“It’s definitely still in our hearts” - Kade and Tye Ruotolo maintain their love for the Gi

Grappling phenoms, twins Tye and Kade Ruotolo, are blazing their way through the sport of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and they’re doing it in both Gi and No Gi competitions.

While the No Gi discipline is gradually gaining popularity in the world of submission grappling, the Ruotolo twins said Gi training will always be an integral part of their identities as martial artists.

In a video posted on ONE Championship’s YouTube page, Kade and Tye said Gi training will always be their foundation in the sport. Nevertheless, training and competing in No Gi is a great way for them to expand their grappling repertoire.

Kade stated:

“It’s definitely still in our hearts and we still have a lot of love for the Gi.”

His twin brother Tye, meanwhile, quipped that they first saw the rise of No Gi after the COVID-19 pandemic struck.

Tye said that No Gi presented a different field of expertise and that it was more exciting than the traditional Gi-based discipline.

“I think our passion and our hearts lay in the Gi for a long time. And then COVID happened and some weird things and No Gi started to take off. For us, it was more exciting, it was easier to fight stronger people in the No Gi. Because in the Gi, you get dragged down a little bit.”

The main and most glaring difference between No Gi and Gi lies in the athlete's clothing. Gi, as the name implies, is fought wearing the traditional Gi of BJJ while No Gi utilizes more contemporary clothes such as shorts and rash guards.

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Ruotolo twins are fast becoming ONE Championship’s brightest grapplers

Tye and Kade Ruotolo had stellar debuts in ONE Championship when they stepped inside the Circle at ONE 157: Petchmorakot vs. Vienot this past May.

The twins were already hyped up as future superstars in the world of BJJ and they made sure everyone took notice during their debut fights on the world stage.

Kade scored a unanimous decision win over the legendary Shinya Aoki, executing seamless transitions that the former ONE lightweight world champion had never seen inside the Circle.

Tye, meanwhile, had a brilliant first showing in ONE Championship when he submitted former featherweight MMA world title challenger Garry Tonon with a D’Arce Choke just 1:37 into their bout.