The Best Way to Learn?
Teach.

You ever try to explain something you thought you understood, only to realize mid-sentence that you have no idea what you’re talking about?

Yeah, me too.

It happens all the time, especially in learning something new.

You think you’ve got it down—until you have to teach it to someone else.

That’s when you see the gaps.

That’s when the real learning begins.

I learned this firsthand in two very different martial arts cultures: Hapkido and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ).

One was structured, rigorous, and systematic.

The other?

A wild, free-flowing ocean of techniques with no clear path.

Both had their strengths and weaknesses, but one thing became crystal clear:

The best way to learn anything is to teach it.

But let’s back up.

Because before you can teach, you need to master something even more important: how to learn.

Most People Don’t Know How to Learn

If you’ve ever been on the mats in a martial arts gym, a classroom, or even in a business setting, you’ve seen this play out:

Some people get better quickly, while others struggle, plateau, and eventually quit.

It’s not about talent.

It’s not even about effort.

It’s about learning how to learn.

The mistake most people make?

They assume learning is about memorizing information and repeating it back.

That’s school-think.

That’s the outdated, industrial-age model of education that trains people to follow instructions instead of understanding principles.

Real learning isn’t about regurgitation.

It’s about adaptation.

And adaptation requires engagement, exploration, and teaching.

When I trained in Hapkido, the learning structure was clear:

• A technique sheet for every rank.
• A set number of hours required to train.
• A responsibility to assist classes as you advanced.
• A belt test that included a written essay and oral discussion of martial arts principles, history, and mindset.

It wasn’t just about punching and kicking better.

It was about understanding why things worked, how to communicate them, and how to pass them on.

BJJ, on the other hand?

It’s a different beast.

The Brazilian way is much more open-ended.

In my experience at 3 different gyms, there’s no standardized technique list.

No required hours before leveling up.

No formalized structure to ensure you can explain what you’re doing.

At first, this felt like freedom.

Every class was an adventure.

A new move here, a cool trick there.

But then something happened:

I realized I wasn’t learning as efficiently.

I could hit a move in class, but I couldn’t explain why it worked.

I couldn’t break it down into principles.

And because of that, my retention suffered.

I saw students coming and going, frustrated by the lack of clear progress.

Some people thrive in chaos, but most struggle.

And that’s when it hit me.

The missing piece in most learning systems is the responsibility to teach.

Why Most People Struggle to Retain What They Learn

Here’s where most people get stuck:

They assume that just because they saw something, they know it.

Ever watch a YouTube tutorial and think, Got it, only to try it later and completely butcher it?

That’s the illusion of learning.

Real learning doesn’t happen when you consume information.

It happens when you engage with it.

And the fastest way to engage with new information?

Teach it.

Because the second you have to explain something to someone else, your brain goes into problem-solving mode.

You’re forced to:

• Clarify your understanding. If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t really get it.
• Think from multiple perspectives. Other people ask questions you wouldn’t think to ask yourself.
• Solidify your retention. When you repeat something in your own words, it sticks.

This is why high-level martial artists aren’t just great fighters—they’re great teachers.

The best black belts I’ve met weren’t just savages on the mats.

They knew how to communicate what they knew, break it down into simple steps, and adapt it for different students.

Because if you can teach a white belt, you truly understand the technique.

The Three Levels of Learning

If you want to get better at learning (and by extension, anything in life), you need to approach it in three stages:

1. Learn it for yourself. Get hands-on, make mistakes, and struggle. Struggle is part of the process.
2. Learn it to teach it. Even if no one is asking you to teach, pretend like you have to explain it. Write it down. Record yourself. Break it into simple steps.
3. Actually teach it. Nothing solidifies knowledge like real-world feedback. When you teach, you get questions you never considered, and that deepens your understanding.

This works in business.

In relationships.

In leadership.

In martial arts.

The best professionals? They teach.

The best leaders? They mentor.

The best athletes? They coach others.

Because when you teach, you level up faster.

The Fun Part: Turning Learning into a Game

Most people treat learning like a chore.

Something you have to do.

But the secret?

The best learners are the ones who find a way to make it fun.

Here’s how you do it:

• Gamify your learning. Challenge yourself to teach a technique after every class. Even if it’s just in your notes. Even if it’s just to yourself.
• Create micro-tests. Ask yourself: Could I explain this to someone with zero experience?
• Start a ‘teaching journal.’ Write out what you learned, and how you’d teach it to someone else.
• Find a beginner. Even if you’re not an expert yet, teaching someone just one step behind you will make you better.

If you turn learning into a game, you never plateau.

And the best part?

You become the kind of person people seek out—not just because you know things, but because you can communicate them.

Know Thyself, Teach Thyself

In the end, learning isn’t just about collecting information.

It’s about adapting, refining, and passing it on.

Martial arts taught me that.

BJJ showed me the need for exploration.

Hapkido showed me the value of structure.

But both taught me the ultimate lesson:

Teaching is learning.

So the next time you learn something—whether it’s a new move, a new skill, or a new idea—don’t just keep it to yourself.

Try explaining it to someone else.

See if it sticks.

See what gaps appear in your understanding.

And in that process, you’ll not only learn faster—you’ll become the kind of person others look to for wisdom.

Because the best way to learn?

Teach.