Gi or No Gi for MMA and More - Coach Zahabi AMA -

[@austin7530]

Firas, you're the king. Thanks for taking the time to talk to us and answer these questions. This is why you are the best in the world. A truly great MMA mind.

[@CoachZahabi]

thanks for sending in the great question!! hope the answer helps!

[@njnj8759]

Tristar Gym Firas, you have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

[@njnj8759]

Tristar Gym Matthew chapter 5

[@austin7530]

Nj Nj go away

[@njnj8759]

Ya'll Finished Or Ya'll Done? I'll leave you and your "KING" to be lmao...

[@CoachZahabi]

Hey guys thank you for all To comments happy to hear you are all enjoying this content. For this of you asking the books I mentioned are Fluid BJJ by Karel SilverFox Pravic Becoming a Supple Leopard by Kelly Starret Jiu-Jitsu University by Saulo Robeiro

[@romeopagulayan6261]

Really appreciate the content and words of encouragement!

[@Gainsndnsjs]

Is Jiu University gi or no gi

[@6nosis]

Tristar Gym palhares vs tonon was the sickest grappling match I’ve ever seen period.

[@mj22jk]

These videos give me life. Please never stop.

[@PNesssmol]

"To Gi or not to Gi. Conspiracy." -Eddie Bravo

[@lucasandrade6]

Eddie Bravo did not created the no-gi jj. No-gi is just a bjj without gi. The Gracies always trained with gi n no-gi bjj. Eddie Bravo just choose training no-gi bjj. BJJ.

[@abrahamlincoln8542]

@@lucasandrade6 No no no, you have it all wrong, Eddie Bravo invented rashguards and spandex, you see, he even invented nudity. Before Eddie Bravo, there was no such thing as no-gi, ever. In fact, everyone wore gis all the time, even in public, babies were given gis at birth, and they wore them daily. You wouldn't know, you're too young to remember the service Eddie Bravo did for us, he liberated us from gis forever.

[@lucasandrade6]

@@abrahamlincoln8542 what! R u serious. Since the Gracies created the bjj they had practice no-gi bjj

[@abrahamlincoln8542]

@@lucasandrade6 Ask your parents, before Eddie Bravo invented nudity, they had to wear a gi wherever they went

[@lucasandrade6]

@@abrahamlincoln8542 my friend the only thing he did was decided to train 100% of time no-gi bjj. Just study a little bit more about bjj, not even the internet says the bravo created. In Brazil we always practice both, n both r important, remember in a street fight your opponent will not be naked, n any piece of the clothes r a potential gi

[@ashigaramii__]

So much knowledge... Dropping gem after gem after gem... Thank you Mr. Zahabi.

[@Nevrane]

Firas on JRE would be a dream come true

[@baller3026]

Jonathan D your dream came true :)

[@SallGood1]

@@baller3026 DId they discuss the gi or no gi issue there?

[@MusabInamdar]

He came there twice!

[@JJDon5150]

Firas hit it on the head. I originally did both when I first started training about 7 years ago, and then ended up only doing no gi for the last 2-3 years since I was at primarily an MMA school and then a 10th Planet school. What I've mainly noticed is that you can't replicate the athleticism in gi that is normal in no-gi. Sure, gi slows things down, but I wouldn't say its more technical. I'd say no-gi is by far more technical because you're bringing in both athleticism, technique, and unpredictability (sweat, getting tired) to the match. If you can't stay active or your choke isn't tight or hit correctly, your opponent could slip out. With Gi, the friction does make it easier to pull off submissions from a dominant position and in a bottom position, it artificially helps you break down your opponent through grip leverage. Lastly, I'd say for MMA or self defense purposes, no-gi is way more realistic. You can do an armdrag, over/underhook, or grab the tricep on anyone with 2 arms, no matter what they're wearing.....you can't say the same for grabbing a sleeve, doing a gi choke, or sleeve based judo throw. That's why wrestlers who transition to BJJ or MMA are so successful now a days because they have those fundamental no-gi techniques you don't typically learn in a gi class. All they have to do is learn a few grips and chokes like Firas says and they'll be set.

