Ask Questions

The reason we ask questions is so we can understand things and place our focus on finding the answer.

For parents, asking a child “What did you learn today?” “How did you do (Fill in the blank)?” “Was it hard?” All these questions lead to helping a child learn what to focus on.

When we originally start Jiu Jitsu, simply asking “What” questions is a perfect start. “What is the move we are doing called?” “What is the bad guy doing that makes this move necessary?” “What position did I start in? End in?” All these questions are great self-quizzing questions.

Once you have become familiar with the moves you’re performing, the next great questions to ask are “How” questions. “How could a bad guy get me in the position?” “How do I move from start to finish?” “How do I become more efficient?” Again, these are all great self-quizzing questions.

At any point, you should feel comfortable asking the instructor any of these questions and more. It is always nice to get the quick answer and rather than spend large chunks of time figuring it out, but don’t be afraid to experience learning. If I ask which grip works best in a situation to the instructor and they tell me. I can still take part of a repetition and experience the difference between the grips. This can lead to more questions.

Each student should also feel like they can ask questions to their partner during drilling. “What do I do next? I forgot.” “How do you like to do this part of the technique? I like to do this.” “What can you do while I’m half way thru the move? I feel unstable.” This not only allows you to experience learning, but it also solicits feedback in the form of answers to help deepen understanding of techniques and the limits that they have.

We, here at Gracie Jiu Jitsu Clinton Utah, hope we make asking questions to the instructors and hope we continue to make it a part of our culture where students ask themselves and their training partners questions.