To Gi or Not to Gi?-That is the Question Part 2

This is the second installment of a three part series. See www.bjjmoves.com for other two installments. I really admire Eddie Bravo. He is a very competent and excellent Jiu-Jitsu man. He makes a lot of sense in a lot of issues and is someone who I would say is a creative genius. I do however; disagree strongly with his premise that doing gi jiu-jitsu will hurt your no-gi game. I am NOT writing this to tell you that I dislike Eddie Bravo. I just disagree on his total no gi philosophy, that’s all. I own a good amount of his books and videos. I just think he is wrong on this issue. Bravo is a black belt under John Jacques Machado, arguably the greatest jiu-jitsu fighter of our time, both in the gi and no-gi, ironically. I attended a seminar that Eddie Bravo did here in Boise last year and learned some really awesome moves. Eddie made a comment that stuck with me. He said that the rubber guard works much better when you are wearing gi pants because it’s not so slick and you’re e able to grip better. Eddie Bravo for those who don’t know trains extensively in gi pants. Correct me if I’m wrong but gi pants are still a gi, albeit half a gi. I don’t understand how you can say that gi training is no good but still train using half a gi. Honestly I don’t think Eddie and I are too far apart. I just happen to train with the other half as well. I come from a BJJ is self-defense mentality and then we work down from there. Many people label the gi as unrealistic, like two sweaty guys with no shirts and in shorts on a padded surface is somehow a more realistic fighting scenario for training. I live in Idaho. I don’t know where you live but half of the year most people are wearing coats. I like to think of it as the other half of the gi, suitable for choking people out with it. That’s a bit more realistic fighting probability. I suppose that if a naked streaker runs into my school and challenges me to fight that that might be at a disadvantage but until that happens I will probably be fighting fully clothed individuals probably wearing coats. Don’t get me wrong. I work in the gi a lot but I’m not espousing that you should never do no-gi and do constant gi work. I think both can help you immensely and you should do both for reasons I spoke of in part 1. I am inclined to think that Bravo has the no gi agenda that he is pushing as a means to make him stand out apart from other jiu-jitsu instructors. It’s working! Bravo also spoke out that all the world grappling champions are gi people right now because they are the most advanced and that total no-gi fighters will rule the roost as the years go on. I’m sure he is thinking this will happen after Marcelo Garcia and Roger Gracie retire. Eddie Bravo got his black belt by doing Gi jiu-jitsu. This allowed him quite an extensive background in what he thinks works and what doesn’t. It’s sad that he doesn’t allow his students the same option to help them in their skills. In the big scheme of things I think that time will prove him wrong on who the world champions will be in the sport of no gi Jiu-jitsu. My bet is that they will still be Gi guys that took off the gi.