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The Necessity Of Using A Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Gi When Training

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by: admin
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Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2011 Time: 7:53 AM

Since the beginning of the UFC, many people have fallen in love with BJJ. Another impact of the UFC has been the fact that many people think that typical BJJ training is done by those wearing tight fitting clothes, no shirts, and without shoes. This is probably due to fact that most people only see BJJ inside the UFC Octagon. In reality, most traditional BJJ matches, competitions, and training take place on plain old mats with people wearing a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gi.

If you want to begin training and learning Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, you might consider buying a high quality BJJ gi. This type of gi is not the typical gi that is used for someone training in karate. These gis are more like the ones used in Judo and Aikido training. Due to the fact that the gi is used for throws and submissions, it is required for it to be ultra durable and tough to be able to survive the amount of force applied against it during training or a match.

This necessity for durability allows it to keep from being easily ripped or torn when someone attempts a technique. This also means that the uniform stitching needs to be thicker and stronger in order to hold up to the heavy use that occurs during training. Typically, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gis have double or triple stitches revealing the quality of the uniform.

If you are training specifically for the purpose of self defense, you should be concerned with training more realistically. Your training should reflect real life, so if you think you have a high risk of being attacked while only wearing tight shorts, no shirt, and shoeless by a person that is similarly dressed, then by all means train without a gi. There are also specific techniques that use the material of a gi for a submission.

One example is a collar choke and yet another would be the ease in which an arm bar can be achieved when long sleeved clothing is involved. Chances are people do not want to risk tearing their jackets or casual clothing in training. Therefore, purchasing a training specific Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gi only makes sense if you want your training to be effective, realistic, and affordable.

Some will point out the dangers in always training with a gi. They would say that you will become dependent upon the gi for your submissions instead of the mechanics of the submission becoming better. There is definitely a good point in this argument, but one should always remember that a good balanced approach is what is needed, not an extreme approach.

If you become dependent upon the gi for your submissions, grip, and application of BJJ, then you will have built in a weakness to your self defense. On the other hand, if you never train with a gi, then you will not be practiced at defending yourself from a collar choke or you may be more susceptible to a lazy arm bar than you would if you trained with a gi, at least part of the time.

Even leg locks and standard chokes like the rear naked choke can be easier to escape when not wearing a gi. Take the time to look at all aspects of training with or without a gi before making your final decision.