Does anyone take notes at class?

[IronFist]

When I get back from class I jot down notes abou the techniques we did in a MS Word file. Does anyone else do anything like this? Do you find it helps you remember techniques later?

[Lost Oath]

I used to have a notebook for techniques and stuff but I stopped using it some time ago. Maybe I'll come back to it though...

Making notes is a great idea both for students and instructors.

[blooming lotus]

for sure...I always take notes on anything new I pick up...

sometimes I write on the break....;)

glad I'm not the only one ...was starting to wonder :cool:

[manofkent]

Yeah, deff. I always make points to remember about specific training techs and new patterns, usually the next day at work. also doing it the next day helps u to note down what muscels u have used cos they are the ones that are stiff in the morning.

[Ford Prefect]

I did in BJJ class. I have a Fighter's Notebook from mma.tv (submissionfighting.com when I got it), and one of my friends worked at kinko's, so I have 3 copies of the thing... After class, I'd find the techniques we were working on, jot my own notes down in the margins, and put the page in my training journal.

[kwaichang kaned]

Ohhhh yes!

Quick notes straight after class then into a book i keep at home.
Including diagrams

[Shaolinlueb]

i should start writing down all the forms i know. i havent done my tae kwan do one in a long time and couldnt remember it. good thing i got it on video though. that might be easier. but ntoes are a good idea. last night there were students jotting down notes during class. if they need to and doesnt take out of class time but alot let them.

[Ray Pina]

I should but don't. I've tried a few times but I've since changed my view.

I try to leave class understanding one or two concepts. Not "owning" or "mastering" them, just knowing how they work ideally and their principles. Then I'll walk around all week working on it when no one is watching. Hopefully by the next class or next few classes, I have it and it has become mine.

It's more of a keep learning to tie the shoe lace and then not having to think about it aproach. At the same time I have forgotten tons of drills that would be useful in the future if I open a school.

Like I said, I should but don't. To me it would then feel like work instead of fun. I was a bad student.

[apoweyn]

I'm kinda with Efist on this one. I'm actually in the process of gathering, scanning, and reconciling about 15 years worth of notes right now. And so far, about half of it is complete rubbish.

Actually, that's not true. But what I have is collections of drills I could just as easily fabricate on the fly and descriptions of techniques I know already.

The danger of being an avid note taker (though it's not inevitable) is that you fall too deeply in love with the lists. "I have a list of six hubud drills!" But then you have to figure out whether hubud in general or the various drills specifically are useful to you.

I guess what this process is teaching me is that notes are good. But there's the constant danger of become a notes collector in the same way that people are accused of being forms collectors, drills collectors, etc.

The objective isn't an encyclopedia. It's a how-to manual. But it's very easy to forget that (for me anyway).


Stuart B.

[Spark]

All the time. I was at the point where I was training in class, then training with a friend outside of class and when I was trying to explain something ... I had totally forgot!
So i'd draw little pictures with notes beside them and it helped out tons, especially when i was learning forms and such, to remember what happened.

[Vash]

Yes. I'd jot down everything I could remember from class, and note whether I liked it, felt it worked for me, things like that.

Mostly my notes were on outside of class training, just so I could see if I had any particular agenda in my workouts, and what the direction was if I did.

[FatherDog]

I take notes when I get home; I have a long text file. Usually it's reminders like "Chin DOWN, *******" or "Remember not to let the shoulder touch the ground in scarf hold".

[abobo]

I rarely do. A friend who I practice with takes a lot of notes. Now that you mention it, I think I will try it for a while.

[Gangsterfist]

My sifu will hand out notes, writings, maxims, sayings, terminology for us from time to time.

Recently we just video taped my sifu doing forms and breaking down the movements we are currently burning it to DVD with menus. This way we can just pop it in our DVD player select what we want to brush up or practice on and we have visual reference with our sifu explaining it as we go.