[@oksanagilroy1950]

Try collar choke in summer when no shirt or tank top is on a opponent no gi is greater no bad habits like u said more variables at play with tech gi is slow with tech nothing else inserted in combat gi is sport bs injj vs adcc sub only style is better by far

[@cameronforbes2649]

I've never really understood the idea that No-Gi is more realistic for self defense. Maybe if you live in a hot humid climate where people wear shorts and t-shirts all the time, but a lot of us live in areas with seasons. I say Summer-Winter Rules. No-Gi in the summer, Gi in the Winter. Also I don't know who you've trained with, but traditional BJJ and upkicks with Gi Grips are definitely applicable for self-defense. The closest Jon Jones ever came to being knocked out clean was when Brandon Vera upkicked him. (I know it was technically illegal, but the point being that the present ruleset favors Wrestlers not BJJ).

[@Kaximuss]

@@cameronforbes2649 What? He wasn't hurt from that upkick

[@cameronforbes2649]

@@Kaximuss lol maybe he was acting hurt, but he sure reacted quickly

[@Kaximuss]

@@cameronforbes2649 Yeah cause he knew it was illegal

[@farrmma9872]

Thanks sooooo much for answering my question about my hip. You made my day right now. Your a genius Firas!

[@timn6378]

Another tip for the telegraphing is to strike when your breathing is the most relaxed. Try it out on the bag just 1s and 2s. Another approach for the telegraph issue is to set a pattern then break the pattern. Example do 1 -1 -2 twice then 1-1 -low 3 to the body

[@whatthe5954]

Glad to see you tell the truth about the gi. Even more than creating reliance on things that won't always be there, it also trains your muscles to be good at certain specific grips and movements. The concept of sports specificity tells us that you should do exactly what you'll be doing, not something that's close. It changes your muscles and if your goal is to min/max every single aspect of your body and training, that's the road to take. I think there's a lot of anger when you point that out, but the reality is that being good at using your body without the extra handles is just better. Like so many things in life, it's a matter of identity. So many people have made Gi BJJ a part of their view of self and that keeps them from seeing things clearly of even being able to say "Well, this might not be exactly perfect, but I love it and it's good enough for me." Love this stuff, Firas. Thanks a lot of sharing your expertise with all of us.

[@hernanviera1]

You have a brilliant way of understanding how to train someone and more importantly why they should be trained that way. The Mohamed Ali knife analogy was genius.

[@march9564]

Thanks Firas for your response. I am a blue belt from Toronto. . and will make sure to roll with some more white belts going forwards!

[@ShinkaTV]

Loving the new format Firas! You could probably break this video into 4 videos, too. It would provide more specified SEO for the vids, and, give you more targeted exposure for new listeners :) Also, if you posted a list of all the questions you've answered on a blog you would also draw more traffic. Os!

[@rakaftan]

Soooo much great content on this channel. Isn't a suprise really. One of the best gyms in the world, one of the best mma coaches in the world... We need to maki it one of the most popular mma oriented youtube channel :) Cheers

[@thugninjavendetta3912]

Hey Firas, I train in the GI a lot as my school is very GI heavy and it is mainly a Bjj school but with MMA instead of vice versa been a MMA school with BJJ, I train heavy in the GI but always try and keep my game basic without to many sport related guards/grips/inverting etc, Demian Maia said all the years he trained with the gi his game was still always focused towards MMA thats why you would never see demian maia play more sport Bjj guards like the spiders, lassos etc, Kron Gracie is also another example of this style of BJJ when wearing the gi, My point is i think a fighter can train heavy in the GI and still adapt there game to MMA realy well but the main thing on this topic is the fighter needs to know the differance between sport BJJ and The BJJ that will work in a full combat situation.

[@thugninjavendetta3912]

Also to add, Understanding of ground and pound is a must like you said! When rolling strictly BJJ i always think about the positions i could throw strikes or be absorbing strikes from, Would love to get a reply from you, Your a legend man!!

