The Martial Arts Nerd’s Notebook: Turning Curiosity Into Clarity
How Academics, Nerds, and Deep Thinkers Can Use Notes to Understand Martial Arts on a Deeper Level
Jesse Enkamp is well known as the “Karate Nerd,” and since then, the idea of being a “Martial Arts Nerd” has taken hold. I proudly count myself among them. I spend a good amount of time reading martial arts books, listening to podcasts, watching old fights and documentaries—and when I do, I usually have a notebook nearby.
Not everyone goes this deep, and that’s okay. How far you go in your research depends entirely on you. But the more you study, the more important it becomes to capture and refine your thoughts. Otherwise, all that information gets scattered, and before you know it, that brilliant insight you had about kata or strategy fades into the noise of daily life.
That’s where notes come in.
A Commonplace Book for Martial Artists
Parker Settecase often talks about the value of commonplace books, collections of thoughts, quotes, and reflections organized by theme. Creating a Martial Arts-themed commonplace book can be a powerful way to build your own personal library of insights. You can organize by concept (timing, distance, balance), by style (Judo, Karate, BJJ), or even by source (books, podcasts, videos).
You might use one notebook, several notebooks, or go digital with tools like Notion or Obsidian. Digital apps make it easy to clip quotes, links, and screenshots. But if you’re like me, you might find that you rarely return to those digital notes. They become an archive instead of a living, thinking tool.
My Personal System
Over time, I developed a system that works for me:
Pocket notebooks for quick ideas while reading, watching, or training.
Larger notebooks for class or seminar notes and also for planning classes.
Margins in books for direct thoughts as I read.
If I’m watching a video, I grab the pocket notebook. If I’m reading, I scribble in the margins and jot key thoughts in the notebook. At first, they aren’t polished thoughts. . Later, usually when I am waiting to pick-up my kid from school, I return to these notes, review, and refine. I use them to build articles, connect ideas, or simply think more clearly. It’s a way to turn downtime into depth.
This is my antidote to doom scrolling. Instead of reaching for the next post, I flip through old notes. I revisit what I’ve written, see how my thinking has changed, and occasionally discover a forgotten gem.
What to Write As a Martial Arts Nerd
If you’re more academically inclined, here are a few things you might jot down:
Quotes and Key Ideas: From books, podcasts, videos. Write down what resonates and then write what you think about it.
Concepts: When a principle like “create a hole, fill the hole” appears across disciplines, note it. These are your threads for deeper understanding.
Historical or Philosophical Notes: Dates, legends, lineages. Questions you’d like to research. Conflicting narratives that need resolving.
Personal Theories: How you interpret a strategy or why you think a movement works. This is where your thinking evolves from student to scholar.
Questions: “Why does this concept work in BJJ but not in Karate?” “What does timing really mean?” These are fuel for future insight.
Not Just for Academics
You don’t have to be a full-blown researcher to benefit from this. Even if you’re just curious about the deeper layers of your art, writing things down helps clarify your thoughts. It turns passive consumption into active learning.
You may never publish a book or write a blog, but your notes are still valuable. They’re a reflection of your personal journey, your style, your philosophy in the making.
Final Thoughts
There’s no right way to do this. Whether you use fancy notebooks or the back of a receipt, the point is the same: Get your thoughts out of your head and onto the page. Reflect, refine, revisit.
Because that’s how knowledge becomes wisdom.
And if one day you do decide to teach, share, or write—it’ll all be there, waiting for you.