I guess your first question would most likely be, what the hell is a Gi?
Gi is the uniform used in multiple martial arts, but in this case for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
It consists of pants and a top that is held closed with a belt. 
BJJ is a grappling form of fighting. It is similiar to wrestling and Judo. It involves chokes, holds, and submissions. "Tap, Nap, or Snap". Jiu jitsu is about using joints and your opponent's strength against them. In this way, it is possible for someone smaller to over take a larger person. Like, say, me for instance.
I currently take BJJ at the Grappler's Guide Academy located above the Middletown firehouse in Red Bank, NJ. The school is run mostly by Jason Scully, who recently just received his Black Belt. GGA also offers Muay Thai, MMA, and Extreme Fitness classes. I also take Muay Thai there as well instructed by Greg Mihovich, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. I've been taking BJJ for around 1 1/2 years now, and I have 2 stripes on my white belt. 
Jiu Jitsu involves strength, technique, stradegy, speed...it goes on and on. I may be smaller and less strong than some of my opponents, but speed and technique can make up for that. Again, a lot of techniques involve using your opponents stength, weight, or body against them.
BJJ also is fought with No Gi. Grappler's Guide classes taught without the Gi at my school are called No Gi Submission Wrestling. Personally, I find I like the Gi better. With a Gi you have more things to grab. You can use the Gi to sweep or pass an opponent, choke them out, or hinder their movement. The Gi allows me a little more control over my opponent (I believe), then with No Gi. Faced with someone 50 pounds heavier or perhaps even someone around 200 pounds, having the control I feel with a Gi and increased possible attacks is a lot better than not having it.
That gi is SICK!!! Awesome blog btw. I had a Jits Blog going for a while and then it got side tracked to my world travels, then my personal thoughts on North Korea, and now it's inactive... This just kind of motivated me to start it back up. I haven't been able to do jiu jitsu for about 6 months now due to deployments and what not. Now with my 80 hour work week of a schedule I can only make it to class like once every 8-9 days, which doesn't warrant the 150 dollars per month it would cost me to do 3 classes. SOON!!! I'll be back in the mix soon!
ReplyDeleteThanks!! That's the Gi I'm getting (I'm pretty sure), Breakpoint. Though people have said good and bad things haha.
ReplyDeleteI never really had a blog before, but it's kinda cool and also kind of helps set things I just learned into my brain a little more I think. You should def start it up again! :)
I only pay 85 for my classes, but then again I started when my instructor only had like one sort of BJJ class and less times per week than what is going on now. He has a policy of not changing the price, so now I *could* go any day but Sundays. Plus there is beginner BJJ and Muay Thai which I don't have to pay extra for even though he never had it before. :D Pretty much rocks.
God...80 hours! Yea, that's crazy. I couldn't imagine. I go to bjj mondays and wednesdays, college class on tues, and of course normal work till 5pm (so 3 days a week I am gone 6am and get home at 10pm). That's quite enough for me >.< Although in the fall I'm adding two more college courses, which will be interesting!