*Note Please wash anything you buy before wearing it on the mats, ESPECIALLY gi’s. Some of them will have fabric dye bleed out when they’re first used, and it can stain the mats. *****
Grappling is a hybrid sport where we pull from multiple disciplines, but the bulk of the ideas in grappling could be attributed most accurately to OG Judo in Japan. Newaza - ‘ground game’ - in Judo is the origin of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu that was marketed and popularized by the Gracie Family.
While the Greeks may have grappled in the nude, the Japanese did it fully clothed. The gi evolved to be a sturdy garment that wouldn’t get destroyed in just a few training sessions, and it closely mimicke by d the kimonos that were worn at the time.
An interesting tidbit about the gi is that before 1906, they had short-sleeved jackets that went down to your knees and shorts underneath (not pants). Some people say that the change was spurred by a desire to decrease mat burn injuries and mitigate the risk of skin infection transmissions.
Now, in the modern day, we have synthetic fabrics that we use to grapple without the gi. Getting rid of the gi changes the sport a lot (and grappling shirtless is significantly different to grappling with a long sleeve rash guard on).
No gi is a little harder to make recommendations for because there’s larger variance in the construction between various brands - specifically for shorts. Most of it comes down to personal preference, but I would definitely avoid shorts with velcro.
We ask that students wear relatively form-fitting rash guards in class.
Loose clothing (like t-shirts) increases the chance of getting fingers caught in cloth and poses a safety hazard. Some rash guards are meant to be worn as loose garments, which are not ideal for grappling in.
Some rash guards are ‘ranked’ aka they have a coloring representing a grapplers’ belt level. You can wear whatever you want, but if you wear a purple rash guard, people are going to assume that you’re a purple belt. Black rash guards do not have the connotation of being a black belt.
You can go with long sleeve or short sleeve, it’s a personal preference. It is easier to grip someone’s wrist when they’re wearing a long sleeve rash guard. There’s not much of a difference
There’s some variance between different manufacturers. Some are thinner (Manto), and others thicker (Inverted Gear). Some people prefer thicker, some prefer thinner. I like the middle ground the most.
One notable feature of some rash guards is a silicone waistband at the bottom which prevents them from riding up while grappling. Some people like them, some don’t notice them and don’t care.
You do want to go with a fully sublimated rash guard (dyeing process) that won’t bleed or fade. 99% of rash guards are fully sublimated.
There’s really not much difference for most of them. The biggest difference is that some grappling rash guards are designed to be longer so that they won’t ride up, and that they generally cost significantly more than those marketed as surfing rash guards.