The traditional answer to this question is that yes, gi training is more technical than no-gi because of the many variations in grips and control that the gi provides and also because the presence of gi fabric makes escaping much more difficult.
My answer, though, is a bit less conventional. I argue that gi and no-gi training are both more technical in different areas. In my mind, gi training is great for defense. With all of the grips and friction present in gi training, your defense needs to be sharp and your posture needs to be strong. You have to be aware of everything you are doing and everything your opponent is doing. If you make a mistake, undoing the damage will be very difficult. Breaking grips is challenging, and you can’t rip out of a submission very easily because two gis rubbing together can be like Velcro.
No-gi is the opposite. You can probably use the sweat to slip out of a sloppy submission. In this training environment, your offense needs to be on point. If you leave space or move too slowly, your opponent will almost surely escape. No-gi training then is a great way to polish your attacks.
Train both, and enjoy the benefits of training both.
The traditional answer to this question is that yes, gi training is more technical than no-gi because of the many variations in grips and control that the gi provides and also because the presence of gi fabric makes escaping much more difficult.
My answer, though, is a bit less conventional. I argue that gi and no-gi training are both more technical in different areas. In my mind, gi training is great for defense. With all of the grips and friction present in gi training, your defense needs to be sharp and your posture needs to be strong. You have to be aware of everything you are doing and everything your opponent is doing. If you make a mistake, undoing the damage will be very difficult. Breaking grips is challenging, and you can’t rip out of a submission very easily because two gis rubbing together can be like Velcro.
No-gi is the opposite. You can probably use the sweat to slip out of a sloppy submission. In this training environment, your offense needs to be on point. If you leave space or move too slowly, your opponent will almost surely escape. No-gi training then is a great way to polish your attacks.
Train both, and enjoy the benefits of training both.
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