When you first start your BJJ Journey, the first thing you’ll probably realize is that there’s a ton of BJJ gear and equipment out there! You’ve got your BJJ Gi Uniform, BJJ No Gi Jiu Jitsu Gear, Rash Guards, BJJ Fight Shorts, Mouthguards, and many more!
So where do you even begin? What gear do you need for starting Jiu Jitsu?
With so many equipment options and BJJ gear manufacturers out there, the choices can be daunting. But it doesn’t have to be – we got you covered!
In this guide, we go through the various equipment choices BJJ has to offer, and guide you through picking the best BJJ Gear and BJJ Apparel that’s available for you today! Let’s check them out!
Best Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Gi Apparel
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Gi
First and foremost, is your Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Gi equipment. If you’re looking to start BJJ, you got to get yourself a good Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Gi kimono. This is the single most important equipment for you to purchase. Depending on where you’re at with your Jiu Jitsu journey and where your budget is, you can pick and choose different Gi Manufacturers to buy from.
If you are a beginner looking to just try it out for now, you may want to get yourself a set of Beginner Jiu Jitsu Gi. These will only run you anywhere from 50 to 100 bucks to get you a decent set. Brands like Elite Sports, Sanabul, and Fuji Sports have some pretty good options to choose if you are looking for an everyday Gi to just test the waters.
However, if you are looking for one that could stand the test of time, you may want to get something more durable – especially if you are looking to do this long term. Even more so when you are looking to get into BJJ tournaments and competitions! We go through some of our top picks for the Best Jiu Jitsu Gi for Competitions here, so be sure to check them out!
Things to Consider while choosing BJJ Gi
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Belts
Pretty much the next thing you’re going to need is a BJJ Belt to tie your Gi Kimono. Your BJJ Gi Belt signifies your ranking within BJJ, and shows others the progress you have made so far. You have options from lowest to highest belt: white, blue, purple, brown, and black. You also have special colored belts for children under the age of 16 – grey, orange, yellow, and green.
Ideally when you are starting out, your professor would usually give you your first belt. But it surely doesn’t hurt having an extra one to spare! Luckily some BJJ Gi uniforms you purchase sometimes sell their Gi with the belt , especially some of the beginner Gi choices out there.
But as far as what you should know when picking which belt to choose, there are few criteria you should be looking out for: size, color, brand, and thickness.
The size of your belt of course varies from person to person. You would want something that can wrap around your waist a couple times and still have enough slack to tie a knot (but not enough slack that it dangles too low after tying a knot.
The color of the belt you choose will of course vary depending on your rank. The Brand for BJJ Belts will be up to preference. Although there are higher quality belt options out there, for the most part most belts aren’t overly as important in terms of quality compared to BJJ Gi’s. They are primarily there to hold your Gi kimono in place, so I wouldn’t overspend too much on it especially if you are just starting out.
BJJ Gi Patches
If you are looking to have a customized Gi, that’s where BJJ Gi Patches come in. Gi patches are simply a piece of fabric that can be sewn onto your Gi to fully customize it to your liking.
Some Gi’s already have their own pre-sewn patches to identify the Gi to its manufacturer branding, while others have the minimalistic look with very little patch work.
As BJJ is becoming more and more modernized these days, BJJ practitioners are becoming more and more creative with their designs.
Gi patches are a way to showcase your creative taste! Maybe you want a “Shaka” Gi patch or an “OSS” patch? Or maybe you want to showcase your team name? There’s a ton of options out there, get creative with it!
No Gi Jiu Jitsu Gear and Apparel
Jiu Jitsu Rash Guards
If you are planning to do No Gi Jiu Jitsu, the first thing you should consider getting is a Jiu Jitsu Rash Guard. A Rashguard was originally intended for surfers to wear underneath their wetsuits, but as BJJ has been heavily influenced by the surfing community, it eventually found its way to the natural norm in the BJJ world. Today, BJJ rash guards are an absolute must if you plan on doing No Gi Jiu Jitsu.
Before rash guards were introduced, people used to use just regular cotton T-shirts. But as you will quickly realize, it really isn’t the most comfortable option out there. For one, they do get extremely damp as you start rolling.
