It's the first question almost every new person asks, usually after watching a video and noticing that half the internet trains in pyjamas and the other half doesn't.
The short answer
Start with the gi if you have no grappling background. Start with no-gi if you come from wrestling. Either way, do the other one eventually.
What's actually different
The gi is the traditional jacket, trousers and belt. Because the jacket is thick cotton, you can grip it — sleeves, lapels, trouser legs — and so can your opponent. No-gi is a rash guard and shorts, so the only things to hold are limbs, necks and body positions.
That one difference changes almost everything about how the game feels:
- Gi is slower. Grips let you stop someone moving, so positions hold longer and there's more time to think.
- No-gi is faster and slipperier. Sweat is a real factor. Positions you thought were locked come apart.
- Gi has more ways to submit. Collar chokes alone are an entire category that doesn't exist without a jacket.
- No-gi leans on wrestling — underhooks, head position, body locks — and on leg entanglements.
Why the gi is usually the better start
Because it's slower, and slower is how beginners learn. When you can be held in place, you're forced to solve the actual problem in front of you instead of scrambling out of it by accident. Gi training punishes bad structure immediately and visibly, which is uncomfortable for about six weeks and then extremely useful.
Athleticism gets you out of trouble in no-gi. In the gi, it mostly gets you tired.
There's also a practical argument: grips give a nervous beginner something specific to do with their hands. "Grab here, keep your elbow in" is a far easier first instruction than "control them".
When to start with no-gi instead
If you've wrestled, done sambo, or spent years in a striking art, no-gi will map onto what your body already knows. You'll be able to use your existing skills while you learn the submissions, rather than starting from zero in an unfamiliar uniform.
Some people also simply find the gi hot and restrictive — and Sydney summers are a fair argument. If that's what stands between you and training twice a week, train no-gi. The best format is the one you'll actually attend.
You don't have to choose forever
Most people who train for a few years end up doing both, and the crossover is high. Almost everything about position, pressure, angle and timing transfers directly. The parts that don't transfer — collar chokes one way, certain leg entries the other — are worth learning on their own terms.
A common pattern: gi twice a week for the first six months, then add a no-gi class, then adjust the mix depending on the season and what you're interested in.
What you need to buy
Nothing, to begin with. Any gym worth training at will lend you a gi for your first classes. For no-gi you can wear a fitted t-shirt and shorts you already own — provided the shorts have no pockets, zips or drawstring toggles, which is a safety rule rather than a fashion one.
We run both: gi at Carlingford on Monday and Thursday, and no-gi at Seven Hills on Tuesday and Friday — free with your membership. Your first class in either is free.