF), the largest worldwide jiu jitsu promotion, allows for black gis as well... which is great for those who fancy themselves as modern-day ninjas. However, for the major events, like the IBJJF World Championships, black belt competitors can only wear a white or blue gi in the finals. 

The greater jiu jitsu community is quite a bit more relaxed when it comes to gi colors. While some academies have strict "white gi only" requirements during class, most academies don't... which is why you'll see jiu jitsu practitioners rocking everything from grey and green, to camo, pink and everything in between. I've even seen a tie-dyed rainbow gi! 

Often, the choice to wear a colored gi over the traditional white gi is simply due to personal preference. However, keep in mind that a white gi is always harder to keep clean - and white - than a colored gi. Even if you take all necessary precautions, your academy may use puzzle mats, which have a tendency to discolor a white gi, or it just may not keep the mats clean enough to eat off of. 

Whatever gi color you choose, just remember to tap early and tap often. 

Train on... Oss. 

Now THAT'S the million-dollar question. There is no straight answer to how long it takes to get a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It really all depends on your individual journey. That being said, there are some things that determine whether your journey is relatively fast, or much slower than your peers.

On average, most jiu jitsu practitioners receive their black belt in anywhere from 6 to 15 years. For most academies, this depends on a number of factors: 

Time on the mat

Nothing beats time on the mat. You can't progress in your jiu jitsu career without putting in hours upon hours of time on the mat, and practical experience trumps any other kind of experience. YouTube Cowboys will not receive their black belt without time on the mat, no matter how many John Danaher videos they religiously watch. You have to be able to feel the technique, feel how it works or doesn't work, feel how it must be adapted depending on your opponent's movements or reaction. You can't fully learn a technique unless you apply it. Of course, there's something to be said about supplementing your jiu jitsu practice with study. Jiu jitsu is a physically intensive activity. Depending on how old you are - or even if you're a young whipper snapper - packing in too much jiu jitsu takes a toll on your body or causes burn-out. Exercising your brain will allow you to continually advance in your progress without compromising your body or your journey. 

Amassed knowledge

Every person learns at a different rate. Two people can be training for the exact same time, yet have a very different level of amassed knowledge. And that's okay. Everyone's journey is his or her own. It certainly doesn't mean one person is better than another... nevertheless, this definitely causes some people stress. It's hard not to compare yourself to others, especially when your homeboy that you started with is getting promoted to brown, while you feel like you're stagnating in your purple belt. The worst thing you can do is freak out and quit jiu jitsu. The best thing you can do is assess why you're not learning as fast and come up with strategies to help yourself improve. 

Competitive experience

It's no secret that competitors advance through their belts a lot faster than hobbyists. This isn't because of some inherent bias in the jiu jitsu community. It's because competition affords you an incredible experience to learn what works and what doesn't work, with opponents that are going 100 percent. I tell my students that every competition is worth about three months of solid training. Plus, competition gives your professor the best view of how you compare to others in your belt division. If you're getting smashed, obviously you should spend a little more time developing in your current rank. But if you're dominating your division each and every time you enter a competition, you're probably ready to rank up or risk being called a sand-bagger by the opposing teams. 

Professor's judgment

Ultimately, the decision lies with your professor. Even if you've been sitting on a belt for years, you're dominating your divisions and you've demonstrated a sophisticated understanding of the gentle art, you're professor just might not promote very easily. Or he or she might not like you (I've seen it happen). Or - God forbid - you had actually asked to be promoted. One thing that is ingrained into the Brazilian jiu jitsu culture is: you do not ask for your belt. Don't even give hints. If you ask, you've just added more time onto your journey. And to be really honest, if you're asking for your next belt, why are you really doing jiu jitsu anyway? Are you doing it just to say to the ladies "I'm a BJJ blackbelt"? Pfft. Get out of here. Then you don't deserve it. Sure, work hard toward earning your black belt, but don't let that be the primary reason you're doing jiu jitsu. 

Again, there's no clear cut answer to this question, but hopefully I've provided some enlightenment on how you might advance through your belts and one day - hopefully - achieve that prestigious title of "professor". 

Train on... Oss. 

"Safe" is such a relative term. Playing paddy-cake in a padded room could be unsafe to certain individuals, I'm sure. Really, it all depends on your definition of "safe". Are you going to die from jiu jitsu? No. Well...  actually, the possibility is there, but you have a better chance of dying from a lightning strike.

