Combat Sports

Combat sports have seen a recent boom in popularity, due primarily to the success of MMA companies such as the UFC. This has created a huge influx of participant in combat sports, and one of the forms of martial arts that has seen the biggest growth in participants is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

The popularity of BJJ has been the result of several world-renowned BJJ fighters such as Royce Gracie. Gracie himself became well-known not only for his success in competition, but also for the classic presence which he brought to every fight. At a time when certain formalities in mixed martial arts where fading, Gracie never failed to walk into the ring or cage in the traditional BJJ Gi. Not only did he show up to the fight in this attire, he in fact fought in it.

The traditional gi has been in use for over a hundred years and is constructed to meet the specific needs of a practitioner of jiu-jitsu. The classic outfit is made up of three components: the uwagi (jacket), the shitabaki (pants) and the obi (belt). Although Brazilian jiu-jitsu uses a gi that is essentially the same as the gi that was first created, it has been modified slightly to better meet the needs of a BJJ fighter. The primary modification has been the the creation of tighter cuffs on both the jacket and the pants. This has been done to give the opponent less material to grab during a fight, a change that is extremely important for the grappling style of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Although it remains as simple as it was when first invented around the the turn of the twentieth century, the Jiu Jitsu Gi remains one of the most important, functional and effective pieces of equipment in all combat sports.