Jujitsu Equipment

Getting Started

If you are interested in taking up the martial art of Jujitsu, you need not worry about being particularly well-equipped. For your very first class, you can go along wearing any loose-fitting t-shirt and some track-suit bottoms, which will more than suffice while you are learning the most basic techniques.

Do I Need a Kimono/Gi?

After your first couple of lessons, you will know if Jujitsu if something you want to commit to. If this is the case, you will want to go ahead and buy yourself a kimono (or Gi). Some of the better Jujitsu academies will even give you one for free when you sign up.

The reason that wearing a kimono is essential for Jujitsu is that it facilitates a number of the techniques used. Many of the specific techniques require sleeve or leg pulling, and this is a lot easier when wearing the correct uniform. If you find that you are performing a lot of heavy pulls and grabs when in combat, you may find that a standard Jujitsu Gi is not robust enough. In this case, it may be wise for you to opt for a stronger, double-stitched Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Gi.

Equipment for Sparring

Sparring refers to when you face an opponent for a fight and make use of striking, ground-fighting and throwing techniques. If you are mainly interested in this area of Jujitsu, you should protect yourself by using gloves and feet-protectors. These are often just simple, foam protectors which minimise the chance of any accidental damage being done. If you are taking it to the next level, and getting involved in full-contact sparring, we advise that you also invest in some proper boxing gloves.

Many Jujitsu students prefer to practise defending against opponents’ strikes during ground-fighting. These skills can be hugely useful in many situations and if you are training in this manner, it is recommended that you use either boxing gloves or fingerless sparring gloves, which you may have seen used by UFC or Pride fighters.

Training with Weapons

As well as for standard combat and sparring, most Jujitsu training academies will provide the weapons required for training against armed attackers. This is advantageous for most students as it means they do not need to buy their own. However, if you are completely dedicated to mastering the art, you may wish to purchase your own from specialist martial arts stores.

Be sure to check the laws regarding carrying weapons prior to taking them to train.  Even though you have no malicious intent with weapons, such as nunchuks and ninja stars, some countries may not allow you to carry them in public.