What's the main difference between gi and no-gi BJJ?

The uniform and the grips. Gi training allows grabbing the jacket, collar, sleeves, and pants, which slows the game down and adds fabric-based chokes. No-gi is trained in a rash guard and shorts, with control coming from underhooks, wrist control, and body locks, at a faster pace.

Should a beginner start with gi or no-gi?

Whichever your gym offers. If both are available, many coaches suggest starting in the gi because the slower pace and constant grips build cleaner fundamentals, but starting no-gi is completely fine, especially if MMA is the goal.

Is no-gi faster than gi?

Generally yes. Without fabric to hold, escapes are quicker and scrambles more common, so no-gi rounds tend to run at a higher pace than gi rounds.

Are heel hooks legal in BJJ?

In IBJJF no-gi divisions, heel hooks have been legal for brown and black belts since 2021. They remain illegal in IBJJF gi competition, and most gyms restrict them for beginners regardless of ruleset.

Do I need different gear for gi and no-gi?

Yes, but not much. Gi classes need the uniform (gyms often lend one for trials), and no-gi needs a rash guard and shorts without pockets. Many people train both with one gi and one set of no-gi gear.

Guides

Gi vs No-Gi BJJ: What's the Difference?

By the MatDrop team · Updated Jul 14, 2026

Walk into most BJJ gyms and the schedule splits into two kinds of class: gi, in the traditional heavy cotton uniform, and no-gi, in a rash guard and shorts. Same art, same positions, noticeably different game.

Beginners tend to agonize over which side to start on. The short version is that it barely matters, and this guide explains why, along with the real differences in grips, pace, and rules so you know what you're looking at on a schedule.

What you wear (and grab)

The gi is a heavy woven jacket, reinforced pants, and a belt. No-gi is a rash guard with shorts or spats. That difference in clothing changes the whole gripping game: in the gi you can grab collars, sleeves, lapels, and pants, and entire guards and chokes are built on that fabric. In no-gi there's nothing to hold, so control comes from underhooks, overhooks, wrist control, collar ties, and body locks.

Gear-wise, neither side is expensive to start. We break down actual prices in our guide to what BJJ costs, but the short version is that gyms usually lend a gi for trial classes, and no-gi needs nothing more than a rash guard and pocketless shorts.

Pace and style

Gi rolls run slower and more methodically. Grips restrict movement, so establishing and breaking them becomes the fight before the fight, and beginners get a little more time to think. The fabric also punishes sloppy technique, which is exactly what a new student's technique is.

No-gi is faster: fewer handles means quicker escapes and more scrambles, and you have to stay active to keep control of anyone slippery. Wrestlers tend to feel at home immediately.

Rules and competition

The rulesets diverge more than the clothing does. Gi competition under the IBJJF is point-based and restricts leg attacks. No-gi allows more of the leg-lock game, and since 2021 heel hooks are legal for brown and black belts in IBJJF no-gi divisions. ADCC, the sport's biggest no-gi event, runs its matches submission-only with no points in the first half.

The submission menus shift accordingly: gi favors collar-based chokes like the cross-collar and bow-and-arrow, while no-gi leans on guillotines, darces, anacondas, rear naked chokes, and leg locks. None of this matters much at white belt. It matters a lot by the time you compete.

Which should a beginner start with?

Start with whatever your gym offers. That's the honest answer, and it's the standard advice. If both are on the schedule, many coaches suggest gi first: the slower pace gives you more time to recognize positions, and the grips teach tighter control from the start. Start with no-gi if your goals lean toward MMA or you simply prefer the faster pace.

Most gyms teach both, and the schedules show it. Of the eight academies with complete class schedules listed on MatDrop (as of July 2026), seven run dedicated no-gi classes alongside their gi program. Whichever side you start on, adding at least one class a week of the other style is the common recommendation for a rounded game.

Either way, your first session looks the same: show up in a t-shirt and shorts and see how it feels. Our guide to your first BJJ class covers the rest.

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