Marcelo Garcia Shares How It First Felt To Start Training No-Gi: “I Didn’t Like It”

Marcelo Garcia, often regarded as one of the greatest Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners of all time, recently shared that he initially disliked training no-gi.

Garcia revealed that upon joining Gurgel’s academy in São Paulo, he encountered a training regimen where no-gi sessions were emphasized during the summer months.

This shift proved to be difficult for Garcia, who had developed a strong preference for – and comfort in – training exclusively in the gi:

I didn’t like to train without a kimono.Why? Because I was bad without a kimono.

I trained with Demian [Maia], with Eduardo Telles, and when I was without a kimono, training was much worse for me.

Despite his struggles, Gurgel insisted that Garcia embrace the challenge and adapt his game:

I was forced by Fabio. I always listened to all his rules.Any rule he put, I followed.

Of course, any training he told me to do, I didn’t like it, but I didn’t complain.And I did.

This turning point would prove to be pivotal for Garcia’s legendary career.By embracing no-gi training, Garcia went on to capture four ADCC titles:

Fabio was responsible for at least half of my career.