In a recent appearance on the “Shoot Me Straight” podcast, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu standout Mason Fowler shared valuable insights about cross-training methods that have contributed to his success on the competitive circuit.
Fowler, known for his accomplishments in no-gi competitions, surprised many listeners with his straightforward advice for practitioners looking to improve their no-gi game.
“Whenever people ask me, the no-gi guys, it drives them crazy because I always tell them to go to the fundamentals class in the gi,” Fowler explained during the interview.
His recommendation stems from his own experience seeing direct connections between gi fundamentals and no-gi application. “When I’m training no-gi, I see the concepts. Like, it could be just a certain way to frame someone when they’re pinning you. And it’s like that concept of framing is from the fundamentals curriculum,” he noted.
The accomplished grappler emphasized that these foundational skills transfer seamlessly between the two disciplines. “There’s just little things that I use every day in no-gi that I learned in the gi,” Fowler continued.
For those focused exclusively on no-gi training, Fowler offers a balanced perspective on development. “You don’t have to train no-gi every day, twice a day to be good at no-gi,” he stated.
To support his position, Fowler pointed to the broader competitive landscape: “Most of the top no-gi guys, they at least trained in the gi long enough to get their black [belt].”
This insight from Fowler highlights a growing conversation in the BJJ community about the value of cross-training between gi and no-gi styles, suggesting that mastering fundamentals in the traditional gi format can provide conceptual advantages that extend well beyond the specific techniques.