Dying aside, let's get one thing straight: Brazilian jiu jitsu is a martial (i.e. "fighting") art. As such, there's an unavoidable element of risk and potential for injury. Here's what you can expect: 

• You will get bruises, especially when you first start out and your body hasn't adjusted to the forceful grabbing by your opponent or the innumerable impacts of someone's elbows, knees and other random body parts. Don't worry, your body quickly adjusts and you'll stop bruising so easily after a month or two. If it doesn't, make sure you're getting enough vitamins in your diet. 
• You will get the occasional black eye from a stray knee, elbow or accidental headbutt. It happens. When you have two people rolling around on the floor, both trying to obtain a more dominant position and often moving in wild and unpredictable ways, odds are your face is going to get in the way. It may or may not result in a full-blown shiner, but you will get some discoloration. Concealer comes in handy if you're worried about going out in public.
• You will roll your ankle or strain some other ligament sometime during your career. If you don't, you've got some serous Luck O' the Irish on your side. Again, you and your opponent are moving around in sometimes unpredictable ways, so it will happen that you'll plant your foot or hand in an unstable position, allowing for the possibility that it will be rolled or twisted. When it happens, stop the roll, assess the damage, wipe away your crocodile tears and get it taken care of. 
• You may break something. Considering how many people are practicing the gentle art around the world, actually breaking something is exceedingly rare. It does happen, but this is either due to an extreme - and freak - accident, or because you didn't tap when you should have. Again, jiu jitsu is a martial art. The risk of breaking something is far higher when you're engaged in a fighting discipline, than when you're sitting on the couch watching television. Just get into the habit of tapping early and tapping often. 

Again, whether or not jiu jitsu is "safe" really depends on your definition of the word. If you're looking for a hobby or sport in which you won't have to worry about breaking a nail, you should probably look elsewhere. If you're looking for something that's combative but you don't want to be punched in the face on the daily, jiu jitsu is going to be that "safe" alternative. 

The beauty of Brazilian jiu jitsu is that you can always tap. Unless you're paired with a real disaster of a human being, everyone you train with will respect the tap. If you feel pain or you're unable to breathe, just tap. 

Train on... safely. Oss. 

Few questions have been asked as much - and as often, especially around competition season - than "how much does a gi weigh"? Oh that elusive answer! The reason it is so hard to answer is precisely because there are a number of factors involved that affect the weight of a gi. 

Why Ask? 

First of all, why do people need to know so badly? For those who compete, the answer is fairly simple: because of weight cuts. There are relatively few competitors out there who don't try to cut weight for a tournament. The reason being is that they want to be as lean and mean as possible, so that they end up on the top of their weight division, where they believe they'll have the best opportunity to smash their opponent. As tricky as it is - because dropping weight without sacrificing strength due to overly-rapid weight loss and dehydration - nearly everybody does it. And if you've ever cut weight, you'll know that every ounce counts. 

Which is why a BJJ gi's weight is important. The heavier the gi, the more weight one has to cut, because weigh-ins are usually done in the uniform a competitor will compete in, and usually right before he/she goes out on the mat. 

For those who don't compete... well, the preoccupation with gi weight probably has to do with some neurotic obsession with feeling "dragged down" by a heavy gi. This is funny to me because unless you're wearing a serious double weave gi, you can't really feel the difference of a few ounces, especially when you're wearing the bloody thing. 

So What Affects the Weight? 

It's silly to ask "what's the weight of a jiu jitsu gi" because the very question assumes a universal standard in gis. The fact is, there isn't one. The weight of a gi depends on four factors: fabric type, size, cut, and adornment. 

• Fabric - First of all, not all gis are made from exactly the same fabric. There are a number of different jacket fabrics, as well as pant fabrics, to choose from. Each weave or fabric type will have a certain weight per square yard. Some brands give you a clue as to the weight of the gi when they identify the fabric type. For example, if you're looking at a gi with 450 GSM jacket and 10 oz pants, you'll know it'll be a bit heavier than a gi with a 375 GSM jacket and 8 oz pants. Please note, that doesn't mean that pants themselves weigh 10 oz, just that the fabric they were made out of was a 10 oz weight fabric. 
• Size - This should be self-explanatory, but here I go anyway. The bigger the size, the more fabric needed to construct it. More fabric = more weight. How much more depends on the fabric type and cut. 
• Cut - This is the factor that explains why a size A2 Kingz Kimono is not the same weight as a size A2 Tatami gi. Every gi brand has their own special cut, and some brands even have a variety of different cuts. A gi with a slimmer profile will use less material than a gi with a wider profile. 
• Adornment - Every little piece of fabric or stitching on a gi affects the weight. Individually, they may not matter, but when you have ten patches, a sublimated lining, and the gi brand logo stitched on every available piece of real estate... that all adds up to weight. Looking for an ultralight gi? Choose the plainest one you can find. 

So How Do You Know For Sure??

Some - and probably sometime in the near future, ALL - gi brands include gi weight in their size charts. However, sometimes these gi weights are out-dated, so always check with customer service before you rely too heavily on those charts. 

The absolute best, most accurate way to check the weight of your gi is to weigh it yourself. For those of you geniuses who can't figure out the logistics of doing this: 1) step on scale without gi, 2) step on scale again while holding gi, 3) subtract the weight in step 1 from the weight in step 2. 

Train... and weigh... on. Oss. 

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