Rash Guards are a game changer! They provide moisture wicking protection, reduce bacterial spread, and prevent mat burn. They are also pretty snug, providing you with a nice muscle compression to help prevent injuries.
There’s a ton of nicely done designs to choose from, in our best BJJ Rashguard guide, we go through some of our personal favorites, so be sure to check those out!
But one last thing to consider though is the color of your rash guard. If you do plan on competing at some point, you do need to get a rash guard that reflects your belt color. Keep that in mind when you start shopping around!
BJJ No Gi Fight Shorts
Getting the right fight shorts is just as important for your No Gi clothing apparel. Every grappler, regardless if you are doing wrestling, MMA, BJJ, or some other grappling sport, you do need a good set of fight shorts.
Grappling shorts are very similar to that of board shorts that you would normally wear swimming in terms of looks. But the primary thing to think about when wearing shorts for grappling is that they shouldn’t have zippers or pockets. Having some could easily get injured by accidentally slipping a finger in the pocket or getting cut up by a zipper!
Grappling shorts are great, just like rash guards, they have moisture wicking properties, making them a much more viable option compared to just regular basketball shorts.
But what should you look for when getting your No Gi Fight Shorts? A few things you should probably consider are simply just design, size, material, and type.
Things to Consider
BJJ Spats
BJJ Spats are pretty much leggings or yoga pants that’s primarily used for grappling purposes. These compression pants are designed to keep your muscles tight to prevent injuries during those hard rolls.
They work similar to rash guards in which they do provide that same level of protection from rashes and mat burn. It also gives you that moisture wicking protection and helps prevent bacterial infections.
Typically, you’ll see practitioners wear them rather than BJJ Shorts. But others find them a bit “revealing” and choose to wear them underneath the shorts. And others even wear them underneath their Gi Pants for an extra level of protection from rashes.
There are plenty of great options out there, but a few things to look out for when choosing them would be the brand, material, stretchability, and size.
BJJ Guards and Protective Equipment
After a few training sessions in BJJ, you’ll soon find out that having the uniform simply isn’t enough. You may get banged up, beaten, and possibly injured if you aren’t careful! To make sure you are properly prepared, be sure to have the proper BJJ guards and protective equipment!
BJJ Mouthguards
In any contact sport, having the proper mouth protection is an absolute must – BJJ is no different. It may have the sport called the “gentle art” but as you start practicing, you’ll soon find, there’s nothing gentle about it!
To better protect yourself from those grueling grappling rolls, get yourself a nice set of BJJ Mouthguards. Your pearly whites will thank you later! Last thing you want is getting an accidental headbutt to the mouth and get a tooth chipped off!
BJJ Headgear and Grappling Ear Guards
BJJ Ear Guards also do come in handy when it comes to protective equipment. If you’ve watched enough MMA, you’d probably see some fighters with some majorly deformed ears. This ear condition, also known as Cauliflower Ear, is a large result to heavy impact. In particular, the smashing and grinding that you would experience from wrestling or BJJ causes fluid build up on your ears, causing them to deform permanently.
And that’s where Grappling Ear Guards and Headgears come in! They’re designed to keep the user protected against the accidental trauma you would normally get from a grappling match. When picking your Ear Guards, there’s only a few things you should consider.
Do you want the soft shell or hard shell type of ear guard? The hard shell type is most commonly used in wrestling but that doesn’t mean you can’t use it in BJJ – although your training partners may kind of hate you for it!
Last couple things to consider is its strength and usability. Obviously you want something pretty sturdy, ones that can take a beating and withstand the heavy impacts of training. But don’t go too crazy with it either. Make sure its at least user friendly. You can get bulky headgear like ones you use for boxing. Sure, your ears will be well protected, but good luck trying to roll in one of those! Plenty of options out there for BJJ Grappling Ear Guards – choose wisely!
Wrestling Knee Pads
Although they aren’t as popular to use, wrestling knee pads also do come in handy. If you plan on primarily doing No Gi Jiu Jitsu, it may be wise to consider getting yourself some wrestling knee pads.
With the fast pace nature of No Gi Jiu Jitsu, your knees due tend to get banged up similar to what you’d see in wrestling matches.
