Without a doubt this is one of the oldest (and by far silliest) debates in Jiu Jitsu circles. Both Gi and No Gi claim to be more effective for self defense, while usually declaring the other to have a glaring flaw that makes it useless in “the streets.” They are both right and totally wrong at the same time:
While both sides are arguing about which is better for self defense, every layman watching the argument is thinking “Do either of these groups practice their ground fighting while the other person is trying to hit them? Like every single person will try to do in a real fight” and “So they start already on their knees? Are they any good at takedowns?” These are the real areas that are important to round out if you want your jiu jitsu to work for self defense. Working ground and pound drills (both top and bottom) as well as incorporating takedowns and some form of boxing/kickboxing. While you don’t need to be an expert at takedowns and boxing, having at least a working level of experience at both of these is essential for real life defense. It is also important to throw in a little bit of personal safety/ situational awareness style self defense training. This is the pre fight/lead up to the fight training, basically how to avoid getting sucker punched. Learning to recognize the warning signs that someone is going to attack you is just as important as knowing what to do once the fighting has started. It doesn’t matter how many stripes you have on your belt, if you let someone else get in a position where they can blindside you all your BJJ training might be for nothing. Good pre fight references are:
Fight Logic by John B. Will
Gracie Combatives
Pretty much anything by Peyton Quinn
Jackson’s MMA: The Stand Up Game (Self Defense Section)
“Do you EVEN roll, bro?”