Why Is The Gi Still Used In BJJ?
While I was reviewing a technical drill in Z guard with Coach, a weird question popped in my mind.
Why do we still use the Gi (Kimono) in Brazilian Jiujitsu?
The Gi makes you so clumsy, it’s heavy, and it’s definitely not something I’d be wearing in a real life scenario.. So why the fuss?
I asked Coach. He took some time to think then interrupted the drill in Z guard to tell me a very unconvincing story.
It was something about monks in Japan.
They’d be hiding valuables inside their kimonos. Being the monks small in size they would get constantly attacked by Vikings (Vikings?!… maybe he meant Pirates?). So, they developed Jiujitsu to defend themselves from bigger opponents. They create the art based on what they were wearing… their kimonos. Today we still wear kimonos to honor the tradition of small men winning against bigger opponents through technique and study.
Whatever.. We went back to drilling my Z guard.
As I was driving back home, I still felt very puzzled about this whole Kimono (Gi) story. Old Japan? Monks? Vikings? Seriously…?
As I was staring at the empty road, I tried to break down the question. Wearing a Gi clearly increases friction in movements. You allow opponents to have better grip on you vs NoGi — so logically it means that by wearing a Gi you give your attackers some sort of advantage, while putting your defense to test.
It made me think about a fundamental aspect of BJJ.
BJJ seamed to me, to be fundamentally geared for self-defense. If you can defend in a Gi, then you can easily defend without one.
As a Blue Belt I was often repeated to avoid focusing too much on submissions, to prioritize escapes and guard retention. My intuition tells me this is because of the nature itself of BJJ. As it was created for the weaker, the absolute priority is to teach people to survive, escape attacks and THEN counterattack. In this sense, it is a defensive art more than one to attack.
Is this maybe why the Gi is still compulsory? By giving your opponent more material to manhandle you, it pushes you to master the ultimate value BJJ brings to the table: Defense.
Maybe.
I pondered in silence…
A car behind overtook me blowing its horn. The men driving threw an impatient glance inside my car. I had slowed him down.
Our looks crossed for a moment.
I muttered: Defense. Brother. Defense…
The guy accelerated, thinking I was some sort of wacko. I giggled in silence.
I felt I had unlocked another important insight of this mysterious art called Jiujitsu: Master Defense!
OSS..The Bored Samurai
