Anyone find a hard time adapting to no gi after primarily training in one? Ive heard the inverse, because of all the gi chokes, grips etc. Im finding, i have alot harder time with nogi. Bigger guys seem to be able to use strength on me more, and overall, guys that I beat with the gi on, give me more trouble in no gi. Im sure I'll adapt as I train more no gi...at least i hope. advice anyone?
after gi i do etter no gi.
Yes - no gi is different, and the adaptation period takes me time. Especially since my game makes a lot of use of collar chokes, lapel grips, etc.
My first suggestion is to re-think your approach to controlling the opponent. Without material to grab, what do you need for control? What can you do with overhooks, underhooks? How much control can reasonably expect from a wrist grab or ankle grab?
For staying alive at the start, what are your best submissions? Which of those are gi-dependant? I have to drop my gi chokes, and end up using more triangle, omoplatas, and reverse armbars.
Also, practice some of the submissions that seem (to me) to work better no-gi. Brabo chokes and anacondas, guillotines, rear naked chokes - I use all of these more when working no-gi. If you are up for a bit of YouTube study, I recommend the Fighter Fitness Brabo Choke tutorial and Stephan Kesting´s RNC tutorials that are both great free instructionals that for me translated into more submissions on the mat.
Finally, I try to roll low-energy with or without the gi. But no-gi I have to accept that I will be more active, and look for more movement in the transitions. I have to tweak my mindset a little.
Just a few thoughts.
Going either way is hard. When I'm in nogi I have an easier time dealing with strong guys. When I'm in gi I get shut down with the grips much easier. People who train primarily in the gi say the opposite, that the grips allow them to compensate for strength.
I never trained with the gi regulary maybe 8-12 weeks at all in 15 years yet people think my work is technical.:-)
Take care
Björn Friedrich
FogDude - Bigger guys seem to be able to use strength on me more, and overall, guys that I beat with the gi on, give me more trouble in no gi.
One quick tip against the bigger guys - true, they can use more "strength" to muscle out of techs, especially with less friction. At the same time, your smaller size gives you advantages in speed and being able to "thread the needle" as far as recovering / retaining guard, etc. As you can see, even you have certain advantages that you can exploit in no gi as well. Keep at it and good luck!
I find that high level Gi player sometime play thier whole game off of sleeve grips. Without those grips there options are much more limited
hey im just now getting used to the idea of training with a gi,i start Saturday, my no-gi is kinda insane,i just wonder if a gi is going to hinder my ability to use what i already know
Not hard just different, expect a much faster paced slippery game. I actually beleieve that training nogi makes you better at holding position. Just like training gi will make your escapes much better.
gi/nogi really do work hand in hand and compliment each other, regardless of what the die hard gi and nogi guys like to believe.
Both can be done with small tweaks to your game.
any transition is hard, but imo going from no gi -> gi is MUCH more difficult than what you are going through.
I went from no gi to gi and it was hell for at least the first 6 months.
i am just starting gi after 6-7 years no gi
guys slow me down in the gi and heavier guys are about 100 times heavier with their grips
but it really just slows me down and is much more static
slows down my chain of submissions which is my game
but i assume my no gi game will improve after having my chains slown down with the gi and ill be more precise with them
Just look at the list of ADCC champions (and finalists) from 2009
Braulio Estima (finalist Xande Ribeiro) - Absolute
Rafael Mendes (finalist Cobrinha)
Pablo Popovitch (finalist Marcelo Garcia)
Braulo Estima (finalist André Galvão)
Xande Ribeiro (finalist Gerardi Rinaldi)
Fabricio Werdum (finalist Roberto Cyborg)
ALL BJJ black belts with a gi background.It's not a coincidence. Transition from gi to no gi is much easier than the other way around
I totally find that when I switch to doing no gi after doing gi for a while it makes almost no difference. Even when I am doing both on regular basis the only thing that suffers is my guard since in gi I'm probably too reliant on sleeve grips.
Dogfight - Yes - no gi is different, and the adaptation period takes me time. Especially since my game makes a lot of use of collar chokes, lapel grips, etc.
My first suggestion is to re-think your approach to controlling the opponent. Without material to grab, what do you need for control? What can you do with overhooks, underhooks? How much control can reasonably expect from a wrist grab or ankle grab?
For staying alive at the start, what are your best submissions? Which of those are gi-dependant? I have to drop my gi chokes, and end up using more triangle, omoplatas, and reverse armbars.
Also, practice some of the submissions that seem (to me) to work better no-gi. Brabo chokes and anacondas, guillotines, rear naked chokes - I use all of these more when working no-gi. If you are up for a bit of YouTube study, I recommend the Fighter Fitness Brabo Choke tutorial and Stephan Kesting´s RNC tutorials that are both great free instructionals that for me translated into more submissions on the mat.
Finally, I try to roll low-energy with or without the gi. But no-gi I have to accept that I will be more active, and look for more movement in the transitions. I have to tweak my mindset a little.
Just a few thoughts.
Super, super recommendations, definitely borne out by my own experience - although I never thought it through in this detail.
Thanks for the info guys. some great help here. I do agree that going from nogi to gi must be harder then the transition in making. I only train nogi once a week, sometimes less so its gonna take a while till I make the adjustments. I have trained nogi a bit over the years, but pretty much stopped for a while and am only now kinda open to it. I wanted to make sure i had time to focus on my gi game before devoting time to nogi. Ive had blue for just under a couple years now, and been trainin pretty consistent so I feel i can give some time to nogi, to round out my game more.
My game is very grip oriented...sleeve and collar grip from closed, spider guard, de la riva, cross grip. Alot of this part of my game is gonna have to go out the window, which is why im havin trouble. seems like guys that play a top/passing game in gi, adapt alot easier while i dont have the same options to sweep them.
just adapt your grips. for example
wrist control instead of sleeve grip
back of the neck instead of collar
back of the ankle/heel instead of pants
rodd, you are absolutely right. wearing a gi forces you to have perfect technique. You can't power your way into positions or out of submissions, like in no gi. And anyone with a good gi game will also have a good no gi game.
maybe im the only one but no gi is easier for me bc of the easy motions i can go through without the static grip
in gi
(2 weeks in)
i am using a ton of static grip strength just to pass or maintain position where in no gi i would easily be able to slide or jump to another position without feeling a sweep was coming bc of my opponents grip
Malachy Friedman - maybe im the only one but no gi is easier for me bc of the easy motions i can go through without the static grip
in gi
(2 weeks in)
i am using a ton of static grip strength just to pass or maintain position where in no gi i would easily be able to slide or jump to another position without feeling a sweep was coming bc of my opponents grip
Your just having difficulty because you don't know what to do. Give it time and that will change.
joshjitsu -Malachy Friedman - maybe im the only one but no gi is easier for me bc of the easy motions i can go through without the static grip
in gi
(2 weeks in)
i am using a ton of static grip strength just to pass or maintain position where in no gi i would easily be able to slide or jump to another position without feeling a sweep was coming bc of my opponents grip
Your just having difficulty because you don't know what to do. Give it time and that will change.
thanks i'm beating the higher belts just feels like im beating them with no gi techniques....it pisses off all the guys but then i have to let them know ive been no gi for more then 6 years