To do GI or not to do GI? That is the question...

Okay so one of the first things you have to think about when getting into jiu jitsu is the apparel. I initially got into jiu jitsu as supplemental training for part of my overall training in MMA. If you're mainly doing MMA then all you need at first is a pair of shorts and a t-shirt or rash-guard.

http://www.hayabusafightwear.co.uk/
media/catalog/product/cache/8/
small_image/200x
/2e7300a3f97b639de46915f20ba7fb3a/m/e/
metaru-47-silver-rashguard-longsleeve-black-blue-
main.jpg

http://www.btfightgear.com/
data/btjiujitsu/_/
70726f647563742f32303134
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But if you would like to really learn some Brazilian Jiu Jitsu you're eventually going to have to get yourself a GI otherwise known as a kimono.

What is that you might ask? Well here are a couple of examples

http://i.ebayimg.com/00
/s/NzAxWDUwMA==/
z/-fwAAOSwosFUWUdq/
$_35.JPG?set_id=880000500F

http://www.fightersmarket.com
/v/vspfiles/
photos/K301-2.jpg

http://cdn3.volusion.com
/fkquf.amymj/
v/vspfiles/photos/
classicgi-2.jpg?1422951220

GI's range anywhere from seventy to several hundred dollars. They come in all shapes and sizes, pretty much all jiu jitsu apparel companies provide sizing charts for the customer to look over and make sure they get the right one.

Moving on I want to discuss as you may have already guessed, there are two ways to do jiu jitsu. One is NOGI and the other is the traditional GI practice.

A lot of MMA fighters train primarily NOGI with just the rash-guard and shorts. The purpose for this is there is nothing to grab and manipulate your opponent with just like in the cage.

On the flip side of that, when you train with a GI you learn how to use the sleeves and collar to manipulate your opponent. This my friends is very practical for self-defense, in the event that a person attacks you they are not likely to be half-naked and you can treat their clothing in the same fashion you would a GI.

So I ask you again, to do GI or not to do GI?