Are you a "know-it-all"?

One of the things I find strange in martial arts and people in general, is the determination that saying "I don't know" is akin to the end of the world.

I have seen time and time again, instructors and senior students, when asked a question they don't know the answer to making something up on the spot, or telling the person that they aren't ready to learn that yet.

What's wrong with saying I don't know? I do it all the time. If one of my students says "Rob, what happens if he does this?" and I don't have a good answer, I will say "I don't know". Then I might say, "let's see if we can figure something out using common sense." and if that's unsatisfactory, I might suggest they reaearch the answer. I think my students respect the fact that I don't feed them a line of bull, and I'm willing to admit my flaws.

What are your views?

 

Its an insecurity thing.

People think others will think less of them if they don't know an answer to something they feel they should know.

Other poeple like to have others think they are better than them and like the superior feeling they get when someone asks them something they know. If a questions comes up that they don't know the answer to then maybe they will lose their title of "Oracle to the masses" and so they will make it up. Again in insecurity thing.

 

I don't know!

 

Things I make clear to students...

- I don't have all the answers (I don't even have all the questions!)
- I am allowed to be wrong
- I am allowed to change my mind when presented with new information
- We are allowed to disagree

 

Just one I'd add to that:

- if we do disagree then so long as you're in my school you do it my way until I change my mind, you can do your way on your own time

 

Man,

If one has all the answers, then I guess they have nothing else to learn, therefore nothing else to teach........

 

Hell, the stuff I help teach changes all the time. What works for me may not work for you. And yeah, if you don't know the answer try to figure it out yourself, you ain't gonna have someone to ask questions to when your in the middle of a scrap. Too many ppl think the MA's are all about learning techniques for every situation.

B******t! The MA's all about learning principles and adapting. I hope I never know everything, cause then I'll get bored to easy!

Thanx

 

I couldn't agree with you more on this statement. I recently had a student quit because he came from a Aiki-jitsu background and wanted to always compare the two arts. He would always ask me "what would you do if someone does this?" My reply would usually be, "Take him to the ground, establish control, change position if necessary, and apply finish."

He couldn't get his head around the fact that we don't have a particular move for each and every situation, rather a set of principles and a game plan to guide us which we adapt to the situation.

 

You are well on your way to becoming a great Martial Artist!

 

I agree Thomas.

 

This is an interesting comment. Now CKD, we have an understanding so this in no way is meant to offend.
I have a concern, and that is if we have a technique and you as the instructor can make it work but the student for various reasons cannot make it work, we should "tailor" the technique based on the students ability to make it work.
I am sure I do not know the specifics of the situation but the idea of the way it should be taught and the way the technique is executed will be different for each individual, unless you are a traditionalist, this should be considered.
Please elaborate for me, your friend,

 

Yep. Thats how we do it in Goshin Do. Obviously there are some basic fundamentals which should be practiced a certain way (breakfalls, rolls, punching mechanics) but the whole 'monkey see, monkey do' method is a bit silly.

I kinda agree with this. If your a cross-trainer (such as myself] if I'm there to practice your style I'll do it your way, thats not to say that I won't be thinking of variations that're better for me, but if I'm just going to do things my way I'd be just as well staying in my old dojo.

Thanx

 

To be honest I've never really come across it as an issue, the techniques are based on natural movement and there are very rarely physical reasons that they cannot be performed. When there are they usually concern flexibility and not being able to kick high enough (waist height) so we simply teach to kick lower, to the thigh or knee.

Like I said though, I've never in ten years come across or even seen someone in CKD who could not make our techniques work, without a little practice.

The other thing is insurance. If you tell a student that they can do a technique or drill differently, and they injure themselves, you are liable.

 

It's impossible to know everything about a single MA never mind multiple MA's!!! The main reason that I haven't taken up a second martial art yet is that I don't yet feel proficient enough in the one that I am doing! It would be detremental to my aikido to start another art just now. In a couple of years I will do so, when the new art will not detsroy the basics of aikido that I am currently learning.

Couldn't agree more my loud, bearded friend!! You definitely have to adapt every technique to suit your abilities/physique. My ability to do spinning kicks and head high kicks is on a par with my ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound or have a healing factor and adamantium claws (grrrr!!). That said, you have to learn the basic technique and the principle behind it correctly before you start adjusting things.

 

Until you get to advanced level all of our techniques are basics, spinning kicks only come in at black belt, along with doubles, sliding and jumping.

When you get to advanced level you're expected to supplement with your own innovation and research anyway.

 

Ditto. Some of the grading requirements for Goshin Do (the old syllabus, they have now revamped it so I got to learn the new requirements for each grade!) was actually just a framework and the student had to interpret it and decide what they were going to do themselves whilst a panel observed them. It would be worded something like "10 variations of a leg sweep from multiple attacks" and you had to decide what varations you were going to do, so obviously you do the ones that you are best at (come on, its a grading!), this is how we adapt and evolve individuals.

Thanx

 

Works the same way with my aikido, and probably all the MA's (though someone is bound to feel the need to correct me on that one! ). My concern is that starting another art at the present time would mean that I would not get my basics right in aikido. I have seen a lot of people who are trying to learn two/three arts at once stuggling to switch from one style to the other. Particular case that I'm thinking of is where a few TKD people started at our club. Takes a hell of a long time to get them to relax, stop clenching their fist by their side and block without trying to shatter their opponents arm.

It's not an issue for people who have been training for several years as they've got their basics right and can keep it clear in their head what the differences in each art are. A good example of this is FluffyDoc and FreeForm. Both had been training in other arts for a number of years prior to joining our happy throng (no FreeForm that's not "thong") and so have picked up the basics really quickly, much quicker than I did (b*stards!!). The other thing is that if FluffyDoc (who's not floppy....or a dog) feels that she's not going to be able to take a decent aikido technique on me, she'll Wing Chun my ass.

 

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