Should Beginners Train Gi or No-Gi? | Dean Lister's Thoughts

Black Belt Dean Lister shares his views on whether beginners should train Gi or No-Gi when first getting into Jiu Jitsu.
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[@georgefrank7468]

If you’re doing it for a self defence purpose do what best fits your environment. I live in Australia, literally wear nothing but shorts and a t-shirt all year round, so no-gi makes sense.but if you live in Russia or in a colder climate where a jacket is common attire, gi would be extremely useful.

[@thebizness5596]

Good points

[@gracebe235]

Happy Birthday, Dean. From your aunt Donna Mc.

[@jonathanwiggins5366]

Great advice. Not enough people speak about the importance of enjoying what you're learning.

[@BezmenovWasRight]

Gracie's emphasizes that a lot.

[@russelesmail]

ive definitely fell into the trap of just trying to get better, and my enjoyment/enthusiasm of bjj went down the drain.

[@timothycarey3883]

As a nogi guy who picked up the gi later on i say nogi is superior, and eveyone debates this but 1 undeniable fact that is not debateable is when a gi guy takes off the gi they lose 90% of the moves they can do, when i go from nogi to gi i dont lose any techniques, i only gain more options.

[@GoldBJJ]

Appreciate your insight, thanks for commenting!

[@OldManNutcakez]

90%? Stop the cap. More like 60%, depending on their game.

[@denisbejtja9937]

90% of the moves? Really? 😂 Also it takes a while to learn techniques, escapes etc with Gi grips … it’s not like you just wear the Gi and that shit is in your head automatically. Wild comment with huge assumptions. The only thing I gotta say is that Nogi is more technical because you grapple with less reference points. It’s easier to manipulate the body of someone else with solid Gi grips and less slippery. That’s why I say it’s important to start with the Gi and later graduate to Nogi. At first you’ll understand how to move and how to grapple with confidence, then you’ll do it with less grips

[@timothycarey3883]

@@denisbejtja9937 yes at most gi schools the majority of the game is grip dependent, not all but alot of them, i have been training all over since 2003, primarily nogi, and i am always amazed at how non exitistant attacks are from most of the gi only guys that finaly branch into nogi, im talking purple brown and blackbelts who cant pass our blue belts guards and never even threaten an offensive move and most have no idea how to use their hips cause they spent years relying on grips and grip strength. There was a world blackbelt champ i will leave his name out in the gi that came to our gym and rolled with my coach chris brennan, Chris tapped him 18 times in a 5 minute round and every time he had a look of bewilderment and confusion like his whole life was a lie, and this wasnt like 18 quick footlocks, this was pass then position then sub, sweep, pass sub, over and over. The most basic frames and movements were not even a reaction, even our blue belts were like why didnt he frame or do this or this. You really lose most of your game if you are grip dependent or a gi choke or spider guard player. If you dont think you lose most of your moves then you must have either a gi game like marcelo that isnt grip heavy or you dont have a developed game or have a basic game and dont notice the difference.

[@seentv1696]

I am using my sweat to escape from grips when doing nogi. 🤣

[@leonardomartinez7160]

About 15 years ago Dean Lister came to Guadalajara Mexico... Excellent human being and by the way he speaks excellent spanish...

[@Guitarist166]

I like how he said try and have fun first. That's how to get hooked on BJJ. Just have fun and then you'll find your reasons to investigate the advantages of GI vs NOGI

[@Babyfaceref]

Love Dean's down to earth approach.

[@frankdejong123456]

Thanks that was a nice perspective

[@TheJahool]

I'm having way more fun in no-gi probably because I used to wrestle but the slipperiness makes it more fun!

[@elmundir]

to the real reason is nogi is just more fun :p

[@robcubed9557]

Due to scheduling conflicts, I couldn't attend the no-Gi classes. So I trained Gi for a little more than 1 year before I tried my first no-Gi class. It's a completely different animal and I got my ass handed to me repeatedly since I relied on strategies that only worked with Gi (smash passes, lapel chokes, holding sleeves and pant legs). I haven't been able to train no-Gi since then due to schedule conflicts but I'd definitely love to learn more no-Gi.

