Walking into a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gym for the first time is equal parts exciting and intimidating. The good news? You need far less gear to start than most people think — and buying the wrong things early is one of the easiest ways to waste money. This guide cuts through the noise and tells you exactly what to bring on day one, what to add as you progress, and what to leave on the shelf for now.
The short answer: your day-one BJJ checklist
If you’re training at a gym that runs gi (kimono) classes, you need just two things to step on the mat:
- A BJJ gi — jacket and trousers
- A white belt — usually included with your gi
If your gym runs no-gi classes, swap the gi for:
- A rash guard
- Grappling shorts or spats (or both)
And whichever style you train, one piece of protection is non-negotiable: a mouthguard. That’s genuinely it. Everything else is a “nice to have” you can pick up once you know you’re sticking with it.
If you’re training gi: the gi and belt
The gi is the heavy cotton uniform that gives BJJ its distinctive grappling style — opponents grip the collar, sleeves and trousers, so the jacket has to take serious punishment. For your first gi, don’t overthink it. You don’t need a £180 competition kimono to learn an armbar. A solid entry-level or mid-range gi in the £50–£90 bracket will see you through your first year and beyond.
A few things worth knowing before you buy your first BJJ gi:
- Colour: White is the safest first choice — it’s allowed at every gym and every competition. Blue and black are also standard, but a handful of academies ask new students to wear white.
- Weave: Most beginner gis use a pearl weave jacket around 350–450 GSM. It’s the sweet spot of durable, breathable and not too heavy. Ignore the marketing around exotic weaves for now.
- Fit and legality: If you ever plan to compete, your gi has to meet IBJJF uniform rules on fit and colour. Most reputable gis are sold as “IBJJF legal” — worth checking even if competition feels a long way off.
Getting the size right matters more than the brand. BJJ uses an A0–A6 system based on your height and weight, and the sleeves and trousers need to sit at a specific point or you’ll fail a competition check (and just feel uncomfortable rolling). We’ve broken the whole thing down in our BJJ gi size guide — read it before you order.
Your gi will almost always come with a white belt, so you won’t need to buy one separately at first. When you earn your blue belt down the line, you can pick a replacement from our BJJ belts range. And no — you don’t need a fancy belt to start. The plain white one that comes with your gi is exactly right.
If you’re training no-gi: rash guard, shorts and spats
No-gi grappling ditches the kimono in favour of tight athletic kit. There’s a practical reason for it: without a thick jacket to grip, the action is faster and sweatier, and loose clothing becomes a hazard. Here’s what you need:
- Rash guard — a compression top that protects your skin from mat burn and keeps sweat (and other people’s) off you. Hygiene isn’t a small thing in grappling; a good rash guard is your first line of defence against skin infections. Long or short sleeve is personal preference.
- Grappling shorts — no zips, no pockets, four-way stretch so they don’t restrict your guard. Browse our BJJ & grappling shorts for the right cut.
- Spats — compression leggings that do for your legs what the rash guard does for your torso. Plenty of grapplers wear spats under their shorts for extra protection against mat burn and to keep warm.
Not sure whether your gym is gi, no-gi, or both? Most BJJ academies run both, and you’ll likely end up owning kit for each. If you’re weighing up which to focus on first, our gi vs no-gi guide explains the differences and helps you decide. You can see our full no-gi range in one place.
The one piece of protection you can’t skip: a mouthguard
BJJ is a grappling art, not a striking one, so the injury risk is lower than, say, boxing. But knees, elbows and the occasional stray head clash are part of live rolling — and dental work is a lot more expensive than a gum shield. A boil-and-bite mouthguard moulds to your teeth in about a minute and does the job perfectly for most people. Grab one from our mouth guards range before your first sparring session.
If you’ve got cauliflower-ear concerns or you’re moving toward competition, ear guards are worth a look later — but they’re not a day-one essential.
What you don’t need yet
It’s tempting to kit yourself out head to toe before your first class. Resist it. Here’s what can wait:
- A second (or third) gi — useful once you train often enough that one can’t dry between sessions, but not now.
- Knee pads, finger tape, grip trainers — solutions to problems you don’t have yet.
- Premium competition gear — you won’t out-grow your white belt for a while; spend the saving on mat time.
As the saying goes around the gym, the worst thing you can do when you start a martial art is penny-pinch on the things that matter — and overspend on the things that don’t. Buy one decent gi (or one good no-gi setup), a mouthguard, and turn up consistently. That’s the formula.
What it costs to start BJJ in the UK
Here’s a realistic budget for a complete beginner setup:
- Gi setup: gi (with belt) £50–£90 + mouthguard £10–£25 = roughly £60–£115
- No-gi setup: rash guard £25–£45 + shorts £30–£50 + mouthguard £10–£25 = roughly £65–£120
Train both and you’re looking at a one-off outlay of around £120–£200 for everything — and most of it lasts years if you look after it.
Ready to roll
Start simple: one gi (or one no-gi kit), a mouthguard, and the right size. Get those three right and you’ve got everything you need to walk in, bump fists, and start learning. When you’re ready to upgrade, add a spare gi so you’re never caught without a dry one.
Browse everything for grappling in one place in our BJJ collection, or pop into one of our stores in Aylesbury or Central London (Waterloo) where we’ll happily size you up in person. New to the sport entirely and still looking for a club? The UK Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Association is a good place to find an academy near you.
See you on the mats.