Answer Questions Without Closing Doors

One of the most important skills an instructor can develop is the ability to answer questions clearly without accidentally closing a door.

In the world of martial arts, there are loads of incorrect answers to questions. There are answers that are unsafe, answers that ignore the standard, answers that skip important steps, and answers that can lead a student in the wrong direction.

But there are also many correct answers, or - more specifically, several interpretations to the same concepts.

Many times, especially when answering a student’s question, there may be several answers that are all technically correct. The better question is: which correct answer helps this student move forward?

That is where teaching becomes more than just knowing information.

It becomes leadership.

When a student asks you a question, sometimes it is easier to be vague.

Don’t.

That student is asking you a question. Whether they know it or not, they are usually looking for three things.

• They want to know your version of the answer.

• They want to know if you will be truthful with them.

• They want to know how open-minded you are.

How you answer goes a long way toward showing them all three.

This is not a new concept. Many institutions and governing bodies have always placed a high value on truthful answers. In a court of law, a person is not simply encouraged to tell the truth. They are placed under oath. If they knowingly give false testimony about something that matters, it can become perjury.

In the Marine Corps, and in military leadership in general, honesty is also not treated as a small thing. Honor is not just a word on a poster. Leaders are expected to be truthful because trust is tied directly to responsibility, command, and the ability to lead others. If an officer is caught lying, that can have serious consequences for that officer’s commission, career, and ability to lead.

Why does that matter to us in the dojo?

Because instructors are leaders too.

No, we are not judges. We are not attorneys. We are not commanding officers. But we are still in positions of trust. Students trust us. Parents trust us. New instructors trust us. When someone asks us a question, they are giving us a small piece of that trust. That is important to treat seriously.

A student’s question is not just a request for information. It is also a test of the relationship. The student may not realize that, but it is true.

If a student asks, “Why do we do it this way?” they may be asking about a block, a stance, a strike, a kata movement, or a kumite drill. On the surface, it may seem like they are only asking for technical information. But underneath that question, they are also learning about you.

• They are learning whether you can explain what you teach.

• They are learning whether you are willing to give them a real answer.

• They are learning whether you are secure enough to recognize that another good instructor may explain the same thing differently.

That does not mean we should give weak answers. It does not mean every answer is equally good. It does not mean we avoid taking a position.

Actually, it means the opposite, because students benefit tremendously from clear answers.

A vague answer can sound safe, but it often does not help the student. Saying, “Well, there are many ways to look at it,” may be true, but it is not always useful by itself. The student did not ask for every possible answer. The student asked you.

So give your answer. At the same time, there are a few things an instructor can frame the beginning of an answer to put themselves in an ideal situation when answering a question. You might start with:

• “This is how I like to do it…”

• “For right now, I believe the best way is…”

• “At your level, this is what I want you to focus on…”

• “For what we are working on today, this is the most important part…”

Those phrases go a long way. They do not make the answer weak. They make the answer properly placed.

There is a big difference between saying:

“This is the way it is done.”

and saying:

“Today, this is how we are working on it.”

The first answer can accidentally close the door. It may also create a problem later if another qualified instructor explains the same idea from a different point of view.

The second answer still gives the student direction, but it also leaves room for later reinterpretation.

That is not being vague. Being vague would be saying, “Well, there are a lot of ways to do it,” and then never actually answering the question.

Framing the answer is different. It says to the student, “I am going to answer you clearly, but I am also going to be honest that this answer belongs to this moment, this level, this drill, and this way of looking at the material.”

That puts the student, the teacher and even - to a lesser extent - the dojo in the best possible position.  The student gets a clear answer. The instructor gives truthful direction. And other qualified instructors are not unnecessarily contradicted.

That is the balance.

Clear as mud, right?

But this is exactly where good teaching happens. Good teaching tells the student, “I am going to be truthful with you. I am going to give you direction. I am not going to pretend there are no other perspectives. But I am also not going to leave you floating without an answer.” That is what students need.

• They need clarity without arrogance.

• They need honesty without discouragement.

• They need direction without the door being slammed shut.

A strong instructor can say, “This is my answer,” while still leaving room for, “and as you grow, you may learn another layer.”

The words we choose matter.

Answer the question. Do not hide behind vague language. Be honest. Keep the standard. Correct what is wrong. But also recognize that there may be more than one correct way to help a student understand.

Be careful not to unnecessarily contradict another instructor. Protect the student’s trust in the dojo. Protect the student’s respect for their teachers. Give your answer clearly, but leave room for another qualified instructor to add another layer.

Whenever possible, leave the student with a door still open and a path still visible.

That is how we help people keep going.