Tag Archives: BJJ Gi

BJJ Guide – Where To Start For Beginners

BJJ Guide

This is our BJJ guide for beginners and if you are curious about starting martial arts and want to know how to go about it then you have come to the right place. Today I will talk you through all of the questions beginners have. If you would like to find out about how long it takes to get each belt then click here. Otherwise, carry on reading.

What’s The Difference Between Gi or No-Gi

Firstly we will start this BJJ guide with what the difference between Gi or No-Gi is and the main one is what you wear.
Hayabusa Black/Gold Lightweigh Gi

This is a Gi. It’s similar to a Judo Kimono but it’s thicker and heavier. It also normally comes with more patches than it’s Judo counterpart. This is what you will wear when you train Gi. The pants, jacket, belt and a rashguard if you want. In No-Gi you will just be in a rashguard and shorts. Don’t worry about wearing any type of support though. Pretty much everyone who trains has some small injuries and you will find a lot of people wear joint supports and tape around there fingers and hands.

Make sure you don’t show up to your first class in a t-shirt. As your top will be loose and someone might catch a finger in it and may injuring their hand. Also, don’t wear or shorts with zips or pockets. These can be dangerous for anyone that you are training with as if the zip catches them it may end up cutting them.

Also, don’t be that guy who’s too good for a gum shield. Everyone wears them for a reason and if you have to start with a boil and bite then so be it but I’d recommend investing in a proper one which you can get from your dentist. Just because there are no punches being thrown in BJJ doesn’t mean you won’t catch an accidental knee to the face one day. So get a gumshield. If you don’t have a Gi yet, take a look here at our Hayabusa Gi’s.

What’s Better

Now we have got that out the way, time to discuss what’s better. And the answer is it’s completely up to you. I started off training No-Gi, it’s easier to get into, cheaper as you don’t need to splash out on an expensive Gi and feels more natural for most people and a Gi can be restricting. I eventually moved onto Gi and I’ve been training it ever since. The Gi allows you to perform more moves. You can grab onto it and even use it to tap your opponent.

I personally think it’s better to train mostly Gi and do some No-Gi on the side. If you try to do it the other way around then you may start to get caught out by moves you have never seen before but like I said its completely up to you. And it depends entirely on your training. If you want to have some MMA fights then No-Gi may be better for you.

Triangle in a BJJ Gi Comp

Why Are There Different Gi’s

There are hundreds of different companies making Gi’s these days and each company seems to offer you something new or different as well. The main types of Gi’s are Gold Weave, Pearl Weave, Lightweight or Ultra Lightweight and Competition. If you would like to read another BJJ Guide and find out more and which one is best suited for you then click here.

Start with the basics

You will find most gyms offer a few different classes. These range from Beginners or 101 to  Advanced and Competition. Depending on where you train there may even be a few more options. If you have never trained before then I would recommend going to the beginners class, they are there for a reason. You will learn how to perform some basic moves and learn what you can and can’t do. Every class is different but most gyms follow a similar routine.

Most start with a small warm up and then on to pass guard. Pass guard is a pretty standard part of every class. It’s normally just some light training to get you warmed up. You will start with a partner, one will start on their back with the other between his legs, just like in the image below.
No-Gi example

If you start on top then it’s your job to “break” your opponent’s legs and then either pass to get side control or get on top in mount. And if you are on the bottom then you will have to sweep your partner. This basically involves turning him over so you have swapped positions and you are now on top and your partner is where you started. After about 5 minutes of this, you will go on to some technique. Your instructor will show you a move that you will practice on your opponent. Depending on the type of class you may learn a few and spend a lot of time getting everything perfect or you will move straight onto rolling.

Rolling is where you practise what you have just learned. You will take your new techniques and try them out for real. And if it’s a competition class or open mat then you might even go straight into rolling without any technique at all but this isn’t recommended for beginners. So you may just want to start with the beginner’s classes so you can spend more time learning moves as you are justing getting into the sport.

Pay Attention

You won’t be rolling every single class. Sometimes there will be too many people on the mat so you have to sit out for a roll. You may find that you get split up into groups. Which allows you to roll with people who are a similar skill level to you. Either way, you will be watching sometimes so take advantage of this time and watch everyone roll. Training with more experienced partners is one of the best ways to get better. You can even still learn from them while you are sat out though. Just watching higher belts will improve your game and you will pick up things that they do and you can try it for yourself.

They might not always admit it but your instructors may keep some of there favourite techniques back from you. If they gave everything out then people will start to defend against them better. If you are watching, however then you might spot something useful.  Which everyone else has missed because they’ve been talking the whole time.

Hopefully, this BJJ guide has been useful to a few of you and shed some light on BJJ. And remember to keep your eyes out for our next guide.

Why Are There Different BJJ Gi’s And What Separates Them

There are several different BJJ Gi’s and hundreds of companies making them these days. And each Brand seems to offer you something new or different as well. The main types of Gi’s you will find on the market are Gold Weave, Pearl Weave, Lightweight or Ultra Lightweight and Competition.

