When you first started doing Jiu Jitsu I bet you never thought you’d be considering “What color Gi do I need for bjj?” It’s a good question, because, depending on what Jiu Jitsu school you end up going to, this may be rather important to understand. This article will help you find out what you need to consider when buying a your first or even a new gi. If you need a bit of help finding the best gi for bjj you can check out this linked buyers guide.
Gi color and your BJJ School
More traditional Jiu Jitsu schools will require a new Jiu Jitsu player or a white belt to wear a white Gi. These days they may also require that you purchase the Gi from them because it will be branded with their schools patches, the schools logos and so forth. It’s generally after you attain the rank of a blue belt that you can go out and purchase other Gis of different colors. Such as a blue Gi or a black Gi, which is the most traditional gi colors. But If you’re a bit more adventurous, you could even find yourself a ninja turtle green Gi, a purple Gi or even a pink Gi.
Those caveats apply to your traditional Jiu Jitsu schools, such as the Gracie Barra chain of schools, who will all apply this requirement. Other schools such as non-traditional schools, or schools who have a bit more of a relaxed culture within them, don’t really care what color that you wear. Although it’s generally expected that the first Gi that you buy will be a white Gi and will be bought from the school itself. This is more just a pragmatic approach to getting you involved in the sport quickly by you not needing to shop around online and to find a new Gi. But later on, as you start to attend more and more classes, you’re going to need a secondary Gi or a tertiary Gi and you might find that you start to explore the different color options.
For me when I first started, I did buy the school’s white Gi. Not that that was mandated, it was just a bit more straight forward to purchase the Gi from the school. Then I eventually bought a blue Gi, which was a great Gi made by Tatami. This was really, really nice to get because you tend to find that the Gi’s you get from the school are a bit cheaper and of lesser quality. Mine ended up going quite stiff and course whereas the Tatmi Estillo Gi I bought always stays nice and supple. Eventually I bought another white Gi from Atlas at a competition, because I liked the look of it and it was super comfortable. Then eventually a black Gi from Hyperfly. This all happened while I was a white belt. So my particular school I went to doesn’t really worry about what color Gi that you get. But again, this was a very relaxed school.
Are there any advantages to a white Gi, a blue Gi or any other colored Gi?
To put bluntly, no. There are no advantages to wearing a different colored Gi. It’s really just down to your individual style and look preference. Personally, I love a blue Gi, I think it looks fantastic, but I’m not concerned with Gi color. For me it’s just a matter of what Gi happens to be clean, doesn’t smell bad, is nice and soft and ready to go for when I’m packing my training bag to head off to training.
What color Gi do I need for BJJ competitions.
When you’re entering a Jiu Jitsu competition. It generally doesn’t matter what color the Gi is, as so long as you’re wearing the correct colored belt for your rank and that you are adhering to any of the competitions specific rules.
Some competitions may require that the Gi be of a minimum weight or maximum weight, because this is going to be included in your entry weight for the competition. What that means is that if you are entering the under 77 kilogram bracket, then you and your Gi need to weigh under 77 kilograms or the equivalent in the Imperial system.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, what color Gi you should wear, really does depend on your individual style preferences and any requirements from your school. Be it a traditional Gracie Barra school or a non-traditional school who really don’t care what color Gi you should wear.
Personally, I think you should get a Gi of all colors for the simple, pragmatic reason that it will give you more options of Gi to choose from. You won’t have to be waiting around for Gis to get washed and dry, after every single class and you’ll have more options, which means more opportunities to train on a daily or weekly basis.
In the comments, let me know what color Gi you wear to training. What’s your favorite Gi and if you have any Gi preferences.