In BJJ, you’ll soon enough learn that the most common injury you will face is a knee injury. And knee pains take quite a bit of time for healing. To get ahead of it, it might be worth the investment to get a pair of BJJ Wrestling Knee Pads.
BJJ Cup and Groin Protector
This one’s for the fellas. When it comes to BJJ Cups and Groin protectors, it is often up to user preference. Some don’t feel like cups are necessary while others do.
But in all honesty, in every contact sport eventually your going to need one eventually if you are a male competitor. It’s just one of those things, you don’t think you will need one until that accidental blow to the groin!
If you are looking to add a Cup to your Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Gear collection, you have a wide variety of selections. But make sure to choose one compatible to a grappling setting.
BJJ Finger Tape
Lastly for protective equipment, one thing that you probably want to add to your list is some finger tape. Although at first you may not think that you need it, but after a few Gi sessions, you’ll start to understand why they’re important.
Rolling in a Gi, you do a lot of grips and grip breaks that will wear and tear at your fingers. With the rough fabric of the Gi, it will just be a matter of time until your fingers start getting scrapped up!
Finger Injuries are no joke! BJJ Finger tapes do come in handy protecting your fingers, keeping them tight to avoid being bent out of shape and also protect against abrasions.
BJJ Training Equipment
Outside of your uniforms and protective equipment, you may also find the need for other miscellaneous BJJ Training equipment.
BJJ Gym Duffle Bag and Backpacks
After a few months of training, you will find yourself with a wide variety of training equipment to carry around. That can include your BJJ Gi Uniform, Mouthguards, Rashguards, Shorts, or many more in your growing collection.
To carry all that around, you may want to consider getting yourself a BJJ Gym Duffle Bags or Backpacks. Sure, there are plenty of alternatives out there but getting one specific to your BJJ or MMA training makes a huge difference.
Typical backpacks or bags may work in the short term but as they aren’t designed to carry around your training gear. It’ll be just a matter of time until you bag starts smelling like the inside of a sock drawer. Make sure to get a bag that has fast drying, anti-odor properties and has a lot of storage space to accommodate all your BJJ Training Gear.
BJJ Mats for Home Training
Once you start training consistently, you may find yourself wanting to do some extra drills to practice. But what if you can’t make it to the BJJ Gym as much as you want? You may want to train at home
Well that’s where a BJJ Mat for Home Training comes in! If you want to get some extra drills or extra rolls, make sure you get yourself a high quality BJJ Mat!
When it comes to BJJ Mats, there are three different types of Mats that you can get.
BJJ and MMA Grappling Dummy
Sometimes with our busy schedules, we may not be able to make it to all the BJJ classes that we want. At the same time, you don’t exactly want to get rusty with your techniques either. That’s where a BJJ and MMA Grappling Dummy comes in handy.
Grappling dummies are an excellent alternative when training by yourself. These days there are a lot of nice options out there to choose from. Depending on what you are focused on training will determine what kind of grappling dummy you want to choose. There are grappling dummies more catered to throws and takedowns, others catered to striking, while other dummies are catered to BJJ Grappling.
A few things to consider when you choose your grappling dummy should be its durability, weight, flexibility, and the price.
If you are just starting out and don’t really have the budget for it, there are some affordable options out there. But if you plan on doing this long term, it may be a sound investment to get one of the top tier products out there to get the most bang for your buck!
Check out: Submission Master Grappling Dummy Review
If you are looking for a BJJ and MMA Grappling Dummy, we recommend checking out our detailed review for the best Jiu Jitsu and MMA Training Grappling Dummy.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are a ton of BJJ Gear and Apparel that are available for you. Depending on where you are at in your BJJ journey, you may have a few purchases to make!
But don’t go too crazy with it - if you are BJJ Beginner just starting out and testing the waters and still unsure at this point, you may want to stick with some of the basics.
Get yourself either a Beginner BJJ Gi that’s affordable or a No Gi Rashguard and MMA Fight Shorts if you plan on doing No Gi. There are plenty of affordable options out there for your choosing.
We hope you have gained some insights on what kind of Jiu Jitsu Gear and Apparel you can start adding to your arsenal. Now gear up and get out there and get some rolls in! Train Hard! Roll Safe!