Starting Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can be both exciting and overwhelming. Here are the most effective strategies to improve retention and master the techniques you're learning.
Starting Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can be both exciting and overwhelming. With so many techniques, positions, and submissions to learn, it's easy to feel lost or forget what you've practiced during class. However, remembering techniques doesn't have to be a struggle. By incorporating a few effective strategies into your training routine, you can easily remember and master the techniques you're learning.
Before we go over the strategies below, it is important to note that planning ahead before going to training is a critical step in systematizing your understanding of Jiu-Jitsu. BJJ is a complicated art with many moving parts, and focusing on many things at once can be detrimental to one's development. Before the class starts, it is a good idea to focus on just a few areas so that you can zero in on your learning. Choose a few positions or techniques and do your best to understand the underlying mechanics as best as possible.
Drilling is the backbone of learning in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. When you drill a technique repeatedly, you begin to develop muscle memory, which allows you to perform the move instinctively in live sparring or competition. Think of drilling as programming your body to react automatically when certain situations arise. The more you drill, the more ingrained the movement becomes in your muscle memory, making it easier to recall during a match.
One of the most effective ways to retain BJJ techniques is to visualize yourself performing them. Mental rehearsal activates the same neural pathways as physical practice, making it a powerful supplement to mat time. After class, find a quiet place and close your eyes. Replay the techniques you learned in your mind, step by step, as if you were teaching someone else. This mental practice reinforces the movements and can significantly improve your ability to recall them during sparring.