BJJ Beginner Gi Kit

The gi (the kimono) gives you and your opponent grips to control — it slows the game and teaches the fundamentals of framing, gripping, and escaping that transfer to everything. No-gi (rashguards) is faster and slipperier; gi is the technical foundation. Most schools start beginners in the gi.

By height and weight (the A-series for men, e.g., A2) — and they shrink in the wash (cotton), so buy pre-shrunk or size up slightly. A gi that is too baggy gives the opponent grips; too tight restricts movement. The fit matters for both comfort and the grips you give up. Wash cold, hang dry.

Sweat, bacteria, and skin fungi (ringworm, staph, MRSA) thrive in a damp, unwashed gi. Wash it after every single class — cold water, hang dry (a dryer shrinks and wears it). A dirty gi is a health hazard to you and your partners, and the one sure way to get asked to leave a gym.

Knees, elbows, and the occasional cross-face compress the jaw; a mouthguard protects the teeth and the jaw in the live rolls. Skin infections and broken teeth are the two recurring BJJ injuries; the mouthguard and the washed gi address each. Clip your nails too — long nails scratch and cut partners.