BJJ Memo vs Google Docs: Which Actually Keeps Your Technique Notes Usable?
TL;DR. Google Docs is free, familiar, and great for raw writing — but BJJ notes buried in a long document are rarely reread before class. BJJ Memo is purpose-built around the YouTube → technique card → spaced revision loop, so notes actually get revisited. If you already revise your Docs weekly, keep them. If you don't, a structured system wins. Both can coexist: Docs for long-form, BJJ Memo for retrieval.
Most grapplers who take notes don't have a note-taking problem. They have a rereading problem. You can write a beautiful 2,000-word summary of a Lachlan Giles half-guard breakdown and still get flattened on Tuesday because you never opened the doc again. This article compares two honest options — Google Docs and BJJ Memo — for the hobbyist who wants their notes to show up on the mat, not die in a folder.
Founder disclosure
I build BJJ Memo. I use Google Docs daily for long-form writing, including the first drafts of these articles. I am going to be fair to Docs because it is a genuinely good tool — just not optimized for grappling retrieval. Every competitor claim below ends with a [source] placeholder so facts can be verified; I will not invent features I cannot confirm.
Who each app is for
Google Docs is for you if you already have a writing habit, you take notes on a laptop more than a phone, your notes are often essays (match reflections, game planning, journaling your training week), and you have a system for actually opening those docs again — tags, a weekly review, or links from a central index.
BJJ Memo is for you if your main learning input is video (YouTube instructionals, class clips, competition footage), you forget techniques within days, you want structure imposed on you so a card looks the same whether it is a sweep or a submission, and you need the app to remind you to revise before training rather than hoping you remember.
If you don't know which bucket you fall into, read How to Take BJJ Notes That You'll Actually Read Before Training first — the goal is reread rate, not word count.
Feature comparison
| Capability | Google Docs | BJJ Memo |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free with a Google account [source] | Free tier, paid upgrade for full library features |
| Primary device | Desktop-first, mobile acceptable [source] | Mobile-first (iOS/Android) |
| Capture from YouTube URL | Manual copy/paste of link + typing | One-paste capture into a structured card |
| Auto-structured technique cards | No — you design your own template | Yes — consistent steps, details, timestamps |
| Tappable video timestamps inside notes | Not native [source] | Yes, on each card |
| Spaced revision prompts | None built-in [source] | Built-in revision flow before training |
| Search by position / submission | Full-text search [source] | Position-tagged library |
| Long-form essay writing | Excellent | Not the use case |
| Offline access | Partial, needs setup [source] | Yes on saved cards |
| Sharing with a coach | Share link, strong permissions [source] | Possible but less flexible |
Strengths of each option
Where Google Docs shines
- Writing comfort. A real keyboard, a big screen, and version history make Docs the better place to write a detailed post-roll reflection or an open-mat recap.
- Universal familiarity. Everyone has a Google account; nothing new to learn [source].
- Flexible formatting. Headings, tables, images, and comments give you unlimited structure if you have the discipline to use them consistently.
- Sharing & collaboration. A coach can comment on your game plan in real time with granular permissions [source].
- Zero vendor lock-in on content. Your words are plain text you can export [source].
Where BJJ Memo shines
- Capture speed. Paste a YouTube URL, get a draft technique card. No blank page.
- Structural consistency. Every card has steps, key details, and timestamps in the same order — so your brain reads them faster.
- Revision loop. The app surfaces cards for revision before you train, which is the whole point of taking notes.
- Position-first organization. Cards file into a library you can scan by position, not by date, as covered in How to Organize Your BJJ Techniques.
- Phone-shaped. You revise on the ride to the gym, not at a desk you won't be sitting at.
Where BJJ Memo is honestly stronger
I'm giving concrete reasons here, not adjectives.
Structure is imposed, not optional. In Docs, you could use the same template every time. Most people don't. After six months, your doc is a sedimentary layer of inconsistent notes. In BJJ Memo, every card looks the same, so during revision your eyes know where to find "grip," "angle," and "finish detail" without re-reading from the top.
The YouTube → card bridge is one step. For most grapplers, YouTube is the main input. Docs forces you to watch, pause, type, re-pause. BJJ Memo pulls the video skeleton for you so your writing is editing, not transcribing.
Revision is pushed to you, not pulled from you. This is the single biggest reason notes fail. Docs assumes you'll open the right doc at the right time; BJJ Memo assumes you won't, and prompts you. See Why You Forget BJJ Techniques for the mechanics.
