What Size Rash Guard Should I Get BJJ

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is one of the most iconic forms of ground fighting in the world of combat sports. BJJ is a fast paced grappling art that uses skills, speed, strength, flexibility, and strategy to outhink, and trap an opponent into a finishing maneuver. The sport has been compared to the game of chess, as it uses strategic movements, and counter movements to gain the upper hand through control positions. In recent times the art has become divided between the Gi and the No Gi disciplines. Even though the traditional Gi version of BJJ has dominated the grappling landscape, the No Gi system is fast becoming the most popular form of grappling on the international scene of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

What this article covers:

• How Does No Gi Differentiate from the Gi
• What Is a BJJ Rash Guard
• Why Is It Important to Wear Rash Guards in BJJ
• What Size Rash Guard Should an Athlete Buy

There is a significant contrast from Gi to No Gi, as the Gi is commonly practised by the most formidable athletes like Roger Gracie, Ronaldo Souza, Marcus Almeida, and Marcelo Garcia. Most new students that begin Brazilian Jiu Jitsu might not understand how to wear a bjj gi, so it becomes easier for them to put on a rashguard, compression pants, and a pair of shorts so they can dive into the freedom of the No Gi divisions. Training, and competing in the No Gi division requires a student to learn a different style of BJJ compared to the Gi in Jiu Jitsu. No Gi is more of a wrestling hybrid, where students will need to use a different range of controls to neutralise their opponent. The No Gi brand can be more dangerous, as there are extra submissions allowed like heel hooks, toe holds, calf slicers, and neck cranks, all which have become extremely popular due to athletes like Dean Lister, Craig Jones, Lachlan Giles, and Gordon Ryan.

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HOW DOES NO GI DIFFERENTIATE FROM THE GI

The main obvious difference between No Gi and the Gi, is that No Gi athletes will wear the rash guard, compression pants, and a pair of shorts, as opposed to Gi fighters that wear the traditional Gi kimono. Students may wonder what is a rash guard bjj, and it is a tight fitting sports shirt made out of a combination of polyester, nylon, and spandex. No Gi is a version of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu that has much more freedom attached, as the student will become slippery, making it easier to escape from control positions. This is quite different in the Gi version, as students will use grips, and lapel wraps to subdue an opponent, as they will find it quite abrasive, and struggling to escape from certain positions. There are many different grips that a student can use whilst wearing the Gi like pistol grips, pocket grips, pant grips, collar grips, belt grips, and lapel grips. This is quite different in No Gi, as students are forbidden from gripping onto their opponents clothing at all times. Instead students that train in No Gi will need to use different grips like wrist grips, neckties, under hooks, over hooks, and body locks, as a way to control, and maintain their advantage against their opponents. 

There are major differences between Gi competition, and No Gi competition, as the GI has more rules in place on an athlete, and this is due mainly for safety reasons. Athletes are not allowed to use dangerous submissions like heel hooks with the Gi on, and this is due to the grip of the pants that the Gi has, making this a deadly force on an opponent. In the No Gi version, athletes are free to use deadly submissions like heel hooks, toe holds, and many other dangerous maneuvers. There are certain rules with IBJJF competitions, as students will ask does gi colour matter in bjj. The IBJJF only allows three different coloured Gi's that athletes can wear, black, white, or royal blue. This can be a deterrent for many athletes, and a part of the reason why they generally move into the No Gi divisions. Even though the IBJJF also restricts certain coloured rash guards, in essence it is less stringent than any of the Gi divisions. Athletes would much prefer to wear any type of custom rash guards they buy, or design themselves, as the freedom that No Gi gives an athlete is quite substantial.

Another huge difference between Gi and No Gi is the competitions that are available to each athlete. In the Gi division there is a certain ruleset, and certain competitions that are extremely traditional, and date back a long time. In the No Gi divisions there has been innovation after innovation, as different organisations are popping up all of the time. The ADCC is one that has cornered the market in the No Gi division with their differences in rulesets, and the addition of super fights, where they pit famous grapplers against other famous grapplers. With the popularity of the ADCC, and the rise of No Gi submission grappling, other organisations like Fight 2 Win, Submission Underground, Who's Number One, Polaris, and the Eddie Bravo Invitational have come to the forefront. All of these competitions use different rule sets, and have super fights attached, which in turn lifts up the notoriety of the event. There have also been team events like Subversiv, and the Quintet, where multiple No Gi fighters from each team will fight against other teams, to see which team is number one. It is innovations like these that sets the No Gi grappling scene apart from Gi Jiu Jitsu, as athletes all over the world are lining up to wear their own different range of customised rash guards.

