If you have been training jiu-jitsu for even a little while, you probably favor one style over the other. I know I do, even though I try to train both. I have friends that only train in a gi, and say that no-gi training shouldn’t even be called Brazilian jiu-jitsu (fine we can call it catch-wrestling or submission grappling). And then I have friends who only train no-gi and think training in a gi is slow and boring. It doesn’t matter which you like better, as long as you’re on the mats, but sometimes in life we transition from one to the other, and the change can be very difficult.
Here’s a quick overview of the highlights of each style. Training in a gi tends to be a little slower paced than no-gi. Your hands tend to get destroyed more. The endless variations of control and attacks with the gi are dizzying. And of course who can forget the judo throws only possible with the help of the gi. For those of you who are into training no-gi jiu-jitsu, the pace tends to be much faster. The takedowns favor a wrestling base as well. And then of course, how can we forget, the world of the leglocks.
And now for a little advice, and need I say that free advice is worth what you pay for it, but here it is. When you transition from no-gi to gi jiu-jitsu, the number one thing you need to focus on is choke defense. In a no-gi grappling exchange, your opponent gripping your neck (AKA a collar tie) is a positional control but not a dangerous submission. When you are rolling with a gi, and your opponent has a solid grip on your gi lapel, it needs to be treated as a serious threat. The no-gi equivalent would be to have a guillotine or some other choke almost locked up, because with a little positional shift that lapel grip is going to turn into a bow-and-arrow choke. So if someone grips your lapel near your neck, make defense or removal of that grip priority number one.
Going the other direction from training gi to training no-gi jiu jitsu, my advice is to make sure your cardio is on point, and work on your wrestling transitions. Cardio sucks? Then take up running or start training Crossfit. Train your wrestling, and every gym has a few people that wrestled in high-school or college and should be willing to help you. Another big difference going from gi to no-gi, is the leg locks. Often times in traditional old school Brazilian jiu-jitsu gyms, they may not even allow or teach leg locks, so entering the no-gi world can be a shock. No-gi grapplers make a living leg locking, so do your homework and learn how to exist in this world (and tap early until you sure what is going on). Fortunately in todays grappling environment, you can throw a water bottle in any direction and hit a good leg locker who can help you with the process.
That’s my advice for transitioning from no-gi to gi and vice versa, I hope it helps you.