Phone > laptop at the gym. You will not open a Chromebook in the changing room. You will open your phone.
Searchable by grappling categories. Full-text search in Docs returns anywhere the word "triangle" appears. A position-tagged library returns actual triangle entries.
Remember. The best note system is the one you reread the day before class, not the one you wrote the night of class.
Where BJJ Memo is honestly weaker
This section is mandatory and I'm not going to soft-pedal it.
It is a mobile app. If you want to write 1,500 words on last weekend's open mat, do it in Docs. Typing a long reflection on a phone is painful and BJJ Memo is not trying to beat Docs at that.
No real-time coach collaboration. Google Docs has decades of head start on commenting, suggesting, and permissioning [source]. If your coach wants to edit your game plan live, Docs wins today.
It costs money past the free tier. Docs is free as long as you have a Google account [source]. For a strict budget, that matters.
It assumes video is your primary input. If you learn mostly from in-person seminars or private lessons and you prefer to write from memory, the YouTube-capture advantage disappears and you're back to pure writing — where Docs is better.
Smaller ecosystem. Docs plugs into Drive, Sheets, Gmail, countless integrations [source]. BJJ Memo is purpose-built, which means narrow by design.
Remember. Any tool is only honest if it tells you where it loses. BJJ Memo loses on long-form writing and real-time collaboration. That is fine — the mat is where it has to win.
A fair hybrid approach
The real answer for a lot of serious hobbyists is not Docs or BJJ Memo. It's:
- Docs for the weekly reflection, the game-plan essay, the long post-tournament breakdown (see our pre-competition week guide).
- BJJ Memo for the day-to-day technique library you reread before class.
They are not competing for the same job. They are competing for your default. The default is what you open on a Tuesday evening before heading to the gym, and that default should be the one with cards tuned for revision, not an essay.
Final recommendation by user profile
| User profile | Recommended default |
|---|---|
| Pure beginner, first 6 months, overwhelmed | BJJ Memo — needs structure imposed |
| Hobbyist 2–3×/week who learns mostly from YouTube | BJJ Memo |
| Competitor who writes long game-plan docs | Docs primary, BJJ Memo for the technique library |
| Coach wanting students to review | BJJ Memo — see the coach's guide |
| Writer-type who already rereads weekly | Keep Docs, nothing is broken |
| Masters-division grappler training smart | BJJ Memo for revision; Docs for recovery/training-load journaling |
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Docs free for BJJ note-taking?
Yes — Google Docs is included with a free Google account and does not charge for personal use at the volume a grappler would ever need [source]. The cost of Docs isn't dollars; it's discipline. You have to build the structure yourself.
Can I just use Google Docs for my BJJ journal and skip apps?
Absolutely, if you reread it. The honest test: open your Docs app now and look at the "recently opened" list. If your BJJ notes aren't near the top, the system isn't working, regardless of how good the writing is.
Does BJJ Memo replace a coach or in-person training?
No. BJJ Memo is a retention and revision tool. For real feedback on grips, angles, and timing, train at a legit academy with a qualified black belt. The app helps you remember what they taught you.
How does BJJ Memo handle YouTube videos differently from pasting a link into Docs?
In Docs, a pasted link stays a link — you still open YouTube, scrub manually, and type everything. BJJ Memo structures the video into a technique card with tappable timestamps so your note itself is the index into the video.
What if I already have hundreds of BJJ notes in Docs?
Don't throw them away. Keep Docs as your archive and start new learning in BJJ Memo. Over time, migrate the techniques you actually use into cards. See how to audit your technique library.
Is a paper notebook better than either?
Paper is great for memory encoding at the moment of writing, but terrible for retrieval and search. Compare formats in Best BJJ Note-Taking Methods Compared.
The honest bottom line
If you are a disciplined weekly reviewer with a laptop habit, Google Docs is enough and switching is a lateral move. If you are a normal human hobbyist who learns from YouTube and forgets by Thursday, a purpose-built tool with structure, timestamps, and revision prompts is going to beat a blank page.
Next time you watch an instructional, save it as a technique card in BJJ Memo so it's there before your next roll — and keep Docs for the long-form thinking that doesn't fit on a card. Build your library, revise before class, and let the mat tell you if your notes are working.
For real feedback and safety, train the technique at a legit academy with a qualified coach — BJJ Memo helps you remember and revise, it doesn't replace mat time.
Last updated 2026-10-13.