[@compactcelsius269]

which do you like better

[@robcubed9557]

@@compactcelsius269 I prefer the Gi class just because I'm more comfortable with it (since I've gotten over 100 hours of training versus 2 hours of no-Gi). But I'm sure if I had more practice with no-Gi then I'd like it equally

[@Roberto-nm8sw]

Absolutely and Positively the best answer on the subject matter.

[@GoldBJJ]

Agreed!

[@Soraakids]

I think the right answer is : Gi when it's cold, and No-Gi when it's hot

[@tommytommy2]

I think the opposite, because training no-gi in summer means that the mats turn swimming pool after 20 minutes

[@Sean-xr1xj]

This is my favourite take - do whichever will keep you going and then eventually try to do both

[@e.paradigm7415]

I took 2 GI BJJ classes a looong time ago and didn't take it seriously at the time. Then a few years back I joined a NO GI gym and now joined a GI/NO GI gym that starts you off in GI and so far I love it. Of course now I'm taking my BJJ education much more seriously and from what I can tell, the GI is much more fun and seemed easier for me to grapple others with, love the technical aspects of it, yet while No GI seemed more practical in a street fight. I say start GI to learn the fundamentals and then when you get your blue belt get into No GI.

[@ahmeddasavage9869]

Gi is better in a street fight

[@ieszz88]

@@ahmeddasavage9869 no it’s not💀, no one is walking around in a thick robe for u to grab on to bro

[@ahmeddasavage9869]

@@ieszz88 Everyone wears a hoodie man, if ur in school just take a good look around where I am literally like every single person wears a hoodie

[@ahmeddasavage9869]

@@ieszz88 And You can use the hoodie collar

[@ahmeddasavage9869]

@@ieszz88Nogi is better if theyre wearing a small silk shirt or no shirt. No ones gonna be walking around with a rash guard

[@BigDuttyDeezeHD]

Dean is the man

[@michaelcarter8209]

Outstanding

[@FrontiersOfTheFuture]

Lots of techniques can be adjusted for either style but the main difference that I can see is that Gi is somewhat more slow and methodical, grip by grip, incremental positional improvement and of course the gi can be used in submissions. It's very chess-y. Fundamentals really shine here. No-gi is a bit more explosive and snappy. It takes relatively more energy to roll this way with around the same level of technical knowledge and the guard game meta leans more towards open guards and butterfly type positions. Also you will see more leglock game in no-gi.

[@Dontex_r]

Agree no gi is way more like chess, I feel if you're smart gi will be friend. If you're athletic and wrestle no gi Is your friend.

[@radu01]

Check out the size of his hands

[@spencerwinston4334]

Dean fights on such a full spectrum dominance level, even in the fog of combat, thinking seemingly several moves ahead on positioning locks, that his nickname should be Dean "Check Mate" Lister or Dean "OODA LOOP Assailant" Lister. What a delight to watch Dean conduct his mental and physical chess game on the octagon board. Bravo for the visual treats in this video, and the glimpse of a true professional at his craft. It's Dean's world when he enters the octagon and the opponents, though professionals themselves, often just look like pawns on the octagon game board.

[@dyfrigshandy]

Josh barnett

[@dyfrigshandy]

RUFINO DOS SANTOS

[@King-jq5vt]

It's simple, if you can learn to control someone effectively whose slippery and things are moving much faster. Then imagine how well you'll control them when they aren't slippery and things slow down.

[@GrGal]

I dont think it works that way… Also, Gi let you focus much more on the locks and chokes techniques, especially as a beginner.

[@humann5682]

Imagine how you are going to get stuck when someone grips your gi and you have zero idea of how to strip their grip more like....

[@Patrick33194]

Thank you c:

[@michaelsanchez7798]

As far as shirts are concerned, American football jerseys are very popular in the US and they will not tear easily. They will work like a Gi as will other types of shirts. I enjoyed listening to your take on the Gi vs. no Gi issue. I take a more pragmatic view of it. If you live in a cold environment where people are usually wearing heavy clothing, train with a Gi. If you live in a warm environment where people are wearing very light shirts or none at all, train no Gi. I think the balance you find should be based on the weather where you may be assaulted. If you are more concerned with sport than self defense, then pick the one that is more appropriate for your chosen sport.

