Training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is complex and works every muscle in your body. It also tests your mental fortitude in several ways. As someone relatively early in my BJJ journey, I’ve found it’s easy to forget steps and pieces of information that coaches and training partners share.
To try to retain as much information as possible, as well as context and pro-tips, I keep a BJJ journal. Taking notes can prove incredibly helpful along your martial arts journey as you build a repository of information and allow yourself to reflect on what you’ve learned.
Why take notes?
Training BJJ can feel like trying to drink water out of a firehose. Tons of information and movements can quickly overload your mind and body, even if it’s a skill you’ve drilled before. After class, I feel like I need to catch my breath mentally (physically too, of course.)
What I mean by this is that I need a moment to reflect on what I just spent an hour or so drilling. I need to understand what we drilled, why it’s important and how it applied to the day’s goal, along with other areas to help me fully retain the information.
I like to take 10 minutes or so to reflect on what I’ve learned and to document the moves. With this practice, I’ve managed to build a nice repository of valuable BJJ notes, while strengthening my mental map of details.Â
Regardless of whether you train once a week or every day, you will learn a lot of information. It becomes increasingly important to learn how to keep it easily accessible in your mind.
Why handwritten notes are king
While there are many ways to take notes (voice notes, typing up a document, hand-writting them, etc.,) several studies indicate that hand-written notes may have a higher yeild when it comes to long-term memory and cognitive processing.
For instance, one study suggests that the motor memory involved in writing notes, combined with the cognitive engagement needed to write out words, helps you retain information better than simply typing out the same notes.* Similarly, another study further emphasized this learning by stating that the heightened engagement with handwritten notes can lead to memory enhancement, as the cognitive effort involved in writing helps to solidify understanding and retention.**
I can type about 90 words per minute and I can guarantee I am not retaining that information the same way I do when I take the time to handwrite each letter.
The easiest way for me to take notes while information is still fresh in my mind is with my pen and journal, which I keep in my training bag. It’s compact, easy to update and I can still ask my coach questions if I jot my notes down while still on site.
Training breaks
Taking notes will always be a valuable tool in your training journey. Another reason I’m a huge advocate for note-taking? It allows you to still learn and be engaged even when you have to take training breaks.Â
Everyone has to take training breaks at some point or another. Whether it’s an injury or some other life event, it happens to us all and it’s okay.
I’ve had to take intermittent breaks in the last year for health reasons. I’ve found that my coaches have been welcoming, happy to let me come to class and watch — even when I can’t physically train.
From the sidelines, I take notes, and, if given permission from the class, I’ll sometimes take videos of more complex moves. This allows me to still feel like I’m participating and learning even when I can’t roll.
Ultimately, everyone has to find what works for them, but taking notes has proved invaluable to me. You’ll see me after every class with my notebook, jotting things down. This has become a great way to track my progress, learning and sentiment towards Jiu Jitsu and retain all that valuable information we get from training!
* Mueller, P. A., & Oppenheimer, D. M. (2014). The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand Over Laptop Note Taking.
** Konrad, C., & Geisler, C. (2015). The Role of Writing in the Acquisition of Writing Skills and Learning to Write.
