Most people train jiu-jitsu a few hours a week. The rest of the week decides how much of that time actually sticks. These eight habits take a few minutes each, and they add up.
1. Keep a short training journal
After class, write three lines: what you covered, one thing that worked in rolling, one thing that didn't. Over a month you'll see the positions you keep losing in. That's your next priority.
2. Write down the question you forgot to ask
Everyone leaves class with a question they didn't get round to asking. Write it down straight away, then ask your coach next session or look it up properly. Questions are where improvement starts.
3. Pick one focus a month
"Get better" isn't a goal. "Stop getting my guard passed by the knee cut" is. One clear focus a month gives every roll a purpose.
4. Learn from video with a plan
Search for your specific problem, watch the exact part that answers it and take one detail to the next class. More on this in how to learn from instructionals.
5. Film one roll a week
You can't see your own game while you're in it. One roll a week, watched properly, shows you patterns no partner will mention. See how to review your footage.
6. Know your game on one page
Write your game plan: how you start, where you want to get to, and your best finishes, with an answer for the common reactions. It makes your rolling more deliberate. Here's how to build one.
7. Learn the rules you compete under
If you compete, knowing exactly what scores and what's legal at your belt changes how you play. Start with IBJJF points and IBJJF rules by belt.
8. Recover like it matters
Sleep, eat enough and look after small injuries before they become big ones. You can't improve on the mat if you're not on it. For anything beyond a niggle, see a professional.
Questions
Can you get better at BJJ without training?
Not on its own: mat time is what makes techniques work. But what you do off the mat decides how much you get out of every class: what you focus on, what you remember and what you fix.
What should I write in a BJJ training journal?
Keep it short: what you worked on, one thing that worked, one thing that didn't, and one question to ask next time. Three or four lines is enough.