Your First Training Log

Walk through completing your first Daily Training Log step by step.

The Goal for Day One

Your first log doesn't need to be perfect. The goal is to:

1. Get familiar with the worksheet
2. Capture the basics of your session
3. Build the habit of logging

You can refine your approach in the following sessions. Right now, just get something on paper.

When to Fill It Out

The best time to complete your Daily Training Log is immediately after class while everything is fresh. If that's not possible, do it the same day.

Waiting until the next day significantly reduces accuracy. You'll forget technique names, sparring details, and insights that seemed obvious in the moment.

Quick Option

If you can't fill out the full log right away:

1. Jot down technique names on your phone
2. Note your sparring partners
3. Write one key insight

Then complete the full log later that day.

Walking Through the Log

Section 1: Session Info

Fill this in first - it's quick and grounds the rest of the log.

Example:

Section 2: Techniques Drilled

Write down every technique you practiced, even if briefly.

Tips:

• Use whatever names help you remember (official names aren't required)
• Position abbreviations help: G = Guard, M = Mount, SC = Side Control
• Quality rating is your honest assessment, not your instructor's
• Notes are for key details you want to remember

Example:

Don't worry if you can't remember rep counts. Estimates are fine. The goal is documentation, not precision.

Section 3: Sparring

For Week 1, keep sparring tracking simple:

• Write down who you rolled with
• Note starting position if you remember
• Basic tally of submissions (both directions)

Example:

We'll add detailed attempt/success tracking in Week 2. For now, any notes are valuable.

Section 4: Session Totals

Summarize your sparring with rough counts:

• Submissions: How many you attempted, landed, and defended
• Sweeps: Attempted and landed
• Passes: Attempted and landed

Example:

Subs: 3 Att / 0 Landed / 2 Defended
Sweeps: 2 Att / 1 Landed
Passes: 1 Att / 0 Landed

Again, estimates are fine. We're building the habit first.

Section 5: Physical/Mental State

Quick self-assessment on a 1-5 scale:

Example:

Physical Before: 3  After: 2
Mental: 4

Section 6: Reflection

Three quick prompts to close out your log:

What Worked: Something that went well. A technique that clicked, a position you held, a submission you almost got.

What Needs Work: One thing to improve. Not a list of everything wrong - just one specific focus.

Key Insight: The main takeaway. What did you learn or realize today?

Example:

What Worked: Scissor sweep timing is improving
What Needs Work: Grip fighting - getting broken too easily
Key Insight: I need to be more active from bottom, not just defensive

Common First-Timer Mistakes

Trying to Remember Everything

You won't capture every detail of every technique. That's okay. Capture what you can, and your recall will improve with practice.

Being Too Hard on Yourself

Quality ratings aren't about comparing yourself to black belts. Rate yourself on how well you executed compared to your current ability.

Skipping the Reflection

The reflection section is where learning happens. Don't skip it because you're tired. Even one sentence per prompt is valuable.

Waiting Until Tomorrow

Your memory degrades quickly. A partial log done today beats a "perfect" log attempted tomorrow.

Your Assignment

After your next training session:

1. Complete your first Daily Training Log
2. Don't worry about perfection - just fill it in
3. Note what was easy and what was confusing about the process

In the next lesson, we'll review Week 1 and make sure your journaling foundation is solid before adding sparring details in Week 2.