Ay without Lightning Armor is still extremely strong, and Tsunade without using chakra in her punches is still strong as well, Ay has been shown to be breaking walls of concrete buildings without his lightning armor activated.
Gates is a taijutsu technique (NOTE: Technique=/= Jutsu), Sage Mode is just adding nature energy to your body, so it is not a jutsu. It is only called senjutsu when people use jutsu with nature energy in it... and just because it has jutsu in it (by that I mean things like kenjutsu, shurikenjutsu, taijutsu, etc) doesn't mean it is an actual jutsu. Kenjutsu is swordsmanship, not an actual jutsu. You have to bear in mind that when jutsu is used in terms of saying things like taijutsu, genjutsu, kenjutsu, it means technique not actual jutsu like Fire ball Jutsu.
Taijutsu= Body Techniques
Genjutsu= Illusionary Techniques
Kenjutsu= Sword Techniques
Normally when people say jutsu, in the OP's context, they only mean ninjutsu, things such as Fireball jutsu.