WHAT IS A BJJ RASH GUARD

A rash guard has become an iconic piece of sports clothing, which is mainly worn during a No Gi BJJ match. A rash guard is specifically designed to fit tightly around the body of an athlete, and is usually made from spandex, polyester, or lycra. Rash guards come in two different versions, a short sleeve, and a long sleeve, and athletes will choose their own comfort from the two. A rash guard usually is reinforced with flatlock stitching, which provides extra comfort, and a more durable garment. Most rash guards will also have a rubber, or elastic band around the waist, which will stop the shirt from riding up during training sessions. A good rash guard is able to withstand multiple attacks from opponents, and still remain unstretched, and intact. Some rash guards also come with airflow technology, as they may have mesh vents under the armpits, which helps with the overall ventilation. Another component that some rash guards have, is an antimicrobial, and antifungal finish, which will help the athlete remain fresh, and more protected from risk of infections. A good rash guard has sublimated logos, as this is the best way to represent the brand without cracking, peeling, or fading. 

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO WEAR RASH GUARDS IN BJJ

It is extremely important for Martial Artists to wear protective gear, just like a Muay Thai fighter wears shin guards, a BJJ fighter must wear protective equipment. Students will wear protective rash guards in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and there are a few different reasons why. Training at a BJJ academy has many elements of risk attached, due to the close proximity between training partners. Students will train at an extremely high intensity, which will cause students to rapidly, and extensively perspire. The transference of germs between training partners can be a worry, as highly dynamic sports like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu have been known to be a breeding ground for infections like staph, and ringworm. This is why there is a necessity to wear a rash guard, so the garment can mop up the majority of the sweat. Wearing long sleeve rash guards, and long compression pants act like an added layer of protection against any nasty, and unwanted germs or infections. Even though Brazilian Jiu Jitsu academies are extremely rigorous in their cleaning methods, infections like staph, and ringworm can still rear their ugly head. This is the same when it comes to the Gi, so it is imperative to keep it clean, and learn how to fold bjj gi, and rash guards, so it minimises the chances of bringing infections into the academy.

One of the biggest problems that used to occur in No Gi grappling is that athletes would train bare chested, as this will cause a number of different problems. Without wearing a protective rash guard students can easily transfer germs, and bacteria from one person to the next. Training extensively in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu will often leave students open to cuts, rashes, and scratches, which can become quite frequent. Once a student is exposed to an extremely sweaty environment, their open wound can become infected, and this can be disastrous for an academy. One of the biggest reasons staph infections spread is through sweat, and dirt infecting open wounds. This is why there is a constant necessity to cover up any open wounds with bandaging, and stick to prevention methods like wearing a rash guard. It is also extremely important that students learn how to wash a jiu jitsu gi, and a Jiu Jitsu rash guard, as this will increase the chances of avoiding different types of bacteria, and infections from spreading through their academy. It is extremely important to note that even when a student is wearing a Gi, they should be considering wearing a rashguard underneath, as the Gi will often move a lot during training, leaving the student bare chested. Wearing a rash guard underneath a Gi is just another added layer of protection, and will ultimately stop the Gi from soaking up too much of the sweat. Considering that a Gi is used to choke opponents in many different ways, it is important to keep this as dry as possible, and one of the best ways to do this is by allowing a rashguard underneath a Gi to mop up the majority of the sweat.

During a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training session there are a lot of high intensity, and dynamic movements, which can cause a lot of friction between training partners. Taking away an opponent's space is one of the biggest fundamental concepts in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and this means a student will need to stay really close to their opponent. The result of this closeness means there will be numerous knocks, bruises, and scrapes, which are unavoidable. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu uses a lot of different muscle groups, and athletes will need to strain hard in certain positions just to defend a submission. It is extremely important for students to wear rash guards, as this is basically like wearing a compression bandage for their torso. This will ultimately help a student avoid different kinds of injuries, while keeping their muscles in a warm and ready to train state.

WHAT SIZE RASH GUARD SHOULD AN ATHLETE BUY

There is no telling what size rash guard that each individual athlete will need to buy. Every athlete is different, and has different body contours to the next. The important aspects are to make sure whatever rash guard a student buys is a nice tight fit. There is nothing worse than a baggy loose rash guard that runs the risk of getting caught up in an opponent's grips.

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Rash guards are designed to be tight, as they act kind of like a compression bandage, and this is what students need to look for. It can become quite common for new students that do not understand Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, to buy a rash guard that fits like a loose t-shirt. This is incorrect, and what they should be buying is a rash guard that fits, just like a woman fits into a pair of tight leggings. The whole point of a rash guard is to fit like a pair of skins, so that it holds the muscles in place, and becomes kind of symbiotic to an athlete's movement. It can be hard to find the right fit, especially when a student is buying rash guards online, as it really is a gamble when buying different brands, as they all have slightly different sizes. A good tip to remember is that most recognised rash guard brands have size charts available on their website, and this will be a good indication as to what size will fit each individual.

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