BJJ Gear Guide – Everything you need to start BJJ

Kitting yourself out for your first BJJ school is definitely an exciting and sometimes intimidating task. Our BJJ Gear guide will help you choose the best gear, whether it is for jiu jitsu in the GI, No GI or both.

BJJ in the GI
To teach BJJ in the GI (sometimes called a Kimono) you’ll need as a minimum a GI (Coat and trousers) and a belt. Some individuals will also wear a rashguard under their GI top, but this is optional for the most part clubs.

There are various types of GIs & most are suited for the rigours of daily training. Be sure to buy a GI that is made for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GIs designed for other fighting techinques will not be ideal. Thin GIs like those used for stunning arts like Karate will be too thin and won’t previous five minutes in a BJJ category and thicker GIs like those used for Judo although strong enough will be too baggy for BJJ leading to you being dominated with the grips during sparring. A GI designed designed for BJJ will be strong enough for the rigours of daily training and have a fit that will minimise the opportunity of being gripped and handled.

A BJJ GI comes as a set of coat and trousers. In most cases, the belt must be bought separately but some of our GIs (Bravura, Valente and Antique) come with a free white belt.

One of the most frequent questions we get asked is “what coloring GIs may i train in?” Jiu jitsu GI come in a variety of colors including white, blue, black, navy, red, greyish, red, yellow, orange and camouflage. Most night clubs allows any GI colour to be worn however, many don’t so it’s better to speak to your instructor if you are in any doubt before buying your GI. As a rule of thumb, most beginners have a tendency to adhere to white, dark-colored and blue as they are the traditional colours and are also legal colours for IBJJF tournaments. Another common question we get asked is “what size GI do I need?” To find out more on sizing, see our guide on Deciding on the best BJJ GI size.

BJJ Belt
You may observe that a BJJ belt looks a little different to those used in other fighting techinques. Most visible is the dark-colored or red club jogging along one end of the belt which is recognized as the rank club. On white, blue, purple and darkish belts the ranking bar is black and on the dark belts, it is red.

Between belts, some clubs give out what’s known as stripes or tags showing progress. There’s a maximum of 4 tags given for each and every belt (white to darkish belt) and it’s these tags/stripes that are placed on your ranking bar. Some prefer to keep these things stitched on and others just use electrical tape.

Belt Material
Most belts are made from standard canvas natural cotton however, many companies, us included also make them from GI weave materials. Canvas egyptian cotton belts are usually cheaper and also have a lighter and stiffer feel to them whereas the GI materials belts cost more and are normally heavier, thicker and far better quality.

You will need the same size belt as your GI size. The belt might seem to be long at first, nonetheless they are designed to be wrapped around the body twice and then tied at the front end. There are numerous ways to tie up your belt which we won’t go directly into in this guide but there are many other resources online that cover this.

No GI BJJ
For training NO GI BJJ you will desire a rashguard and a set of BJJ Shorts. Some individuals also wear spats (a kind of leggings) under or rather than their shorts. Getting started in your first lessons a set of shorts and t-shirt will suffice but eventually, you will need a proper pair of grappling shorts and rashguard because they are stronger allow a larger range of movement.

No GI Shorts
BJJ shorts sometimes known as grappling shorts were created designed for No GI BJJ and they are usually created from a compact durable material that will endure the harsh and tumble to be grappled with and gripped. Our shorts feature a 3-way stomach fastening system that consists of a rope stomach connect and 2-point Velcro system which keeps them nice and secure. Most shorts also include a stretchy crotch area which allows for increased movement when moving.

Rash Guards
Rashguards are important for Jiu-Jitsu and grappling generally because they limit epidermis on skin connection with your partner when drilling and sparring. This is very important to several reasons. The first reason is the fact that no one desires someone else’s sweaty chest in their face when being attached or when jammed in side control, Yuck! And the second & most important reason is the fact it limits the probability of mat blessed diseases like ringworm and staph being distributed between people when in close contact.

Spats
Spats or leggings because they are sometimes known can be worn independently or under a set of shorts. They can even be worn under a GI which can be a lifesaver in the wintertime if your gym is as wintry as ours is. They are made from the same materials as rashguards and fit very tight/tightly to your body.

IBJJF NO-GI Even
If you’re looking to compete in an IBJJF NO-GI event then you’ll need IBJJF approved set up. Namely a ranking rashguard, a set of shorts and or some spats. The get ranking rashguard must represent your belt ranking and the shorts and spats need to be mainly black. We give you a full selection of IBJJ approved rashguards, shorts and spats. To find out more on the IBJJF No GI requirements check out their website.

Gum Shield
The reason that you’ll require one of the should be self-explanatory. No-one wants to reduce any teeth.

SANDALS / Sliders
You will begin to learn the key phrase no shoes on the mat! You spin around on the mat therefore the last thing you want is another person walking onto it with their shoes. Don’t be that dude. You are likely to get extra press-ups or smashed by a few of the bigger belts for carrying it out. A lot of people wear sandals off the mat and leave them next to the mat when training.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *