Learn to Learn

-fresh from f00k

So with the countless amounts of hours I have free at work, instead of watching funny videos all day, I have decided to help Meaty and keep the website active. Now just because the color of my belt changed, doesn’t mean all of this is accurate. I’m just bored speaking what f00k thinks.

Learn to Learn

One of the most important keys of learning jiu-jitsu or any kind of sport is learning from your mistakes. I remember back when I first started jiu-jitsu I would get tapped about 20 times a day! I’d get mad, but of course everyone had more experience than me. I knew the only way for me to catch up to everyone was to be able to learn from my mistakes quickly and move on until the number of times I got tapped went down to 0.

To do this I had to ask a lot of questions and get feedback on what I was doing wrong. I noticed a lot of people today don’t take advantage of this as much as they should. If you’re getting swept over and over or always getting caught in triangles, I’d suggest asking someone for advice.  Take Halfbaked for example. He comes in a lot less than most people, but he excels at a higher level because he asks a lot of questions and can move on to the next problem quicker. He doesn’t learn quickly because he’s a quick learner. He is a quick learner because he learns quickly.

We have a lot of people that specialize in certain moves so don’t be afraid to ask them. Me personally, I like showing people how I do a certain move and I’m sure everyone else does too. I know some people find it hard to ask questions because of their ego, especially if it is someone with the same or lower belt than themselves.  BUT if that lower belt is doing a move better than you, then who is really better? J  I have heard even a lot of black belts that say they learn a lot from their students.

I have found one good way to learn is to teach because in order to teach something, you have to know the details pretty well. If you don’t, someone will point it out and then now you have a new detail that you never thought of. Train on my friends!

“I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught.”  -Winston Churchill