[@andreasviken2949]

I would like to train in the gi but if I have to buy a lot of gis because they take days to dry after washing (this is what I've heard, can someone confirm or deny?) then I can't afford it and I'd just train in no-gi.

[@greysaku]

What makes me laugh is guys that shit on Gi jiu-jitsu all day, but when promotion time rolls around everybody puts Gi on...

[@anonymousanonymous7600]

Even though I like no gi better I have no choice but to do gi also

[@ongobongo8333]

thats a bad school issue

[@Laughingman9432]

Just do both

[@paultaylor107]

Sound advice... the only thing I'd add is gi's are a pain in the arse to wash and dry in time for your next session. Also gi's comparatively take up more space. Would definitely suggest both (all part of the fun)

[@GoldBJJ]

good call Paul!

[@bigb00tyslayer20]

Also you can look really cool in your superhero rash guard. Greatest advantage of nogi.

[@FrontiersOfTheFuture]

@@bigb00tyslayer20 No-one believed that was Vegeta as i lost consciousness... :(

[@pvlapa]

I train no gi but wear one, while sparring someone with no gi, when I want train my escapes.

[@slick222]

he's low-key one of the better minds in bjj.

[@GoldBJJ]

The guy is filled with wisdom.

[@SirFancyPantsMcee]

I trained no gi first because no one wore jackets where I lived...

[@Ausman84204]

I'm a new whitey doing no gi for few years now, my transition is still not complete as I learned how to get someone's grip of my gi but I haven't learned how to use it to my advantage...

[@CrashTestSkater]

I feel like a lot of guys get discouraged with the gi because it's easier to get better at no-gi in a shorter period of time, training in the gi will help your no-gi, not directly but indirectly because you're still getting hours on the mats.. focus on that more than anything else, hours on the mats, it's the key ingredient if you wish to get better. Now once you're met with the choice of "okay my school is pretty big and on XYZ days they actually have Gi and No-Gi classes on at the same time.." well in that scenario unfortunately you just gotta pick one, and as Dean said just pick the one you enjoy the most because that's generally where you're going to be getting the very most out of your training sessions, feeling good is super important

[@GoldBJJ]

Feeling good is what gets you on the mats and that is what is more important at the end of the day.

[@ongobongo8333]

its the opposite, you get better at gi way faster because it requires a lot less improvisational knowledge, creativity, and a lot less technique. The gi is like training wheels

[@tre1739]

What brand is his gi?

[@sMiLeR_thewatcher]

I know people always say, people wear big jackets, or thick hoodies etc, but no gi stuff works regardless. You can use no gi in the gi and be successful. The issue is, your own defense, when someone grabs your clothes, your gi, if you aren't prepared to break grips, escape your jacket being used against you etc.

[@GoldBJJ]

Great points!

[@MrCharles080]

At my age (43) I prefer the gi! I do both so I can train more but as far as how I feel after leaving the gym I feel like I have more success in the gi which In turn makes it more fun so it’s what I prefer. Granted it is harder finding a rolling partner at our open mats when only 5/65 people are wearing the gi😂

[@8326nazir]

100%. As long as u like it... then proceed to the other. But I’d day for for older guys. No gi can be too injurious

[@alhfgsp]

Learn grips that work in both gi and nogi while learning the gi grips. Be versatile.

[@jameswilliams4185]

Great video. But one problem. You asked a guy wearing a Gi this question.

[@jacobfield4848]

No Gi is better as often your opponent may have no shirt on or have clothing that you cannot grab as it would cut your hand or slip off. So yes "No Gi" is always better.

[@GoldBJJ]

We can also train for fun, mental stimulation, or exercise. It's nice to have options.

[@mr.j3371]

No or gi you should be able to adapt to any environment. That’s how I look at it.

[@billk5093]

Anyone know of the best BJJ places in Florida?

[@dapperbowtique2696]

What part of Florida?

[@billk5093]

@@dapperbowtique2696 Actually, I'm in Chicago. Do you know of any places here?

