Make it memorable – the fundamental problem of teaching in jiu jitsu: The main concern of most teachers in jiujitsu is the information they give to their students – how much, how complex etc. The study of jiu jitsu is never about how much information you TAKE IN – it is about how much you will be able to recall and use under severe stress. RETENTION, NOT OUTPUT, IS THE CENTRAL PROBLEM OF JIU JITSU INSTRUCTION. As such, we need effective methods of improving students ability to recall the large amounts of information we churn out. The most important method will always be the most basic – simple repetition. There are others however, that I find very effective. One of my favorites is the QUESTION AND ANSWER method. When students are spoon fed information they are not actively engaged in the learning process and tend to see themselves in a passive role that quickly leads to inattention, boredom and inability to recall what was taught. Whenever I can, I try to make the student part of the lesson through engaging them in question and answer dialogue where they have to work towards an answer. This creates independent and innovative problem solvers rather than robotic followers. It also creates a strong memory association with the learning experience that greatly aids retention. The teacher guides the discussion by asking questions that lead the student in a given direction and the student works for the answers. This leads to a cycle of curiosity, frustration, insight and satisfaction that engages the student and creates a learning process and answers that are both memorable and beneficial – one day the student will be able to put HIMSELF through that cycle and think autonomously. Things we are given for free we attach only small value to. Those things we work for, we value and cherish – this applies to knowledge as well. Photo @stephaniedrewsphotography
