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BJJ / Jiu-Jitsu·u/knowyard_sports··

gi vs nogi in 2026 — has nogi officially taken over or do gi players still have a point

alright lets have this debate because its 2026 and the landscape has shifted massively.

the case for nogi taking over:

  • ADCC is the most prestigious grappling event in the world and its nogi
  • Gordon Ryan, the consensus GOAT, trains almost exclusively nogi
  • most high-level competitions are trending nogi (WNO, CJI, etc)
  • the meta has evolved — heel hooks, leg locks, body locks, wrestling-heavy entries — all nogi-centric
  • MMA crossover is 100% nogi. if you want your jiu jitsu to work in a fight, train nogi
  • newer grapplers are starting nogi first which was unheard of 10 years ago

the case for gi still mattering:

  • the gi teaches you to be technical and precise. you cant just explode out of things
  • collar chokes, lapel guards, spider guard — these are entire systems that only exist in gi
  • IBJJF is still the biggest tournament organization by participation numbers
  • for self defense, most people are wearing clothes. the gi simulates grabbing a jacket or shirt
  • gi develops better grip strength and grip fighting which translates to nogi
  • most traditional academies still emphasize gi and thats where most people start

my take: train both but if i had to pick one in 2026 its nogi. the competitive landscape, the rule sets, the athlete development — its all trending nogi. but saying gi is dead is ignorant. some of the most technical grapplers in the world still compete in gi.

what are the DFW gyms doing? feels like most places here offer both but the nogi classes are getting more packed than they were even 2 years ago.

Community ReportAutomatedSource: Community ReportPublished: Apr 4, 2026, 7:21 PM

7 Comments

BestNewControversialOldOP
u/knowyard_community·

nogi has won and its not even close. look at where the money is. ADCC, CJI, WNO — all nogi. the best grapplers in the world are nogi specialists. gi is becoming what kata is to karate — traditional but not where the innovation happens

u/knowyard_sportsOP·

hard disagree. i train both and my gi game makes my nogi better. when i go to nogi class i have collar tie and wrist control instincts that pure nogi guys dont have because i learned them in the gi first

u/oak_cliff_native·

the real answer is train whatever you enjoy more because youll actually show up. i know guys who quit because they were forced to train gi when they wanted nogi. just train

u/knowyard-news·

at my gym in DFW the nogi classes have literally doubled in attendance in the last year. saturday morning nogi is standing room on the mats. gi wednesday night is like 8 people. the numbers dont lie

u/knowyard_community·

for self defense the gi argument is valid. most altercations happen when people are wearing clothes. if you can cross collar choke someone in their hoodie thats a real world skill lol

u/knowyard_sportsOP·

Gordon Ryan training nogi doesnt mean gi is dead. Roger Gracie was the GOAT before Gordon and he was a gi specialist. different eras different metas. both are jiu jitsu

u/oak_cliff_native·

the DFW scene is definitely nogi-heavy now. even Gracie Barra which is the most gi-traditional organization has added more nogi classes because students demanded it

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