[@joliearanda6481]

No gi is still better for mma

[@lucasandrade6]

Since the Gracies created the bjj they do with gi n no-gi

[@aaroncruz2379]

awesome video!! I have noticed working with white belts and noticed my offensive game. However, working with guys at my level or above, it is a game of defense/ survival with some submissions thrown in! I will pay attention more to that aspect of my training. Thanks

[@Zenitself]

6:43 In Gracie Jiu-Jitsu we all start No-Gi until Blue belt. Although you are allowed to wear a Gi, it is not required. Firas KEEPING IT REAL Zahabi!

[@oksanagilroy1950]

Bullshit gracie schools hate the no gi became #1 sub style in world they lies 4 10yr about 10th planet and leg lock styles all lie bs they sell gracie cant take down all American high school wrestling lv guys have there way no gi vs brown an black belts add strikes those high belts bcome white blue belt at most ...real combat street or mma has strike concrete multi people attack u. An u might not get a take sown on a college wrestling lv guy so gracie bjj answer is what pull guard get hit 100times face broke hope they get tired

[@Nothingnow466]

As-salaam-aleikum Br Firas. As always, very informative and insightful. It's great listening to you as you always have an amazing perspective on MMA. All the best!

[@bobdownie.2806]

So good to hear such sense, it’s like music to my ears.

[@owengrantjj]

I think the optimal method is to start training in the gi but focus on learning universal grips and not relying on lapel or sleeve grips. Sure they will have to learn grip breaks but grip fighting is an important part of nogi as well and I don't think the two are that unalike. If you spend your first one or two years training mostly in the gi and getting held down it will teach you to rely on technique to defend/escape and not let you rely on athleticism or slipperiness. Ultimately I believe the two styles compliment each other. I agree though for MMA nogi is much more important once a sound technical game has been developed.

[@ranjeetvirdee2688]

Big inspiration listening to all your videos. Really helps me cope with all aspects on my life. Please keep them up. Ranj Blue Belt!

[@piotrdygas5345]

about knive fighting i think that youre right if it goes duel like 2 guys with knives standing across and trying to slash each other, but it rarely happens, usually people get stabbed by suprised not even having a chance to grab your own weapon of choice. what im trying to say is that people willing to use a knive dont usually show knive just come across and stab stab stab. the one showing off the knive usually is not willing to actually use it just trying to intimdate. great video as always very hepful mr zahabi

[@TheKillerkadoogan]

Firas - I see you doing that short arm darce variation in a lot of your rolls with a great deal of success. Can we please get a video dedicated to that at some point?

[@Longarmshortarm]

Wiggles 🙏 waiting for this video too

[@sienjong2762]

Thank you so much, sir. you are a very nice guy for giving us your time.

[@K1ANOOP]

18:54 "Becoming a Supple Leopard" by Dr Kelly Starrett (It's available on Amazon. Bit pricey but Firas is a much better advocate for this book than the publisher's very own book bio tbh)

[@lifecircle5764]

Thank you Firas... Always great advise

[@JeffRey-xs3jm]

coach you are awesome. I am always happy when I see a new video. thank you very much :)

[@i_amscarface_the_legend9744]

That's why Firas is one of the best coaches in the world, be a martial artist is not only power but it is a way of thinking (philosophy). Thanks Firas !

[@LuisRodriguez-lv5vf]

Really appreciate what your sharing. Very empowering. Thank you from San Francisco, El Niño training center home of the skrap pack

[@cirtey29]

Please share your knowledge about maintenance and prevention of injury, got injured on the knee for lack of knowledge..

[@Arthurdankarelli]

I train at an old school Gracie school. They always sweat me for only going to the nogi classes and never wearing the gi for open mat. I just don’t have fun in the gi

[@Qian-Tang]

Firas, I can listen to you all day long, you are a good talker.

[@Iron-Bridge]

The starting with no gi as opposed to gi argument makes so much sense.

[@jdpattack]

My gym only has one no gi a week but I train the rest of the days in gi and I tru to only use over hooks under hooks and that type stuff and I can’t get that much taps in the gi it’s made me good at scrambling in mma

[@serpico096]

This man is pure wisdom. Thanks, master Zahabi. I´m learning so much from you.

