A while ago, when I came to the realization that any skill in BJJ would have to be developed over a fairly long period of time, I started spending time after each competition I entered, analyzing where I had gone wrong, lessons learned, and what I wanted to work on for the next six month period.

After about a year of this, well, I had accomplished to a certain degree what I had initially wanted to improve. I had some semblance of a defensive guard, a good guillotine with variations, and a couple of sweeps that I could trust to work semi-reliably (I've always tended to favour my passing game, until recently).

Last year, and this year, I've changed my planning approach by making it more flexible than it has been, amending my training plan with any new experiences that change my view on grappling, or exposure to a new technique that I like. Since I started putting my long term goals to paper, I've found it's improved my game a hell of a lot, helping me to see a number of techniques that I wouldn't have otherwise thought about.

Do any of you do something similar?

Last year, and this year, I've changed my planning approach by making it more flexible than it has been, amending my training plan with any new experiences that change my view on grappling, or exposure to a new technique that I like. Since I started putting my long term goals to paper, I've found it's improved my game a hell of a lot, helping me to see a number of techniques that I wouldn't have otherwise thought about.

Do any of you do something similar?Yes. After both tournaments I've competed in, I've spent hours questioning my performance, watching videos of my matches (If they're available. I don't post them on here because my instructor asked us not to give the video away for free, as it costs him money to burn them onto DVD . . . and well, I respect his opinions and wishes.), and writing down things I did well and things I need to improve upon. Then I generally badger my instructors to help me with the things I've decided I need to work on, as well as asking for any observations they have on my game. I'd say being obsessive about getting help from my instructors is the most useful skill I've acquired in the last year or so.

I also keep a training log (I don't keep a training log in the black belt club because I prefer to write mine out on paper.). I have a pretty good memory, so the log is not something I write in every day, though maybe I should use it more often. I tend to divide my log up by positions and series and note the date in question out to the side. This log is really critical to me when I am actively trying to improve something. I will write up a plan for doing so, scheme up ways to get myself into the position/submission in question, etc.

I do a lot of this in my college classes, as I get bored easily and bjj is more interesting than most of my professors . . .

Goal setting plans are part and parcel to any successful venture, or so at least all those self-help-positive-power-thinking books say.

I don't think of my plans as goal-setting. I view them more as a personal training structure to get results.

For example, out of every 5 sparring sessions, I'll pull guard 4 times to every time I start actively trying to pass, simply because my guard hasn't been the equal of my passing skill until recently. If my passing suffers, I'll change that ratio up a bit.

If I discover/remember something while rolling (i.e. about 4 months ago, I came up with some cool ways to reverse and submit from turtle) I'll start working on that, unless it gets demolished in real pressure testing (with the aforementioned turtle techs, I got systematically dismantled by my instructor, and went back to my previous turtle game as a result).

I constantly make up training plans. For the last six months i have concentrated heavily on my guard game, which is still sorely lacking. Right now I am working on submissions from the sidemount, transitions between sidemount-mount and chokes, especially gi based ones.

Well I have a couple of goals, with the ultimate goal of competing in an amateur boxing matches.

1. Get down to 150lbs or grow to 6ft tall which ever is easier.
2. Build up wind again, I lost my wind after I hurt my shoulder, I started running doing bleachers and sprints to keep it up but when I went to spar recently it just wasn't there.
3. Get my hook down - it sucks big time. I think my hook is actaully better bareknuckle than it's gloved.
4. Suck less
5. Compete.