My book about learning

In 2018 I joined a local Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu club in South Wales and became fascinated by the art. Consequently, I wrote a book in which I expressed my thoughts and ideas on the most effective learning strategies.

Pretty much as soon as I had signed up for jiu-jitsu classes, I realised that group sessions offered a sub-optimal learning experience. Wanting to become more efficient in my training, I knew I needed a more proactive approach to my development.

The project manager in me felt compelled to give myself a specific, measurable and time-based goal; challenging yet attainable at the same time. It was to become a blue belt within a year. This book is the result of my lessons learnt. It’s about improving fast, finding flow, gaining discipline , managing discomfort, but also about burnout, being humbled, and the need to rest.

And here's another version of the same book:

Here’s a little snippet from that book:

In project management there’s a saying that a customer always wants three things:

1.         The final product to be of great quality.

2.         For it to be delivered fast.

3.         Finally, the project to be cheap (or to pay as little as possible).

But there’s a problem with such expectations as only two of the above three can be achieved, in any possible combination.  The final result can be good and delivered fast, but it won’t be cheap. It can be fast and cheap, but it won’t be good. And it can also be cheap and good, but it will take a long time to deliver.  It’s as simple as that.

So bringing it back to jiu-jitsu, having the goal of becoming a blue belt within one year, we have to rule out the idea that it can be cheap. If we want quality (a blue belt) and we want it fast (within a year), we’ll have to pay for it, one way or another.

And another, this time about voluntary hardship:

I sometimes look at jiu-jitsu as a practice in voluntary hardship; one that is difficult, uncomfortable and testing at any level. Yet at the same time, within this hardship, lies its great power.

It's a cliché but I think it needs to be said in this book; learning to overcome the difficulty in jiu-jitsu can be life changing. I strongly believe that anyone who can face hardship, disappointment and frustration - all the things that are pretty inevitable in jiu-jitsu - will be well equipped to handle life in all of its facets.