Every Saturday for the last 2 or so years, I teach a beginner’s Jiu Jitsu class. I started just trying to help out the school’s owner here and there, and worked my way to a weekly class. At first, it seemed as if teaching the class was a job. But I slowly learned that this so-called job was the best thing to ever happen to me at Jiu Jitsu. It not only helped others get better, it helped me get better than I ever thought.
Teaching anything is not easy. It forces you to have to re-learn something, break it down, and then teach it in simple, easy steps. You never know what questions are going to be thrown at you, so it also forces you to see things from different perspectives. Sounds like a chore, but actually it is one of the most beneficial things you can do for yourself.
When I have to teach a move to the class in jiu jitsu, I can’t just say, ‘Do what i do.’ I have to break it down in steps so the class can better understand the complex body movements going on and their purpose. Because I have to break it down, it forces me to have to figure out what I do in steps.
This is why teaching something is the best way to learn it yourself.
When you break the move down to its simplest form, that is how you remember it. So the next time I am rolling (sparring in jiu jits) with someone, instead of me trying to do the whole move, I now work the move in steps. It is so much more effective because you know which goals you have to accomplish to get to the big goal. Instead of trying to accomplish the whole goal at once (say going for an arm bar), I try to accomplish step 1 (trap the arm), then step two (grab over the opposite shoulder), and so on.
Now, each time I learn a new move, I can’t wait to teach it. I know once I teach it to others, I will learn the move better myself. I also have noticed that this works in all areas of life, not just jiu jits. If I teach someone how to operate a program on my computer, then I am learning it better myself.
I would suggest teaching anything you are passionate about getting better at. Whether a sport, a program, or an income generator, teaching the how-to, and the why, will help you gain an even deeper understanding of it.
