Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor and coach Marcio Andre laid out an assessment of the divide between gi and no-gi grappling, arguing that the two disciplines are not separate sports but that one path is far more forgiving than the other.
“He’s a really good no-gi guy who is only good at no-gi. In the gi, at most, he’d be a purple belt and that’s in the best-case scenario. If he’s that good, he’ll eventually become a good purple belt. But not in the kimono. A brown belt or black belt in one format might only be a purple belt in the other, and in some cases, could even struggle to reach the blue belt level or qualify for the ADCC selection process.”
He framed the imbalance as a matter of directionality rather than opinion.
“It’s not a matter of guesswork. It’s logic, and we can see it very clearly. If you’re at a low level in the kimono, you’re not suddenly going to be at a high level without it. With the gi, you develop from one direction, while without the gi, you develop from another.”
Andre pointed to grip figh ting as the root of the technical gap.
“The main difference I see is that with the gi, you have to refine your technique much more, and the gi allows you to develop that technique more effectively,” he said, adding that no-gi grappling allows athletes to lean on strength where gi grappling demands precision.
“In no-gi, because you can rely more on strength, you tend to use more strength. The more you rely on that physicality, the more limited you can become technically.”
He also pushed back on the idea that results only validate one format.
“Most champions still train in the gi. It’s a large majority, even with the rise of people who train exclusively no-gi. I see guys who perform very well under ADCC rules but don’t perform nearly as well under IBJJF rules.”
Despite the hierarchy he described, Andre insisted jiu-jitsu remains one sport rather than two.
“I think it’s the same sport. Jiu-jitsu is jiu-jitsu. That’s how I was always taught, and that’s how I see it. Ultimately, if you know how to practice jiu-jitsu with the gi, you should know how to practice it without the gi.”
On preparation, Andre described his own transition before winning a no-gi world title with minimal specific training.
“I took off the kimono about a week before the competition. I trained specifically for no-gi for maybe a month, I don’t even remember exactly, but probably two or three weeks at most,” he said, crediting his gi foundation for the quick adjustment.
For young athletes in particular, Andre said the gi should come first.
“I don’t think children should train without the kimono. I think their technical development can drop significantly if they only train no-gi,” he said, closing on the idea that skill, not format, ultimately decides outcomes. “In the end, what matters is how much skill you have. If you’re good, you’re good. If you’re not good, it doesn’t matter.”
