As the ADCC 2022 draws closer, I would like to take a moment and tell you why I like no gi grappling. Do not get me wrong. I love to train as much as I can, be it no gi or gi, does not matter. This is not a debate or a rant to justify which one is better.
I have been training for five years or so. At the beginning I did not like no gi training since I did not know what to do (I did not even in the gi, truth be told). I actively avoided no gi training sessions. For those of you that do not know, in Brazil it is common to have no gi classes only on Fridays in most gyms. And the classes usually do not involve any instruction, you just arrive and go roll. The picture is you are training all the time in the gi with all these very technical positions and really analyzing the game, but when no gi time comes you are thrown directly into sparring and have to figure out grips or try to adapt what you know as you go.
This to me is one of the reasons that cause no gi jiu-jitsu to be underdeveloped in Brazil. I can guess some causes for that. Maybe the instructor does not have high level knowledge on how to control someone without gi grips. Maybe the instructor himself never was taught proper no gi technique and is lazy or too proud to learn. Maybe historically BJJ figures frowned upon no gi because of their matches with people from Luta Livre. Maybe most guys that pioneered the sport were purists. One very important factor that also hurst no gi development in Brazil is the fact that there is no wrestling culture here.
My mentality changed when I moved to another city. There I started training and had some high-level instructors. Those guys really knew their business. One of them was full time professional athlete, the other was just a casual practitioner that was crazy good and had extensive knowledge. Anything I would ask theses guys, they could explain in detail.
One day, I asked them to teach us more no gi and incorporate heel hooks. One of the instructors agreed to conduct a training session in an alternative time where we would do ADCC rules. Apparently, before I trained there, they had a brown belt that did not like IBJJF rules and started incorporating all the “dark arts” into training, so guys were forced to be good at those techniques. Also, one of the instructors trained heel hooks since white belt. Those two were also very well versed in takedowns both gi and no gi. I just started training no gi everyday given that I had a lot of free time. During this time, I would watch matches all the time and train.
Furthermore, I really liked training takedowns. I found them to be super technical just like positions on the ground. I was missing a whole dimension of the game. To me the standing game of jiu-jitsu is very interesting and intricate because you have a lot of options: submit from standing, pull guard, pull into a sweep, pull into a submission, etc. What happens is just that the rules do not favor takedowns and I am fine with that if it is the price we have to pay to have a not-so-restrictive ruleset.
This experience made much better with my transitions and control and opened my mind to dimensions of the game that I was lacking. Some people do not like no gi, I think, as they are used to lie down and just wrap their legs and arms and lapels around and control people. In no gi you must have more active and transitional forms of control. They are just not humble enough to learn and expand their game to a more universal form of jiu-jitsu.
There is no problem in playing intricate lapel guards. It is the game. It is within the rules. Sport is fun. But if I am a practitioner and I dedicate years of my life to an activity such as jiu-jitsu, it would be nice to know at least how to control and take down someone even if my main game is reverse dela-worm guard.
Anyway, I like no gi because it is fun, and I was taught proper technique. It made it my objective to be at least a competent and complete grappler.