Big Logs: Keeping a Training Diary

Something I have done everyday from the 12th of January 2008 is keep a training diary that logs every time I train, where I train, who I train with, what training was done and any new techniques that I learnt. Now why would I do such a geeky thing and how could this benefit what I am doing?

Well, keeping such a diary is a great way of reviewing your training and every couple of months I will read through all the training I have done and see how my training as changed. By doing this you can re-focus much easier as can actually see on paper what areas you have been training more than others. Sometimes looking at previous training will remind me what I need to be working on and also what I need to do less of.

In my training diary I also keep a record of every time I compete. Whether its MMA, BJJ, boxing, Thai boxing, it doesn’t matter I will write down when I fought and how I did, that way I can see how the training leading up to that particular fight/competition has affected my performance, again making it easier to identify any changes that need making in my training. This is all pretty general stuff, so I can see how many rounds I am doing, what fitness I am doing and even the standard of my sparring partners.

 But by also logging any techniques that you learn you can really help your game even more. Now, I have a pretty good memory and I can remember quite a few techniques without forgetting others, shit I can even remember who taught me each technique and what else we worked that day in a lot of cases but I’m just weird. Like, I did tae kwon do as a kid and no matter how hard I try I can still remember every damn pattern I learnt. Even after not doing them for over 10 years. But by writing techniques down and even drawing a few shitting diagrams that only you can understand then you can be instantly refreshed when looking back on such notes.

So this week’s homework (yes that’s right I am giving you homework) is to write down everything you can remember doing after each training session when you get home. Just put any techniques you did, any sparring rounds and fitness you did and even how you felt during sparring, fitness etc. You don’t need to keep reading it, just write it down for each session you do this week. Then stick it under your bed or some other foul place where you will not see it every day. Don’t look at you weeks diary for another month, just forget about it a crack on with your training.

Once a month or so has passed take out your diary and just read through each session you did and go over in you mind the techniques you were working. You may be reminded of a detail you forgot or you may have been working that stuff anyway in which case well done. But either way what you have done is re-enforced your training.

For example, today I learnt how to do the Venezuelan Finger Choke (lets call it VFC for short). Then I went home and I wrote down everything I could remember about the VFC. A month later I looked at my notes and remembered all the details of the VFC.

So, not only have I learnt the technique, but I have almost immediately brought it to memory again by writing it down. Then I have reminded myself of this at a later date. So from one technique I have gone through three learning processes. Live practice, write from memory, read back into memory.

Now, I was a retard at school but I am pretty sure that if you use this method then you will remember more techniques and progress quicker with your training. Plus if every couple of months you review you entire set of notes then you are further re-enforcing all that old knowledge so you don’t need to worry about forgetting anything, its all there in black and white for you.

Man I feel like Neo off the Matrix right now, I’m going outside to make sure I’m still in the real world. But seriously, try the method and if it works, awesome, send me a pound on paypal or something, if not then you just wasted twenty minutes of your life reading some shit a crazy guy wrote.

Zen Masters