Full disclosure: we make TOMO. We also think most people should start their jiu-jitsu journal on paper or in a notes app, and plenty of people should stay there. Here is an honest comparison of the three, so you can pick the one you will keep using.
The short version
| Paper notebook | Notes app | TOMO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | A few dollars | Free | Three months free, then $5.99 a month or $49.99 a year |
| After class, hands shaking | Hard to write much | Thumb-typing | Talk for about 90 seconds |
| Finding an old session | Flip pages | Search | Search by technique, instructor or note; filter gi and no-gi |
| Spotting patterns | You read and notice | You read and notice | A weekly debrief that cites your sessions and names what keeps happening |
| What to study next | Your call | Your call | Video picks from 650+ checked technique videos, aimed at your gaps |
| Checking your technique | No. Ask your coach | No. Ask your coach | No. Ask your coach |
| No signal at the gym | Fine | Fine | Saves on the phone, uploads later |
| Drawing positions | Yes | Awkward | No |
| Phones | None needed | Any | iPhone only |
| Who can see it | Whoever finds it | You | You. Recordings are deleted once transcribed |
When a notebook wins
Paper is free and never crashes, and nobody at the gym thinks you are texting between rounds. You can draw the grip your coach showed and the angle of the knee cut. Writing by hand also slows you down in a useful way, and some people remember more when they write it out.
If you already fill a notebook after most classes and read it back every week, keep doing that. You have the habit, and the habit is the hard part.
When a notes app wins
A notes app is free, already on your phone, and searchable. Type "kimura" and every session where you wrote the word comes up. Paste the template from our BJJ journal guide into a new note after class and you have a solid training log for nothing.
The catch is the same as paper. The notes sit there until you read them, and nothing tells you that you got caught in the same armbar three weeks running. You have to notice.
When TOMO wins
TOMO was built for the minute after class, when you are wiped out, your grip is gone, and writing anything feels like one more round. You talk for about 90 seconds. TOMO turns that into a structured session with techniques, rounds, submissions, injuries and notes, and you can edit any of it before you save.
The bigger difference shows up after a few weeks. Once a week TOMO writes a debrief that cites the sessions you logged. It names the positions you keep ending up in and where you are stalling, and suggests what to focus on next, in wording that fits your belt. You can ask it follow-up questions, and the answers come from your own sessions. It also picks technique videos from a checked library to match the gaps in your logs, so your study list comes from your own training.
Using both
Plenty of people end up with two. A small notebook lives in the gym bag for diagrams and the one detail you can't afford to lose, and the app handles the after-class entry and the weekly read-back. If you think in drawings, that split works well. Pick one of them as the main record so you always know where to look.
Where TOMO falls short
- It is not a coach. TOMO reads back what you told it. It has never seen you roll, so it can't tell you why your guard keeps getting passed. Take that question to your coach or a higher belt.
- It costs money. Three months free, then a subscription. There is no free tier after that.
- iPhone only. No Android version yet.
- It works best if you talk. Typing is there, but if you will never speak into your phone in a parking lot, a form-based app or a notebook may suit you better.
- No drawing. If you think in diagrams, keep a notebook for those.
How to decide
If you have never kept a journal, start tonight with paper or your notes app and the template. Give it two weeks. If you are still writing after most classes, you have your answer and you can stop reading.
If you keep skipping entries because you are too tired to write, or you have months of notes you never read back, TOMO was built for that problem. The first three months are free, which is long enough to find out whether the weekly debrief earns a place in your week.
Quick answers
Is a paper notebook good enough for a BJJ journal?
Yes, if you write in it after most classes and read it back. Plenty of people have kept paper for years. Where paper struggles is finding things later and spotting patterns across months of entries.
Can I use Apple Notes as a BJJ training log?
Yes. It is free, searchable and already on your phone. Paste a simple template into a new note after each class. It will not organize entries or tell you what keeps happening; you do that part yourself.
Should I use a notebook and a BJJ app together?
Many people do. Keep a small notebook in your bag for diagrams and details, and use the app for the after-class entry and the weekly review. Pick one as the main record so you know where to look.
What does TOMO do that a notebook cannot?
You talk for about 90 seconds and TOMO writes the structured session: techniques, rounds, submissions, injuries and notes. Each week it writes a debrief that cites your own sessions, answers follow-up questions about them, and picks technique videos aimed at the gaps in your logs. Everything is searchable, and it saves even with no signal. Like a notebook, it cannot check your technique. That is your coach's job.
How much does TOMO cost compared with a notebook?
A notebook costs a few dollars. TOMO is $5.99 a month or $49.99 a year after three free months. If you already keep a notebook you read every week, you may not need anything else.
TOMO is a voice-first BJJ training journal for iPhone. Talk for about 90 seconds after class and it writes the session for you, then reads every week back to you. Three months free. Get TOMO on the App Store