Is Gi Jiu-Jitsu better than No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu for self-defense?

In discussions about self-defense, you need a hypothetical scenario so the argument can have something to hang on. For this blog the scenario is: if you were in a street fight, would it have been better if you had trained in a Gi (the traditional kimono or Jiu-Jitsu uniform) or in No-Gi? I think it’s fair to say that, in most places and during most times of the year, if you’re going to be in a fight you and the person you’re fighting are likely to be clothed. Even in beach communities and tropical environments, people still tend to wear at least a shirt and shorts most of the time. And for people like me with a very fair complexion, I tend to wear long sleeves if I’m going to be in the sun all day.

So I’ll caveat the rest of the blog by saying this: if you think it’s more likely you’ll be fighting someone who isn’t wearing clothes or is topless, then No-Gi training is where you should spend your time. If you’re an MMA fighter you should train No-Gi, or if you spend the majority of your time surfing or skin-diving, etc. I will also say that all of the moves you learn that don’t require grabbing clothing will still work if clothing is present.

For everyone else, I think training clothed and keeping the ability to use each other’s clothes against them might be a better use of your time. In Gi training we learn how to deal with grips. What do you do if someone stronger than you grabs your sweatshirt or jacket? Can you break the grip? If you can’t break the grip, what are your other options for moving around and getting into a dominant position? In the Gi you will learn and practice these things. Clothing can also restrict movement and sometimes make you feel claustrophobic. Practicing with a heavy Gi on can normalize these feelings and make you more comfortable when you’re stuck in those spots.

There are lots of ways to choke someone without using clothing, and those chokes still work when you’re wearing clothes. There are also many ways to choke someone using your clothes or their clothes. It isn’t always appropriate to choke someone unconscious—sometimes you want to hold someone until you can reason with them, or until the police arrive. But sometimes you need to neutralize the threat and get somewhere else. One way to do that is by choking them unconscious; many people are totally fine when they wake up. Another benefit of choking someone with their clothing (such as a cross-collar choke) is that you can often do it from a very safe position, and if you get good at them they don’t take a lot of energy.

What about an armbar, knee bar, heel hook, wrist lock, etc.? The reality is that breaking someone’s bones will stop a lot of people—but not all. There are plenty of examples in MMA and grappling tournaments where someone had a bone broken or dislocated and kept fighting. So an armbar might not be the best option for self-defense. Another consideration is that the person you’re fighting may not be someone you want to cripple. We can probably all think of scenarios where we don’t want to seriously injure the other person, but we need to stop them or protect ourselves or others. Maybe a relative got too drunk at a family get-together. Or you’re visiting a friend and their daughter’s boyfriend is high and wants to fight. Maybe you’re breaking up a fight for people you don’t know and you just want to make sure the smaller or weaker person doesn’t get hurt. I’m sure there are lots of other examples.

One more thought on breaking or dislocating: there are moves we learn and practice that can actually cripple or paralyze someone. That might be what you need to do to get out of a bad situation, but you might also face consequences you’ll have to explain to someone’s family or a jury later. You might legitimately need to defend yourself, but do you really want this person to miss work for a year while they rebuild or replace their knee and then have to physically retrain their leg—because of a parking spot dispute (insert your favorite ridiculous reason for fighting here)?

I train both No-Gi and Gi Jiu-Jitsu. No-Gi is faster, there’s less friction, and I think it’s fun and useful. I also train in the Gi. I think the Gi is in many ways a more technical martial art and I enjoy training in it. I think both Gi and No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu are incredible forms of self-defense. My opinion is that if self-defense is your goal and you can only train in one, you should train in the Gi.

Jeremy (The Jungle Cat) Corbin