Quick Definition
A gi is the jacket, pants, and belt that make up Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’s traditional uniform, built so fighters can grip and control each other through the cloth itself.
What Is a Gi?
A gi is the traditional uniform of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: a heavy cotton jacket, matching pants, and a belt that shows rank. It’s not just clothing. In BJJ, the fabric itself is part of the fight. Grab a sleeve or a collar, and you’ve got a handle on your opponent that simply doesn’t exist in a t-shirt.
The word comes from “keikogi,” Japanese for training clothes, and it made its way into BJJ through Judo. Mitsuyo Maeda, a Judo practitioner, taught his grappling art to the Gracie family in Brazil in the early 20th century, and the uniform came with it. Over the decades, the BJJ version got lighter and more fitted than its Judo ancestor, built for ground control instead of standing throws.
You’ll also hear the gi called a “kimono,” especially from Brazilian practitioners. That’s not wrong, exactly. Kimono is the older, broader Japanese word for a garment; gi is the more specific martial arts term. Both point to the same jacket on your back.
The opposite of gi training is no-gi, where the jacket and pants are swapped for a rashguard and shorts. That single wardrobe change reshapes how the entire sport is played.
How the gi changes the game
Once there’s fabric to grab, the whole grammar of the fight shifts. Collar chokes, lapel drags, sleeve control, pant grips: none of that exists without the gi. Some submissions are gi-exclusive because they depend entirely on cloth, including the cross collar choke, the bow and arrow choke, the clock choke, and the loop choke.
Grip fighting also slows things down. Fabric creates friction, friction kills scrambles, and that forces a more deliberate, chess-like pace than you typically see in no-gi. The mechanics of actually throwing any of these submissions are their own technique-page topic.
Gi vs. no-gi
People confuse these two constantly, so here’s the split at a glance.
| Gi | No-Gi | |
|---|---|---|
| Attire | Jacket, pants, belt | Rashguard, shorts |
| Grips | Collar, sleeve, lapel, pants | Body, wrists, ankles |
| Pace | Slower, more control-based | Faster, more scramble-heavy |
| Signature submissions | Cross collar choke, bow and arrow choke | Heel hooks, body locks |
| Common ground | Armbars, triangles, kimuras work in both | Armbars, triangles, kimuras work in both |
Neither version is more “real.” Most competitive practitioners train both, since the skills cross over even though the details don’t.
Gi vs. judo gi
They look almost identical at a glance, and that trips up a lot of newcomers. A judo gi is cut baggier through the sleeves and skirt because judoka need extra fabric to grip for big throws, and it runs heavy, often 550 to 900+ GSM (grams per square meter, the standard way gi fabric weight gets measured). A BJJ gi is trimmer through the arms and torso for ground control, and competition versions now sit in a lighter 380 to 650 GSM range.
You can technically roll in a judo gi. Most gyms won’t blink. A baggy judo cut will fail the sleeve and pant-length checks used by the IBJJF (the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation, the sport’s largest governing body), and the extra material gives an opponent more to grab.
What a gi is made of
The jacket, often called the top or kimono top, is heavy cotton reinforced at the collar and seams, since that’s where the grabbing and tearing happens. Pants match the jacket in weight, with the knees built up to survive scraping across the mat. A belt cinches everything shut and marks rank, running from white to black.
Most modern gis use a pearl weave, cotton woven in a pattern that balances durability with breathability. It’s become the default across the sport for that reason.
Competition rules for the gi
Tournament gis aren’t a free-for-all. Under IBJJF rules, only white, royal blue, or black are legal, and the jacket and pants have to match. Fabric weight has to fall between 380 and 650 GSM, a range the IBJJF tightened in 2024 specifically to shut out ultralight jackets that were getting too hard for opponents to grip. Sleeves and pant legs have to sit within about 2 centimeters of the wrist and ankle when a competitor’s arms are extended.
Fail any one of those checks and the gi gets pulled before the match even starts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “gi” actually mean?
It’s short for “keikogi,” Japanese for training clothes. In BJJ, it refers specifically to the jacket, pants, and belt worn during training and competition.
Is a gi the same thing as a kimono?
Yes, essentially. Kimono is the broader Japanese word for garment, and Brazilian practitioners often use it instead of “gi.” Same uniform, different word.
Can I train BJJ in a judo gi?
For casual training, usually. For competition, no. Judo gis run baggier and heavier than IBJJF specs allow, and they’ll fail measurement checks.
What colors are legal for BJJ competition?
White, royal blue, and black under IBJJF rules, with the jacket and pants matching. Other federations may allow more.
Do beginners have to train in a gi?
Most gyms start new students in the gi, since it builds grip strength and control habits that carry over to no-gi later. Some schools skip straight to no-gi instead, so this comes down to the individual gym.
Sources
- Novakik BJJ. “What is Gi in BJJ? A Complete Guide for Beginners.”
https://novakikfightwear.com/blogs/blog-post/what-is-gi-in-bjj - BJJ Heroes. “Why Do We Call The Jiu Jitsu Uniform a Gi and Not a Kimono?”
https://www.bjjheroes.com/bjj-culture/why-do-we-call-the-bjj-uniform-a-gi-and-not-a-kimono - RVCA. “How to Choose a Jiu Jitsu GI.”
https://rvca.com/blogs/expert-guides/choose-gi - Absolute MMA. “What’s the difference between Gi and No Gi jiu jitsu?”
https://absolutemma.com/blog/whats-the-difference-between-gi-and-no-gi-jiu-jitsu/ - GrappleMaps. “BJJ Gi vs Judo Gi: Key Differences Explained.”
https://grapplemaps.co.uk/guides/bjj-gi/vs-judo-gi - Gold BJJ. “Judo Gi vs BJJ Gi: What Are The Differences?”
https://goldbjj.com/blogs/roll/judo-gi-vs-bjj-gi - Elitesports. “IBJJF Legal Gis: Everything You Need to Know for Competition.” (2024 GSM rule update)
https://www.elitesports.com/blogs/news/ibjjf-legal-gis-everything-you-need-to-know-for-competition - Sanabul. “IBJJF Uniform Rules: Gi.”
https://sanabulsports.com/blogs/news/ibjjf-uniform-rules - BJJBrands. “IBJJF Gi Rules 2026: Complete Uniform Checklist to Pass Inspection.”
https://bjjbrands.com/articles/ibjjf-gi-rules-2026-the-complete-checklist-to-pass-inspection
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