Complete BJJ Journal Guide: How to Track Your Jiu Jitsu Progress
In the journey of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, consistent progress often comes down to deliberate practice and thoughtful reflection. A BJJ journal is one of the most powerful tools for accelerating your growth on the mats. This guide will show you exactly how to create and maintain an effective BJJ journal that will help you retain techniques, identify patterns, and make steady progress in your training.
Why Keep a BJJ Journal?
Before diving into the how, let's understand the why. Keeping a BJJ journal offers numerous benefits:
- Improved technique retention and understanding
- Ability to track patterns in your game (strengths and weaknesses)
- Documentation of injuries and recovery
- Progress tracking over time
- Mental processing of techniques through writing
- Building a personalized reference guide for techniques
- Setting and monitoring specific training goals
What to Include in Your BJJ Journal
An effective BJJ journal should include several key components:
1. Training Session Details
- Date and time of training
- Class type (fundamentals, advanced, competition, open mat)
- Instructor name
- Your energy level and physical condition
- Duration of training
2. Technique Notes
- Techniques taught in class with key details
- Personal insights or modifications
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Connections to other techniques
3. Rolling/Sparring Notes
- Training partners (especially noting size, strength, and skill level)
- Successful techniques you applied
- Techniques used against you successfully
- Positions you struggled with
- Mental state during rolls
4. Questions and Areas for Improvement
- Questions to ask your instructor
- Techniques you want to explore further
- Specific positions to work on
5. Goals Section
- Short-term goals (techniques to master this month)
- Long-term goals (competition plans, belt promotion requirements)
- Progress updates on previous goals
How to Format Your BJJ Journal
There are several effective formats for organizing your BJJ journal:
Chronological Format
The simplest approach is to organize entries by date. Each training session gets a new entry with all relevant details. This works well for tracking your overall journey but can make it harder to find specific techniques later.
Technique-Based Format
Organize your journal by technique categories (guard passes, submissions, escapes). This makes it easy to reference techniques but can fragment your overall training narrative.
Hybrid Approach
Many practitioners prefer a hybrid approach: chronological daily entries with a separate section for detailed technique notes organized by category. This gives you the best of both worlds.
Digital Format Benefits
Digital BJJ journal apps like BJJ Notes offer significant advantages:
- Searchability - find any technique or entry instantly
- Media integration - add photos and videos of techniques
- Tags and categories - organize entries in multiple ways simultaneously
- Backup - never lose your valuable training data
- Cross-device access - update from phone, tablet, or computer
BJJ Journal Template Examples
BJJ Notes App Training Log Example
No GI Training Session
Date: 2024-03-15
Length: 1h30m
Notes
What Went Well:
Rolled well with higher belts today. Kimura sweep from half guard worked twice. Guard retention improving.
What Can Improve:
Still having trouble with X guard entries when opponent stands. Need to work on pinning leg during heel hook attempts to prevent defense.
Additional Notes:
Coach mentioned a competition next month. Should consider signing up.
Techniques:
- Toreando Pass
- Knee Cut Variation
- Back Take from Turtle
Endurance:
- Total Rounds: 5
- Total Rolls: 4
- Round Length: 5m
- Round Rest: 1m
- Round Rating: 3
Submissions (2):
- Kimura from Half Guard (top)
- Ezekiel Choke
Taps (1):
- Armbar from Closed Guard
Escapes (2):
- Side Control Escape to Half Guard
- Mount Escape to Closed Guard
Sweeps (1):
- Kimura Sweep from Half Guard
Takedowns (0)
Training log generated by BJJ Notes Progress Tracker App
Technique Study Template
Technique: [Name]
Category: [Guard pass/Submission/Sweep/etc.]
Position: [Starting position]
Step-by-Step:
1. [Detailed step]
2. [Detailed step]
3. [Detailed step]
Key Details:
[Critical details that make the technique work]
Common Mistakes:
[List of mistakes to avoid]
Counters/Responses:
[How opponents might counter and your recounters]
Related Techniques:
[Techniques that chain well with this one]
Tips for Maintaining Your BJJ Journal
- Be consistent: Update your journal after every session while details are fresh.
- Keep it accessible: Use a format that's easy to update anywhere (digital is ideal).
- Use visuals: Simple diagrams or photos can clarify complex techniques.
- Review regularly: Schedule time each week to review past entries.
- Focus on quality: A few detailed notes are better than many vague ones.
- Track emotions: Note your mental state during training - it affects performance.
- Be specific: "Triangle from guard" is less useful than "Triangle setup when opponent postures with right arm inside."
The Digital Advantage: BJJ Notes App
While paper journals have their charm, a dedicated BJJ journal app like BJJ Notes takes your training documentation to the next level with its unique hybrid approach. With BJJ Notes, you get:
- Perfect balance of structure and freedom - track specific metrics while adding freeform thoughts
- Comprehensive submission, sweep, escape and takedown tracking
- Round-by-round endurance tracking with rest periods and ratings
- Separate sections for techniques, successes and areas for improvement
- Photo and video integration for visual technique reference
- Search functionality to instantly find any technique or entry
- Progress tracking with visual analytics
- Cloud backup to protect your valuable training history
Final Thoughts
A BJJ journal is more than just a log of your training - it's a personalized roadmap for your jiu-jitsu journey. Whether you choose a paper notebook or a digital app like BJJ Notes, the act of regularly documenting and reflecting on your training will accelerate your progress and deepen your understanding of the art.
Start your BJJ journal today, be consistent with updates, and watch as patterns emerge that help you refine your approach to training. Remember, the practitioners who progress fastest in BJJ are often those who approach their training most methodically - and a well-maintained journal is the perfect tool for methodical improvement.