Gold Weave

Gold Weave is just a heavyweight Gi. It is made from the thickest materials and will be the heaviest Gi you can buy. The benefits of a thicker, heavier Gi are that it becomes harder for people to grab you. Mainly the insides of your wrists and your lapel. This can stop people from controlling you or choking you. Here is the Hayabusa Goorudo 3 Gold Weave Jiu Jitsu Gi, its made with 550-gsm gold spec-weave material, which basically means its stitching is very thick and heavy.

Goorudo 3 Gold Weave Jiu Jitsu Gi in blue

Pearl Weave

The Pearl Weave is a slightly lighter option than the Gold Weave. The main difference is that this Gi allows a better freedom of movement over the Gold Weave. It’s also lighter which means you can move faster. Hayabusa’s Shinju 3 Pearl Weave Jiu Jitsu Gi is made from 500-gsm pearl weave material so you can see the stitching is lighter than the Gold Weave. You can see the Shinju Gi below.

Shinju 3 Pearl Weave Jiu Jitsu Gi in black

Lightweight

The Lightweight Option will be the lightest Gi you can get your hands on. Some companies will refer to this as Ultra Lightweight but they are both the same thing. The Hayabusa Lightweight Jiu Jitsu Gi is Ultra Lightweight for Ease of Movement and Constructed with a 420-gsm Pearl Weave Cotton so it is significantly lighter than both the Gold and Pearl. If you want to find out more about the new Hayabusa Lightweight Gi then click here.

Lightweight Jiu Jitsu Gi in green

Competition Gi

And finally a competition Gi gives you the thickness of a Gold Weave Gi to make it harder for your opponent to grab you and the lightness of a Lightweight Gi so you can weight in without being worried about your weight. The Hayabusa Pro Lightweight Gi is constructed with a 350-gsm pearl weave cotton. This means it weighs about the same as the Lightweight Gi but has the Thickness of the Pear Weave. The ultimate Competition Gi.

Hayabusa's Different BJJ Gi's in white

Why we need different BJJ Gi’s

It is good to have several different types of BJJ Gis as it provides variety. It gives people the ability to pick the perfect Gi for themselves and there training. If someone was to be able to move as fast as possible they will need a Lightweight Gi as they are designed for ease of movement. Others may not have the agility to move around the mats fast and instead prefer to go on their backs and a heavyweight may be better for them as its harder for people to grab and control you.
Hopefully, this article has taught you something new and helped you understand more about different BJJ Gi’s. If you like the look of any of the Gi’s you have seen here or want to find out more about them, then click here.

Hayabusa’s New Lightweight Gi Colours Look Unbelievable

We have really outdone ourselves this time with our new lightweight Gi. It is available today and you are going to want to take a look for yourself. In addition to our existing lightweight Gi’s, we thought we would add some more colours and a bit more spice to the range. Meticulous attention to detail guarantees perfection in every aspect of its design. No aspect was overlooked.

New Lightweight Gi Design

Available in three new colours, this ultra Lightweight Gi has been specifically designed for ease of movement without restriction. The jacket is constructed with a 420-gsm Pearl Weave cotton which means that it is as light as possible while still keeping its strength. The pants are made from a cotton-polyester blend of 8oz Ripstop which gives them superior strength and durability. We also decided to add reinforced stress areas throughout the Gi so you can train as hard as you want without having to worry about it ripping. We have added a few patches and some embroidery. Intricately stitched and detailed for both function and style.

Fit & Feel

Made using pearl weave our new lightweight Gi was crafted to deliver a customized fit with unmatched comfort and most of all the durability needed for you to roll every day and push your limits.

new lightweight gi in black and gold

Performance

Constructed for the devoted practitioner. This gi delivers what athletes need for the most intense training and competition. Its ultra lightweight nature means you don’t have to worry about weigh-ins, at just over 1.5kgs this Gi won’t be the reason you miss weight. For that reason, its perfect for competitions and its thin nature means its perfect for training in summer as it will keep you from overheating. Ultimate comfort and manoeuvrability was our main aim. So test yourself and let us worry about your Gi.

new lightweight gi in green

Craftsmanship

First of all, our attention to detail guarantees no aspect of this gi was overlooked. Only the finest kinds of cotton have been used. Intricate stitching and detailing as well as a tailored cut, all ensure this Gi demands the same attention your game does.

new lightweight gi in stone white

WHY WE MADE OUR GI

The rise to excellence. Being better today than yesterday. These are goals that both Hayabusa and the Jiu-Jitsu practitioner strive to achieve. With hand-crafted designs using only premium materials and state of the art manufacturing. You can expect perfection when you roll in Hayabusa. Available in Black/Gold, Green and Stone White. We only hope you like these Gi’s as much as we do. Click here to see them. And if you need a new rashguard to go with your Gi why not have a look at our Haburi range. Which you can find here.