Questions

I always tell everyone that they need to have a question at the end of class. There is a reason for this, I'm not just OCDing again. Questions give you answers, true, but more importantly they stimulate thought. If you are not thinking about your training, not finding new ways to apply it, or just making sure you don't have holes in your knowledge, are you really progressing?

I was asked last night if theory questions could be asked at the end of class as that student's "question". The answer is YES! Anything that applies to your training is fair game. I don't cover theory in class very often for the purpose of forcing you guys to ask questions. The answer doesn't have to come from me or another instructor. It can come from your classmates as well. Work together and motivate each other.

Look at the project Ms. Donohue has on kwoon talk. It's a going concern involving students from white to black belt, started by an orange belt who felt she needed to give herself a kick in the pants. And all stemming from the desire to progress, to achieve, and to answer her own personal question.

We are limited only by ourselves and the questions we don't ask. There is not such thing as a stupid question. The only bad questions are the ones we don't ask. Something Master Brinker has mentioned something he respects about me is that if I don't know or understand something, I stop and ask the question. I had never really thought about it until he mentioned it. Sometimes I would feel stupid for not knowing what seemed to be common knowledge, but how else would I learn? Don't let something stand in the way of learning. Take responsibility and get the answers you need by asking the questions.

And for all the smarty pants out there who feel the need to ask what the meaning of life is.... the answer is 42.