In a discussion about training methodologies a long time ago, top grappling athlete Garry Tonon shared his insights on the importance of gi training, even for competitors focused on no-gi competitions.
When asked if he would recommend gi training to a teenager aspiring to become a no-gi world champion, Tonon responded with an emphatic “Yes, absolutely.”
The renowned grappler explained that training in the gi helps develop a broader creative perspective. “Because I think it just broadens your creativity,” Tonon said. “Not so much necessarily just gi and no-gi training, but just the more things that you’re able to do, the more different types of grappling that you train.”
Tonon, who primarily competes without the gi, emphasized his diverse training approach, which includes working with various specialists. “I work with a wrestling coach. I try to work with some—I don’t get as much work because, like you said, I’m mostly without the gi with some judo guys, wrestlers and no-gi grappling and fighters and all different kinds of people,” he shared.
He highlighted how exposure to different martial arts styles enhances creativity, noting that “everybody expresses their martial arts in a little bit of a different way depending on what they focus on.”
While Tonon doesn’t believe daily gi training is necessary, he cautioned against completely avoiding it. “I wouldn’t say you have to train in the gi seven days a week, but I definitely would say if you’re purposefully just never showing up to gi classes, there’s a problem there,” he concluded.
