Federation rules
Which gi is actually legal here
In the UAE, your gi must be white, royal blue or black, in a woven cotton or cotton-like fabric, with the jacket and pants the same colour and a collar that matches the top. That holds under both the Abu Dhabi rulebook (AJP / UAEJJF) and IBJJF. What differs between them is patches — and that is where people get stopped.
No official list
Judo has the IJF supplier register. Jiu-jitsu has nothing equivalent: neither AJP nor UAEJJF certifies gi brands, so “UAEJJF legal” on a product page is the manufacturer's own claim, and the real decision belongs to the inspector on the day. That is why we publish our own verdict on every gi we sell, and date it.
What colours are legal for AJP and UAEJJF competition?
White, royal blue or black. The jacket and pants must be the same colour, and the collar must match the rest of the top. Mixed-colour gis and contrast collars are not permitted.
Is there an official list of AJP-approved gi brands?
No. Unlike judo, where the IJF publishes an official supplier list, neither AJP nor UAEJJF operates an approved-gi register. Brands self-declare that they are UAEJJF legal, and the actual decision is made by the inspector on the day.
How do UAEJJF patch rules differ from IBJJF?
Both prohibit patches below the elbows, under the belt and around the knees, and both require cotton patches that are properly seamed. UAEJJF allows more at the pant hem and side seam than IBJJF does, and its inspectors are reported to be stricter about anything encroaching on the knee. We are not publishing the centimetre limits until a person has read them off the current rulebook — the figures circulating on gear blogs do not agree with each other.
What are the belt requirements?
A durable belt 4 to 5 cm wide in your rank colour, with a black tip — white or red for black belts. Worn over the jacket, wrapped twice around the waist and tied with a double knot.
Where this comes from
Read from the federations' own published policies on . We do not restate a rule we have not read at source, and every rules page on this site carries the date it was last checked.
Being written
The detailed pages below need a full read of the current rulebook before they go live — publishing a measurement we have not verified could cost somebody their match, which is a worse outcome than an empty page.
- AJP gi requirements in full Every measurement, from the current rulebook
- IBJJF vs AJP, side by side The differences that actually get people stopped
- Where patches are allowed Diagrammed, per federation
- Is my gi legal? Pick your gi, get a verdict
- What happens at the check table First-hand, from people who have been through it