[@McFasty3924]

Thanks coach, I will check out the supple leopard book and really get to grips with single-legs like you advise. Cheers!

[@AT-db9gu]

Thank you for all the advice. I will be sure to check the book out

[@BanglishBoy]

Wow, absolutely phenomenal insights. I cannot wait to apply these principles to my Bjj game and life.

[@ЕркинТокмагамбетов]

Dear Firas, please don’t say excetera because it’s et cetera. Your tips on training are great and I really appreciate that you share your knowledge with us. Best regards, Yerkin, Almaty, Kazakhstan.

[@treroney4720]

Are u going to continue to break down fights? And could you also cover GLORY fights or is that a promotion issue

[@scorpionbradford]

Thank you, Zahabi so much for physio book tip on Kelly Starrett. You also gave a lot of meaningful tips towards the philosophy of the martial arts. Where is Tristar located ?

[@StoutProper]

That defensetech website doesn’t work

[@JTMUSICCHANNEL]

My coach shows how to use the GI and how to use it without the GI and I always use the the no gi movements

[@Griefer27]

Good video as always but will little bit disagree i think if you trained for a little bit taking of a gi is not problem.. maybe first few days will be a problem but after that you adapt really quickly. all you fundamentals are there.. your body knows how to move.. hip movement reaction timing this things are more important than grips. if you don't have collar to grab you will grab collar tie i think its really intuitive and adaptation is not long

[@zbigniewkowalczyk830]

what's the name of that book is? I could't find if you can write down title I will be grateful.

[@angad10]

Becoming a Supple Leopard by Dr. Kelly Starrett

[@Gkoodle]

why did they go for so many heel hooks and leg locks in general in that fight? (gary tonin fight)

[@bluetiger5064]

The gi or "kimono" were common clothing back then in Japan before western influenced. Now it's more of a tradition, but to say that it's unrealistic for the street, I don't think it's a good argument. Same could be said with strictly no gi (your opponent can't grab your clothing and you theirs), that's unrealistic too. So what I think is that you have to compromise, find common ground, which is, someone could grab your clothing and control you, but because you've adapted to gi and no-gi, you'll be able to overcome the challenge.

[@duss9728]

Hey Firas at 6:15 you say you would start a new beginner at No Gi rather then Gi how long should he train no gi before starting gi? A year or 2 ?

[@scurvy786]

In regards to wearing a gi for most of your training. I see it like this.. would you train mostly judo if u were going to compete in greco-roman wrestling? Similar rules but different sports.

[@oksanagilroy1950]

All martial arts that have a sport version of competition. Are meant to acquire Martial skill via application increased techniques are developed faster and more precise the closer u r to sport being like combat ..rea fights street no rules no mats weather rains snows or concrete hurts to roll around on or a 250lb guy high on opiates an pcp is trying to kill u or hurt a family member and he has a weapon or has friends with that soccer kick your face to bit when u pull your trusty killer guard on asphalt he elbows u in face gnp u dont train at gracie bjj bull shit school .do any knife training ??baton.?or gun disarms or gun fighting shooting and cqc house drills in dark u kno like how the outside of dojo world is or like u sleep at hime at night the typical hours for burglar robbery home invaders??na u gracie gi guys and alot of no gi sport comp guys cant do basic takedowns to get to grapple position so u can lapel grip sweep and Ezekiel chike the guy or 5 guys offf your back ...u shoulda learned verbal de- escalation techs and psych 101 that will help more than that bs u think is combat..

[@MMAFightPrediction1]

Love your content Firas keep it up! OSS!

[@DJ_Pina]

Which books you read!? I have 2 places to train can't decide it's Arizona combat sports or Jay pages jiujitsu academy !?

[@usernotfound904]

Firas aka THE WIZARD 💯

[@sullymanda1971]

love the vids coach keep up the great work!