[@GoesToRace2k]

@@billk5093 yeah a good place in Chicago called bbw porn.

[@anonymousanonymous7600]

@@GoesToRace2k ha

[@ongobongo8333]

look for a 10th planet

[@anzdz7834]

Try both and see what you enjoy the most. Some people like training both, I know a lot of guys like me that like just training no gi. No gi is also very technical don't get it twisted, there is too many things to learn in just no gi. I personally do not like training with the GI on. But just do what you enjoy the most.

[@GoldBJJ]

Doing what gets you on the mats is how we like to roll!

[@lucasandrade6]

No-gi was always trained in Brazil, since the Gracies created the bjj, back in the day, they used to fight it the beaches in Rio, like surfers rivalry or any other reason, n no reason too lol, also vale tudo competitions was with little shorts like speedos, gi wasn't allowed, so they had to train with no gi. No gi is good fo mma, now, for street fight, dude, u need to be good on gi, u r gonna use your clothes n your opponent's clothes as gi, even if it fights without t-shirt, u can use your own t-shirt n pants. it's important to train both. In a real fight a guy who trains with gi n no-gi have a huge advantage fighting against the one who trains only no-gi, will strangle the guy that only train with no-gi in seconds using one of the t-shirts. In the army per example, they has to learn more of bjj with gi, in a combat u have a unpredictable fight, no one is going to wait one another to take off the t-shirts.

[@gipsybulldog3286]

They didn't created it, they just popularised it.

[@ClericChris]

It doesn't matter, do whatever you like, because the best answer isn't in the question. The "best thing" starts with wrestling. All things equal, someone who wrestles for a year then does jiu jitsu for a year will beat the person who spent 2 years learning 1 thing. To round it off, spend another year kickboxing. In W/J/K a 1/1/1 is greater than any 3/0/0. Nearly everything has diminishing returns after a certain amount of time. If it takes 10K hrs to master something it only takes 1,000 hrs to be better than 95% of every human on the planet. That last 9,000 hrs is to beat 5% of the people. With 1k hrs you can beat 95%, with 3k you can beat 98%, with 5k, you can beat 99.99% of people. It will take half of that 10,000 hrs to beat the last 0.01%. Diversify people.

[@dyfrigshandy]

RUFINO DOS SANTOS

[@sexywhite7198]

It's really gonna depend on if you have gloves on, but I'd say learn with no gi, train equally with both.

[@pumpkinman5954]

Who tf trains bjj with gloves

[@FrontiersOfTheFuture]

@@pumpkinman5954 MMA guys

[@rohitchaoji]

@@FrontiersOfTheFuture But they don't when they're training in a specifically BJJ session. Jiu jitsu applications in MMA have some significant differences anyway, aside from the gloves, to the point it's "ground fighting" and not purely BJJ anymore.

[@FrontiersOfTheFuture]

@@rohitchaoji fair opinion, however in my opinion BJJ is ground fighting. If some techniques deviate from traditional position hierarchy I take it as merely an evolution of the game. Back in the day you could use belts to strangle people. Now we dont do that in tournys. It's constantly evolving.

[@rohitchaoji]

@@FrontiersOfTheFuture Fair point. Now that I think of it, in the early days, "pure" BJJ in Vale Tudo included palm strikes and kicks as it was self-defense oriented, like what Royce Gracie did in UFC 1.

[@javiazar]

Yeah I'm definitely gonna try no-gi now... the gi is just frustrating being being tapped 95% of the time with collar / lapel / sleeve bullshit that would otherwise be impossible in real life because normal clothes would rip or stretch... And when the fuck am I gonna be forced to defend myself against another BJJ player on the street? BJJ people aren't out there starting fights... idiots are...and idiots have no clue about grips. Definitely not enjoying the gi at all.

[@GoldBJJ]

Absolutely do what you enjoy! That's the great thing about having both options.

[@mattmarkey7949]

Train in the gi more in the winter and no gi more in the summer, duh.

[@mattmatthews4274]

The first 6 months start training Wiki and learn your Basics and then start training both with and without

[@thehardieway]

If your goal is to be effective in a real fight, then a gi is a crutch. 70% of the grips you rely on won't work in a fight with a guy in a t shirt. No Gi is way more applicable to mma or a real fight.

