If you’ve been researching jiu jitsu and you keep running into the no gi vs gi debate, welcome to one of the sport’s most heated conversations. We’re going to give you the full context, and then we’re going to tell you what we do and why. Book a free class if you already know and just want to come train.
First, the Basics
Gi jiu jitsu is trained in a gi (aka a kimono), which is a heavy cotton uniform with a jacket, pants, and a belt. The gi offers tons of grip options. You can grab collars, sleeves, lapels, and pant legs to control your opponent. A huge portion of traditional Brazilian Jiu Jitsu technique is built around these fabric grips. It’s a deep, technical, respected art with a long competitive tradition.
No-gi jiu jitsu (sometimes written no gi) is trained in shorts and a rash guard. There’s no uniform to grab. Everything you do is based on body mechanics, overhooks, underhooks, wrist control, and leverage. It’s faster, more athletic, and the techniques are built to work when neither person has fabric to hold onto.
Both are jiu jitsu. Both teach you how to grapple. Both are fun. The question is which one makes more sense as your starting point.
What the Gi Does Well
We’re going to be fair here because the gi deserves that.
Training in the gi slows the game down. When someone has a grip on your collar or sleeve, you have to address that grip before you can move. That forced patience teaches a kind of precision and problem-solving that is valuable. Gi jiu jitsu has an enormous technical depth. The grip fighting alone is its own art within the art.
The gi also has a wider traditional competition circuit. IBJJF, the biggest organizing body in jiu jitsu, runs gi and no gi divisions, and many of the sport’s most legendary competitors made their names in the gi. If you want to train in a system with 100+ years of lineage and tradition, the gi is where that lives.
We respect the gi. In fact, our head instructor Rei Villa earned his first Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt under Professor John Ramseier in the traditional system of the gi before receiving his 10th Planet Black Belt under Curtis Hembroff. He’s trained extensively in both. So when we recommend no gi, it comes from someone who has done both and made a deliberate choice.
Why We Train No Gi
Here’s where we land, and we’ll be direct about it: for most people starting jiu jitsu in 2026, no gi is the better entry point. Here’s why.
The learning curve is faster. Without fabric grips to manage, beginners can focus on body positioning, weight distribution, and movement from day one. You’re learning the core mechanics of grappling immediately instead of spending your first months figuring out how to break someone’s collar grip.
The sport is moving toward no gi. The biggest, most-watched grappling events in the world right now (ADCC, WNO, CJI) are no-gi events. The athletes pushing the sport forward are overwhelmingly no gi grapplers. Eddie Bravo’s 10th Planet system was built specifically for no gi grappling, and techniques like rubber guard, lockdown, and truck were developed entirely without the gi. The future of competitive jiu jitsu is heading in this direction, and training no gi puts you on the right side of that trend.
The vibe is different. This one is harder to quantify but it’s important to us. No gi jiu jitsu tends to be faster-paced, more scramble-heavy, and more athletic. The culture around no gi gyms (especially 10th Planet gyms) is often more relaxed, more creative, and less concerned with hierarchy and formality than traditional gi academies. If that vibe appeals to you, you’ll feel it the moment you walk in.
No equipment cost to start. Gi uniforms run $80-$200+. For no gi, you need shorts and a shirt you can sweat in. You probably already own those.
The Honest Caveat
We’re a no gi gym. We teach the 10th Planet system and we love it. So take our recommendation with that context. We’re giving you our genuine opinion, and it’s informed by years of training in both systems, but we’re also telling you what we know best.
If you train gi at a good gym with good coaches, you will learn real jiu jitsu and you will get good. The gi is a legitimate path. We just think no gi is the faster, more modern, and more fun path for most beginners. And if you’re in Bastrop, no gi is what we do at 10th Planet Airlock.
What No Gi Training Looks Like at Airlock
No-gi jiu jitsu classes in Bastrop run six days a week at 10th Planet Airlock, with morning and evening options. A typical class starts with warm-ups from the 10th Planet Warmups system, moves into technique instruction and drilling with a partner, and finishes with live rolling.
Rei teaches what he calls the story of a fight: how a real grappling exchange unfolds from start to finish, so every technique you learn connects to a bigger picture. Even on day one, you’ll see how individual moves fit into a system. If you want to know exactly what walking through the door feels like, we wrote a full walkthrough of your first class. And if you want the broader picture on getting started, check out our beginner’s guide to starting jiu jitsu in Bastrop.
So, No Gi or Gi?
If you’re researching this question, you’re already closer to starting than most people get. The best version of the answer is: just start. Pick one and go. The longer you spend reading articles comparing the two, the longer you go without actually training.
We think no gi is the better starting point for most people. We think the sport is heading that direction. And we think you’ll have more fun doing it. But the single most important variable is that you actually show up somewhere and train. If that’s a gi gym, great. If that’s us, even better.
Come Train
10th Planet Airlock. No gi jiu jitsu in Bastrop six days a week. Inside Bastrop Fitness Project at 303 Martin Luther King Dr, Bastrop, TX 78602. Right off Hwy 71. Near the Buc-ee’s.
Your first class is always free. No experience needed. No gear required.
Discounts for active duty military, veterans, law enforcement, and first responders.
Book your free trial class at 10th Planet Airlock →
Or call us: (512) 271-5260
Or email: airlockbjj@gmail.com
Check out the full class schedule here.
10th Planet Airlock | 303 Martin Luther King Dr, Bastrop, TX 78602 | Inside Bastrop Fitness Project | Voted #1 Best Martial Arts Gym in Bastrop County 2025 | We Defy Foundation Partner
