The other day,¹ a friend was telling me about the gi he just scored. It was a very expensive brand (list price $250), and he got it in lightly-used condition on eBay. He was so proud. He’s a white belt.

I’m glad he started training, but he’s learning some nonsense. He spends a bunch of time on r/bjj too, which is unfortunate. Like most new students, he got obsessed immediately and started searching outside the school for more. He’s looking for secret techniques, and he’s spending a lot on training apparel.

I told him it’s nice that he’s got a fancy gi, but how about supporting the school he trains at? If it wasn’t for his teacher, he wouldn’t even be in the market for another gi.

He said his school’s gis aren’t as high quality as his. I could sense his defensiveness, so I changed the topic.

A gi is just a gi. Don’t waste time and money trying to look good. Instead, focus on training to be good. Focus on making it fun so you never stop.