Do you keep a journal? Journaling is a great way to process our ideas. We often have insightful ideas but struggle expressing them to others. When we can put words to those ideas, we often understand our initial thought even better. Journaling is one way to practice expressing our ideas on paper.
Keeping a training journal is one way to optimize your fight education. Whether you train in grappling, striking, or both, write down what you did after each training session. Keep it in a notebook. This notebook will record your progress and will help you remember what you learned last week (for those times Coach tests you). A Jiu Jitsu journal could record all the technique you drilled in a class. Include all the variations and details you need to remember the move. Write down who your drilling partner was. You can also write down how many rounds you rolled and who you rolled with. How did you do each round? What do you remember about what happened? Did you get a submission? Why did you tap? Who won on points? How can you approach that position next time?
Thinking through these kinds of questions after you train can help solidify your technique in your brain. BJJ Tip: Quiz yourself on what you know and where holes exist in your game. Write down the five major positions, and then, next to each of those, write down what you know how to do in each position. Passes, sweeps, submissions, escapes, whatever. Write them down. Do this again in 3 months and watch your progress.
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