Brazilian Jiu Jitsu GI

You need a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Gi before you can be an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) hero and dominate Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), and take the Gracie challenge. The terms gi and kimono are used interchangeably which dates back to BJJ's origins. The Gracie family who created BJJ based their combat sport off of the Judo ground fighting; they learned from instructor and prizefighter Mitsuyo Maeda who brought Judo to Brazil. The Gracie family would create a sport that is balanced, and good for a sport like mixed martial arts (MMA).

The kimono which is the national costume of Japan is a full-length traditional garment worn by children and adults of both sexes. The traditional kimonos are a loose fitting robe that goes to the ankles, and has wide full-length sleeves and is worn with sandals, but in Japan martial artists developed something better for training. The word kimono means "something worn," and has been used to refer to all clothing so it wouldn't be surprising if the Gracies' instructor referred to even his gi as a kimono or was simply using a shortened kimono with pants.

In Japanese gi means dress or clothes, and martial arts uniforms are often referred to as a keikogi or practice gi. Basically, the Jiu Jitsu kimono is very similar to the gi wore by Judo practitioners, and for those who compete in both combat sports don't need to change uniforms. A gi is made up of two pieces, the first is a heavy cloth jacket top with a thick collar that will hold up during grappling and throwing, and a pair of reinforced pants that can stand up to the riggers of ground fighting. The ranking system in BJJ is similar to other martial arts and is displayed on the gi on a heavy belt wrapped around the top.

A Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gi can be made to show of your team colors, or it can be the flag of your homeland. Some schools have restrictions when comes to color so you can't go wrong when you buy the typical white gi. Combat sports are a great way to start learning self defense, but remember on the street you don't wear a gi so you need to supplement your training. As a result, find the right gi for your favorite combat sport, and find the right self defense training to keep you safe.