Ever felt like you have too much on your plate while training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu? Probably more often than not – and most likely due to the sheer amount of stuff you have to learn during class.
Let’s face it; there’s a lot to go through every single training session. So much so that you’ll likely forget a number of techniques before you get to your next roll… Which is exactly why you should take a notebook and write down the techniques and concepts you’ve practiced.
You don’t have to note everything into miniscule details. You can get a lot from just taking a couple of minutes after each training session to write down the most important stuff.
John Danaher explains why writing about your new-found knowledge can pay off immensely in the long run:
Memory: The great challenge of Jiu jitsu learning is not how much you can learn – it is HOW MUCH YOU CAN RECALL UNDER STRESS. That is what matters. As such, memory and retention is among the most important factors in your progress. Everyone learns and remembers differently.
Some learn and retain best with WRITING – that was always my favorite method; others never write a thing and have other methods, repetition, a seminal imprinting experience that burns the knowledge into their memory – whatever works for you.
If you ARE the type that favors writing as a memory aid, you don’t need to write everything you practiced down in excruciating detail every day. Just note the main ideas that were new in bullet point form. If it’s a move that you learned, just write the two or three most important elements in order of importance. If it’s a concept, describe it’s value and main applications that apply to you.Even if you never read those notes again in your life, the mere act of focus and writing has a good clarifying effect on your thinking that will carry over into your grappling and overall thinking about the game.
If you are ever injured and off the mats for a time, try writing as a temporary substitute for mat time and see how much you can recall and how clearly you can expound it. You might be surprised at how it helps you when you return.
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