[@davidbreault9355]

Very intelligent Q & A session. Thanks

[@WimDemeere]

Great video Sir, thank you! And I very much agree with you and tell the same thing to my students: the rules of the sport determine the techniques. If you fight in MMA without a gi, then you should spent most of your training time without the gi. Some gi techniques will offer cross-over, but not all of them. Quick Q for you: what software do you use to make your instructional videos? With the arrow drawings on the screen, pausing the image while you give commentary, etc? I'm looking for something exactly like that. Thank you for all your work, very much appreciated.

[@oksanagilroy1950]

All martial art training is in order to get better at combat real no rule no controled environment situation so that makes no sense rule set bs lie is bcuz gi gracie bjj guys jus cant admit after fighting no gi and lies about it not being good for def or skills etc the world exposed them lying over 10ys or so of adcc sub onlyma street fight vids on youtube expose the flaws bad habit an time wasted learning a cross collar choke when u live ina hot weather area or loke most have only 4-6mlnths where a person wears a coat let alone heavy jackets that translate gi grips chokes sweeps etc..even ufc 1-20proved gracies just pull guard get a 10p hits to the head face etc and lay an pray the guy beating them up gets tired soon so they might sub them not common so they try sweep wrestlers base negate that gi sweep b.s. so alot of draws in early ifc fights alot of stalled action stand ups and unrealistic combative techniques that taught collar an laper sleeve grips but no one wear dress shirts sleeves like a gi or heavy jackets outside of a few months a year did u learn to drive by sitting in a empty parking lot with no danger of other cars an pedestrian?? No u got on the fucking dangerous road wher u move wrong at bad time or force bad skills u pay dearly with injury or death or run over a child and jailed 4 it

[@tonyhale8396]

I could listen to you and John Danaher talk about Jiu-Jitsu all day. I can honestly say if it wasn’t for the two of you on JRE I would not have started training BJJ at all.

[@danialqureshi7553]

Same

[@joeysherrett]

Infinite gems 💎🔥

[@idozec]

great information. thanks

[@bukhaled461]

2:19 - 5:32 - 10:36 - 14:40 - 15:50 - 23:50 - 26:29

[@jeffreyg8275]

So have kids do youth wrestling?

[@mathew9851]

do you think people should be graded no gi?

[@Robinson.69]

What is the deaeases name firas had? Senecca, saneka? Not a native speaker so i dint get it, thanks

[@guitarhack42]

That's why I like Marcelo Garcia Zahabi. His style is great for Gi and No Gi. My game is influenced heavily by him. Great episode!

[@oksanagilroy1950]

10yr ago bet u if he began bjj now he would be all no gi an mma related training why learn useless and bad negative effecting habits bad habit =bad results u smoke cigs get cancer right

[@kebinyo]

@@oksanagilroy1950 punctuation- it's good for you

[@wolvcap1]

Very informative video cleared so much up for me thanks!

[@birpaul]

Sick videos coach, keep em coming!

[@AlexA-tx3ql]

Awesome video

[@death4127]

I use to think the gi was not practical but seeing that in a street fight they'll have clothes and using their grips you can have a good advantage. However no gi is better

[@ВасилийЛагерев-у1о]

Hi, Firas, It is better to train Jiu-Jitsu in the Judo gi or BJJ gi for adaptation in MMA?

[@satswa]

Phenomenal! Thanks so much for spreading your knowledge.

[@anindyasankarroy7123]

like it ????? are you kidding ..... FUCKING LOVE IT ... I can't thank you enough for sharing your wisdom with us ...

[@wingoreviewsboxingandmma3667]

We need a TimTam that angles around to hit our back

[@jeffdbmb]

I bought the book its kick ass its a must have

[@nicoalavi]

great vid man keep up the good work

[@decoybackatitagain6576]

love this world wide revolution of mma, raising the bar and sharing knowledge! never stop

[@King-qm9kf]

Thanks for helping us Firas.

I trained only gi 10 years and my transition to no gi there was no major problems. I a lot of no gi people come to gi get frustrated and quit.

[@bodybydre1470]

What’s the song at the end ?

