 |
|
The Gi in Mix Martial Arts
By Xavier Nava
Since the beginning of my studies in Martial Arts, my Gi was always a symbol of tradition. Something that connected me to the past.
As we take the best of all martial arts and adapt them to cage fighting, why the need to rob tradition of the Gi. I’m not saying we have to wear a Gi into the cage but to at least wear it in practice. The benefits may not come in a NHB event but rather out in the streets where the people are fully clothed and not bare chested like in the cage.
Learning how to protect yourself with the Gi on and going on the offensive with the GI mimics that of being fully clothed. Fighting someone with clothes on is completely different than fighting someone without clothes. Shirts and Pants, for example, can be used as defensive or offensive weapons. That can only add to your arsenal.
The more we tend to overlook tradition and it’s teachings (e.g. Honor, Respect, Self-Control...), the more likely we are to at some point in time make mistakes that were address by tradition. And the mistakes that we make may be more costly than we would like.
On a lighter side, wearing the Gi gives you the opportunity to show off your school’s logo, your sponsors logo or you can just share in the connection of all those who came before you over the course of 2000 years who wore one.
The foundation of Martial Arts was built centuries ago and has lasted for a reason. It worked.
Wearing the GI in practice (at least occasionally) can only benefit your training but more importantly, It will link you to all that have had the courage to put on a Gi and call themselves Martial Artists.
(6/24/02)
|
|
|
