Marcelo Garcia on No-Gi Competing, Leg Locks, and Respect

Marcelo Garcia is considered to be one of the most formidable grapplers of all time. Though many people are familiar with his championship titles while competing no-gi, he is also a very accomplished fighter with the gi, and one of the most creative minds in jiu-jitsu. There is no doubt that he has been a major influence on the state of contemporary jiu-jitsu, even though he stepped away from competition between 2011 and January 2025. With his recent victory over cancer and his decision to return to competitive jiu-jitsu (defeating Masakazu Imanari by submission in under five minutes), Marcelo has shown that he is still an extremely capable fighter.

Prior to the fight, Marcelo sat down with Luke Thomas for an interview to talk about how he incorporates gi and no-gi techniques into his overall strategy, leg locks, and the importance of showing humility and respect to your opponents.

Gi v. No-Gi Competing

There are some pretty notable differences between gi and no-gi competing. At the most basic, competing with a gi allows for gi-based attacks and grips that simply aren’t applicable in a no-gi competition. These differences are going to have a significant influence on any fighter’s strategy, but Marcelo notes that his experience with both types of fighting informs his overall approach to jiu-jitsu.

As one example, Marcelo explains that he learned to start no-gi matches really aggressively. His reasoning is that people get very sweaty during competition and that sweat can make it difficult to grip your opponent. Consequently, certain moves that require solid grips become far more difficult after the first few minutes of the match have passed. What’s interesting is that Marcelo’s grip strength and recognition of the importance of establishing a firm grip came from training with the gi.

Using this kind of approach also helps him with people who have rarely if ever trained with the gi, especially those who come to jiu-jitsu with a wrestling background. As Marcelo notes, there is a growing number of elite wrestlers who are crossing over into jiu-jitsu and participating in no-gi tournaments based largely on their existing skills as grapplers. They can make a good living and get exposure without having to go through the additional training needed to compete in MMA circuits, but their familiarity with moves that are firmly grounded in judo or jiu-jitsu can become a liability.

Leg Locks and Vulnerability

Leg locks have become increasingly common within jiu-jitsu, and many grapplers have developed an advanced leg lock game. However, Marcelo is not one of them.

As he sees it, going for a leg lock exposes your ankle and that can leave you open to counter attacks that can be fight-enders. For Marcelo, he prefers to pursue more traditional lines of attack with high rates of success and limited risk. As he says, “When I attack someone from the back and I have a rear naked choke, they can’t rear naked choke me back.”

Staying Respectful

As Luke notes in the video, many purists have become worried about the decline of the gi and the rising popularity of jiu-jitsu among athletes who do not have a strong background within martial arts culture. At first glance, these two things seem like they have nothing to do with one another, but Luke notes that there is a connection. And he’s not alone in feeling this way.

The gi is associated with traditional martial arts values. As fewer people wear the gi because their interest is solely commercial, many feel as though the culture that the gi symbolizes—such as valuing personal integrity, practicing humility, honoring one’s school, and treating others with respect—has also gone by the wayside. In other words, as more athletes and fighters have begun competing in no-gi tournaments because they can now make a living doing so, this has started to erode some of the decorum that once characterized traditional jiu-jitsu.

For Marcelo, the flow of money into jiu-jitsu should have no impact on sportsmanship nor should it change the level of respect you show your opponent. Moreover, it shouldn’t matter if you’re wearing a gi or not when you’re engaging with other fighters. Even if jiu-jitsu becomes less formal and many of its ceremonial aspects are minimized, holding oneself in a dignified manner and showing respect to your opponent is always the right move.