[@dirtygeazer9266]

Silly question imo mat time is always valuable you can find pros in either

[@dkoli]

Same in boxing. I practice combos sparring with nubs

[@crooced8994]

Thanks a lot man

[@yybr85712]

Firas. I enjoy your posts immensely. Would love it if you appeared on Joe Rogan's podcast. You seem a wholesome person.

[@Ofirleibeltrading]

It really depends on the school

[@dochvtech22]

thanks

[@paulshealthfitness7922]

finally I know where I can buy a baton

[@Zmego1234]

Firas and his little kid planet story was hilarious.

[@oyu8]

I was surprised to hear John Danaher on the Matt Serra Podcast saying that he thinks a new student should start in the gi.

[@unclehenatch1614]

Porra Carahjo my brother... They got to you.

[@jetaimefidelis]

Thanks for the info!

[@dreamtobeapolyglot8444]

I like both and find both useful. Humanity is absurd how we always have to create a divide on every subject. Can’t we all just be happy and choke someone out lol

[@wtfmma9889]

JRE please!!!!

[@Joyceages]

The most dominant Jiu Jitsu guy in the UFC is a "gi guy". The most prestigious no gi grappling tournament is dominated by "gi guys". Train both but I follow statistics to base my opinion on the whole no gi vs gi argument.

[@CoachZahabi]

The highest paying BJJ tournament is EBI and its dominates by "no gi guys" Still I see your point but my opinion is that the most important factor is experience. What your referring to as "Gi guys"" all happen to be the competitors with more year and matches. In th east if you wanted to compete you did have a lot of no gi tournaments in comparison to gi tournaments so the previous generations practice a lot in the gi. The coming trend seems to be no gi (sub only ) if this continues I think you will see a lot more no gi only champions. Gordon subbing Keenan is a great example of this especially when you consider how much more experience Keenan has. My point mostly rest on opportunity cost for MMA fighters. MMA fighters have so much to learn, why spend time doing something you will never use???

[@lrobbo96]

MJ did you listen to firas actually talk about this? His logic on it completely follows these statistics

[@Joyceages]

I guess what I meant by "gi guy" is someone who started and became incredibly proficient at a fundamental level before switching to no gi. We see it with Garry Tonon and Gordon Ryan. Both achieved blackbelt with the gi but prefer to compete without it. I've met far too many guys who have massive holes in their games because they relied on their athleticism and speed and all thought training with the gi was pointless. In my opinion, though I truly enjoy the EBI format, it's shallow in the highest level of competitors. You will not see Buchecha, Rodolfo, or Rafa Mendes until it is as prestigious as ADCC. Therefore, I can't use it to compare no gi vs gi. Also, I respect your opinion tremendously in regard to MMA (love these videos) and mean no disrespect. I believe Jiu Jitsu guys who have a heavy leg lock game and never develop their passing fail to do well in MMA in comparison to someone like Demian Maia whose whole game is based on wrestling, half guard and a top game valuing position over submission. I believe he developed a lot of his attributes through training with the gi, especially watching him compete at older IBJJF tournaments where he had a very similar style.

[@dark-vp8km]

gi dsnt wokr in mma

[@Joyceages]

Yep, I did. My initial post was more of a general comment. My follow up comment was a response.

[@dimecanal]

thanks firas youre the best

[@yew2oob954]

So basically...blue belt (escapes) and maybe purple belt (your game and smoothness) at most.

[@lorodz]

So many sponsors. Video starts at 1:53

[@LRG53]

@20:00

[@rye-bread5236]

So Only train gi for the following: Sport gi competition Self defense And to train escapes because it's harder to escape in gi. If mma is your only goal 100% no gi. If self defense, 60/40. If both mma and self defense 75/25. One day a week doing gi basic techniques not advanced shit that is useless.

[@falkhammermuller9342]

I dissagree with your assessment on big strong guys. Obviously we're competing in tournaments and are matched with others our size. We play the game different, thats true. But thats already true between the lower weight classes.

[@ptub5257]

Like good food from my favorite restaurant.

[@alQarafi]

khabib v. tony analysis

[@Vanqofficial]

For a second there I thought this was a _G in a Gi_ re-upload by Ralek