What Makes A BJJ Gi Different From Other Gi’s?

By Corey Kuropas, January 10, 2017

People new to the world of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu sometimes make the mistake of buying the wrong BJJ gi (also known as the kimono). To a newbie, it is an easy mistake to make. I mean, all there is for a Jiu Jitsu uniform is a jacket, pants and belt.

All types of gi is the same right?

Wrong. Totally wrong actually.

A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gi is completely different from a Karate gi and even a Judo gi. But what makes a BJJ kimono different than other uniforms? Let’s check it out guys.

Gi Material

First of all, let’s go over the material of a BJJ kimono to that of a Karate uniform. For one, a Karate uniform is very thin and flimsy. The reason for this is because people who practice Karate are mainly just punching and kicking. They are thin to keep their practitioners cool and to have a singular appearance with their training partners. If you made the mistake of wearing a Karate kimono to a BJJ class, you will notice right away what will happen. The Karate uniform will rip and tear easily. A BJJ kimono is made out of a much tougher, durable material. It is meant to be grabbed, pulled and clawed at.

Difference between a BJJ gi and Judo gi

Now, what makes a BJJ kimono different from a Judo kimono. Both are very similar actually. They are both made out of similar, if not the same type of material. A Judo kimono is also meant to be grabbed, pulled and clawed at. So what makes it different from a BJJ kimono. They have a different cut. What does that mean? Well a Judo gi is much baggier in the sleeves and skirt. This is because of the goal of Judo. They want more material so they can get their big throws and takedowns. They need all the material they can to grab to execute their techniques. While many of those throwing techniques have carried over to BJJ, the goal of BJJ is different. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is all about getting an opponent to the ground to execute a submission or choking technique. The cut on the BJJ gi is much slimmer and tighter. You will see this right away.

Also as people can see there are many different color BJJ gi’s. In Karate, the main color is white. In Judo, it is white or blue. In BJJ, there is white, blue, black, grey, red and more. On BJJ kimonos, there are usually more patches their other martial arts uniforms. For example, check out…

This awesome BJJ gi from BJJ Fanatics. Black in color with 8 different patches. This is one snazzy uniform.