I used to take down notes on terminology since chinese still confuses the heck out of me. I don't really take down any notes that much anymore. Then again I live with 3 of my classmates and we practice with each other at home, which is lucky for me.

Though sometimes when I get bored and no one is home I shadow box the cat. The cat will fall on his back and grab my foot, he must be a grappler.

[redtornado]

Well, hell yeah!! I always take notes!!! I always pay attention to my sifu and when I hear something that I need to remember I"ll take a note of it!! Also I keep note of mt training I feel that I can keep a record of my training to see how I am growing...
So notes are good....
Jeffrey Williams Red Tornado

[redtornado]

Well, hell yeah!! I always take notes!!! I always pay attention to my sifu and when I hear something that I need to remember I"ll take a note of it!! Also I keep note of mt training I feel that I can keep a record of my training to see how I am growing...
So notes are good....
Jeffrey Williams Red Tornado:p :D :)

[IronFist]

Originally posted by apoweyn
The danger of being an avid note taker (though it's not inevitable) is that you fall too deeply in love with the lists. "I have a list of six hubud drills!" But then you have to figure out whether hubud in general or the various drills specifically are useful to you.

Yes, I could see that happening to me. I mostly take notes for grappling things because I suck at grappling and I forget the stuff after like a week.

What is "hubud?"

[Gangsterfist]

hubud is like taiji push hands I believe.

[apoweyn]

Gangsterfist is right. Hubud is a sensitivity/flow drill in the filipino arts. Similar to push hands in taiji or chisao in wing chun.

You can see some examples of it at the bottom of this page:

http://www.andy-guettner.de/ani03.html

[MasterKiller]

I never take notes. If you go to class and/or practice consistently, I don't think you need them because you are reinforcing the training through practice. I hardly took notes in college, either, though, so it's probably just something that works for me.

I keep a file of terminology. Mostly Chinese-to-English translations.

[norther practitioner]

I don't take notes either, for mostly reasons that MK said. I am forced to remember some of the beginners stuff when I have to teach and help the beg.

[IronFist]

Originally posted by apoweyn
Gangsterfist is right. Hubud is a sensitivity/flow drill in the filipino arts. Similar to push hands in taiji or chisao in wing chun.

You can see some examples of it at the bottom of this page:

http://www.andy-guettner.de/ani03.html

Cool, thanks for the link.

[apoweyn]

No worries Ironfist.

[SevenStar]

Originally posted by MasterKiller
I never take notes. If you go to class and/or practice consistently, I don't think you need them because you are reinforcing the training through practice. I hardly took notes in college, either, though, so it's probably just something that works for me.

I keep a file of terminology. Mostly Chinese-to-English translations.

depends... I know how to arm bar. However, I've also learned 23450 combinations and setups for it. We don't train every one of those every class, however, we will train the armbar itself. Like anything else, I know the ones that I use on a regular basis, but there are several that I don't use and several more that I've forgotten. for that reason, I like to write stuff down on occasion.


As a side note, I started this exact same thread a few months ago.

[norther practitioner]

As a side note, I started this exact same thread a few months ago.

We know, but your threads just seem so boring ;)

[kungfuyou]

I take notes. I try to draw pictures next to certain stances and try to write the chinese name for the stance and then the english one as well. Basically what most here do as well.

[MasterKiller]

Originally posted by SevenStar
depends... I know how to arm bar. However, I've also learned 23450 combinations and setups for it. We don't train every one of those every class, however, we will train the armbar itself. Like anything else, I know the ones that I use on a regular basis, but there are several that I don't use and several more that I've forgotten. Isn't that the MMA equivalent of forms collecting?

[HungMoJue]

Not only do I take notes, but we are required to. My Sifu gives you a workbook, which is like a printed notebook binder with hand-outs and sheets with the curriculum printed on it. The theory is that each student is basically on an "Instructor's Training Program" whether they teach at our school, or one day have one of their own, or they teach their children and it becomes their family art, they will pass it down completely and intact.