Overcoming No-Gi Discomfort

We’re four days into gi season, and the laundry is already killing me. I never thought I’d long for no-gi season.

Years ago, the impending approach of no-gi season instigated discomfort for me. Everyone (read: males…remember, I was one of the only females at the time) couldn’t understand why I hated it so much. Heck, it took me some serious thought before I was even able to figure out why I hated it so much.

Simply put, it felt too close. Any other ladies ever feel this way? The lack of a thick gi between people, tight fitting clothing, and men that I didn’t yet know was all sorts of “nope” for me as a newer female in Jiu Jitsu.

But I wanted to do Jiu Jitsu. And I wanted to push past my discomforts. I KNEW I was in a safe environment with safe people. Sure, maybe I didn’t know everyone, but there’s no requirement to roll with anyone I didn’t want to. 

So I stuck with people I knew and trusted. People who would help me to do Jiu Jitsu and learn and grow and not feel weird while I navigated my anti-no-gi sentiments. I showed up. I worked. I learned to be comfortable in an uncomfortable situation. And slowly, I learned to love all that no-gi offers in terms of learning, training, and growth within the sport of Jiu Jitsu.

If you feel like I did, just know you aren’t alone. Find your people. Find women and men whom you trust and feel comfortable with and go for it. Tell your coach how you feel, and don’t believe the lie that you will never be able to get past it. You can. And lastly, give yourself grace and time. Learning to overcome discomforts is not an easy process.