Getting Set Up With Het Teken Van Martial
I ran into this a couple years back when someone recommended it as a way to track martial arts training progress and organize technique notes. I had no idea what it was at first. The Dutch title means "The Mark of Martial" and it's essentially a structured training log and notation system. Not complicated once you get past the initial confusion about what it actually is. It's a method for documenting martial arts practice. You record techniques, note your level of comfort with each one, log sparring sessions, and track which areas need work. The system uses a simple marking notation rather than an app or special software. Most people just use a notebook or a spreadsheet. The core notation is straightforward. You mark techniques with a letter code system, add a rating from one to five for comfort level, and keep a running tally of training frequency. That's basically it. The "sign" part of the name refers to the personal mark or notation key you build for yourself over time.
How To Start Using It
Grab a notebook or open a spreadsheet. Set up three columns: technique name, date trained, and a comfort rating from one to five. Write down every technique you train, even the basic ones. I know that feels redundant but you'll forget where you are with certain techniques if you don't track them. A month goes by and you suddenly can't remember whether you nailed a particular sweep or just kind of half-assed it. Create your own notation key. This is the part most people skip and then the whole system falls apart. Decide what symbols or abbreviations you'll use for different skill categories, common mistakes you make, and any notes about specific situations during sparring. Keep it consistent. I wrote down "dropped hands on right side" as a shorthand and later couldn't remember what it meant when I flipped back through months of entries.
Practical Tips That Actually Matter
Log every session. Not just the techniques but also how many minutes you spent on each one, what drills you ran, and who you sparred with. The partner detail matters more than you'd think. Certain people expose certain weaknesses in you and tracking that helps you prepare better for future sessions. Review your log once a month. Spend about ten minutes going through the previous month's entries and circle anything rated one or two on the comfort scale. Those are your priorities for the next month. You don't need fancy software for this. A pen and a highlighter work fine. Don't overcomplicate the rating system. One to five is plenty. Three means functional but not confident. Four means you can do it under light pressure. Five means it's automatic. Beginners often rate everything a four because they're being too generous with themselves. Be honest about it. A three that you acknowledge is more useful than a four you pretend is real.
Get the Full Details
Where To Get It
Het Teken Van Martial isn't a product you buy or download. There's no official website with templates or paid courses. It's a method that circulates in certain martial arts communities, mostly through word of mouth and forum posts. If someone shares a notation system they've adapted, that's close enough. The original concept is simple enough that you don't need anyone to give it to you. If you want a starting template, I made a basic spreadsheet layout a while back. It has the technique list, date tracking, comfort ratings, and a monthly review section built in. I don't have a live link on hand anymore since I moved it around a bit, but I can share it if anyone wants it. It's just a Google Sheet though, nothing special.
Common Mistakes People Make
The biggest one is inconsistency. People start strong for three weeks and then stop logging because they get busy or lose motivation. The system only works if you keep doing it. I've seen people restart the log multiple times and wonder why they never see improvement patterns. You can't spot trends in data you didn't record. Another mistake is treating it like a chore. If you're logging out of obligation rather than genuine interest in tracking your progress, you'll burn out fast. The method is meant to help you train smarter, not add work to an already full schedule. Ten minutes a session is all it takes. Sometimes this approach doesn't work for people who learn better visually or kinesthetically. If writing things down feels pointless to you, try taking photos or video clips of techniques instead and tag them with dates and comfort ratings on your phone. The principle stays the same even if the format changes.
A Specific Edge Case I Hit
Here's something that tripped me up. I was tracking a particular technique and had rated it consistently at a three for about six weeks. Then I realized my three rating for that technique was inconsistent because I was rating it differently depending on which partner I was drilling with. One partner always set it up in a way that made the technique easier for me. I was accidentally inflating my comfort ratings without noticing. The workaround was simple. I added a column for training partner and started cross-referencing my ratings against who I was with. Sure enough, my three ratings were actually more like a two when I was drilling with anyone other than that one person. Fixed the rating bias and adjusted my training focus accordingly. That's the kind of insight you only get when you actually keep the log consistently.
Bottom Line
The system isn't groundbreaking. It's basically a structured journal with a rating component. But it works because it forces you to pay attention to what you're actually practicing rather than going through the motions. If you train martial arts regularly and want a low-maintenance way to track real progress, Het Teken Van Martial is worth trying. If you already have a system that works for you, stick with it. There's no reason to swap something functional for something new.