[@User-54631]

When the lord speaks...you listen.

[@user-dz4ty5tj7q]

I find no gi boring to watch

[@Brandon-ob9rg]

Be a complete grappler not a gi or no gi bjj player. Do wrestling and judo too

[@nodnalneyugn8753]

I train with gi, but when I’m involved in a bar fight, I take my shirt off and fight no-gi style. no-gi situations also apply to rough sex in the bed room.

[@yurrintinckelsonn812]

He was born as a disembodied chin and the rest grew from there.

[@SpencerjonesBoxing]

No gi 🎉

[@matthewcain2880]

The intro and ending music is way to load!!

[@nakmuay2485]

for self defense it's good to train with the Gi cause in the street you have a very few probability to defend against a nude fighter 🤣🤣🤣

[@ImMakEiTNasty]

Tshirt and shorts? This is common attire,

[@ongobongo8333]

who walks around wearing a gi? a shirt or jacket wont move the same way... maybe a suit lapel would apply, but then, thats stupid to train for lmao

[@ongobongo8333]

there is no reason to train in the gi ever

[@GoldBJJ]

Train what gets you on the mats!

[@yew2oob954]

What submissions exist in nogi that don't exist in gi? The answer is NONE. Gi is the complete system with ALL the variations. You can train "Nogi" techniques while wearing the gi.

[@GoldBJJ]

It is great to do what you enjoy! Whatever gets you on the mats.

[@ongobongo8333]

not really true, the friction and grips limit what can be done

[@yew2oob954]

@@ongobongo8333 Nope...it makes is HARDER to do but does not limit which techniques can be used.

[@alexcardoso4487]

they are two completely different games, it's like comparing indoor volleyball with beach volleyball. most of the things you do in the kimono are totally dependent on the grips, the way to break the posture, the way to pass the guard, a good part of the chokes depend on the lapel and there is no way to compare everyday clothes with kimono, a simple shirt would easily torn in a fight, another thing is the connection with the gi athletes are almost all the time connected fighting for grips while in nogi disconnecting from the opponent is normal and this is extremely difficult for most gi practitioners to adapt mainly the guard game. you can in theory attack the legs in the gi but the reality is that the rules don't allow it so no one trains. if you roll nogi with an athlete who comes from the gi, see how he gets lost doing guard, especially if you disconnect from him. a nogi athlete would also have difficulties in the gi but I believe that the initial discomfort is lower because he doesn't depend on the gi.

[@theengineer704]

10P

[@bane3991]

I hate the gi. I've tried it and hated it more and more every time I put it on. Some people said I would love it after a while but the opposite happened. Some traditional places will pressure you into wearing it.

[@anonymousanonymous7600]

Gi is been pissing me off too bro

[@Sunyayana]

I know how you feel. :D

[@bane3991]

@@craigjones8518 Yeah, that's accurate. But I train jiu jitsu for self defense/MMA. So the gi would be great for someone who likes it as an extra weapon for the sport of BJJ. You can slow the action down too so if someone likes that because no gi is too fast paced for them that's fine.

[@bane3991]

@@craigjones8518 The gloves are to protect your hands mostly. I wouldn't do hard sparring with no gloves on. Plus, finger pokes to the eye don't feel good. You won't be fighting a naked man but it's better to not rely on an article of clothing. It's better to rely on wrist control. Take control of the head. Get that kimura trap going. If he is wearing a t shirt you can't rely on a pistol grip. If you are used to the gi it's going to trip you up. Gi vs no gi are 2 different things. I have friends who train exclusively gi and when they train no gi they have a hard time, they get lost. That's fine if you are just a gi player and don't care about anything else. But if you want to go to MMA you gotta ditch the gi. If you want optimal street fight self defense you gotta take the gi off unless you want to hope that you are fighting someone with a winter jacket on. If you have a get together and people want to roll for some fun, you might be a bit lost. If you are watching an MMA fight and you want to follow it better, maybe tell people what is going on you should ditch the gi. This isn't me talking bad about the gi but no gi translates better to more things. If you don't care about these things that's perfectly fine.