Gi vs. No-Gi BJJ: What’s the Difference?

Gi BJJ is trained in the traditional uniform — a heavy cotton jacket and pants — which lets you grip fabric to control your opponent, favoring a more technical, methodical pace. No-gi BJJ is trained in shorts and a rash guard, removing fabric grips entirely, which speeds the pace up and borrows more heavily from wrestling.

Neither is “better” — they build different skills, which is exactly why Excelsior MMA’s Adult BJJ program runs gi classes on Monday and no-gi classes on Wednesday, so every student gets well-rounded training across both styles.

Learn more about Adult BJJ

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