Constructing Your Constructive Feedback
One of the hardest things for people of action to do is sit down and write notes.
People of action—at least in my definition—are those who don’t take “no” for an answer. They get things done. They focus on outcomes and are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve them. It’s exactly this attitude that helps martial artists earn their black belts.
But that same mindset can make it difficult to sit still, observe, and write thoughtful feedback. Black belts are used to improving through doing—physically and mentally pushing forward every day. Sitting and documenting what they see in others can feel unnatural.
And if we’re being honest, the nerves don’t help either. It’s hard to stay still while watching!
With that in mind, here are a few ways to make your written feedback clear, effective, and efficient—without spending hours on it.
Step One: Prioritize
Start with three to five fundamental points that will help the candidate improve. The exact number is more dependent of what you are observing, rather than who. Observing someone testing for their green belt is a little different that watching someone test for the fifth-degree black belt.
This is usually easier than it sounds. Whether you’re watching a tournament, a kyu test, or a dan test, the key themes tend to reveal themselves early. Often, you can identify them from the very first thing the student does.
Keep it simple:
Posture
Speed
Accuracy
Knowledge of sequence
Basic ideas are powerful when applied well.
Step Two: Support Your Observations
Once you have your key points, look for specific examples that support them.
If you’re noting an issue with sequence, find where it showed up most clearly. Maybe the student handled kumite well but struggled in Seisan. That contrast becomes your example.
Specifics make your feedback meaningful.
Step Three: Order by Importance
Not everything carries equal weight.
Yes, everything matters, but so too does the order of what to work on first.
If a student is struggling with sequence across the board, then power and speed are secondary. Fixing sequence will unlock everything else.
Think in terms of foundation first, refinement second.
Step Four: Highlight What Was Done Well
This is one of the most overlooked—and most powerful—parts of feedback.
Everyone benefits from a roadmap to success. And that roadmap often already exists within their own performance.
For example: “One of the biggest things to work on is your sequence. Your kumite looked strong and confident, but in Seisan you hesitated. If you can bring the same confidence from your kumite into your Seisan, your whole test will improve.”
You don’t need to sugarcoat things—but you also don’t need to convince someone they’re struggling.
Most people are - painfully - aware of that!
What they don’t always see clearly is where they’re strong.
Step Five: Keep It Simple
A common trap—especially for passionate judges—is over-explaining.
Most people don’t need a full lecture. They need direction.
Give them enough to understand the priority, and let their own effort and intelligence carry it forward. In many cases, self-discovery leads to stronger, longer-lasting improvement.
Clarity beats complexity every time.
Step Six: Build Momentum
Order your feedback in a way that helps the student improve quickly.
I chop wood regularly for exercise. Some of the logs I work with are nearly a yard in diameter. You don’t cut straight through something like that—you work around it, creating small openings until a crack forms.
Then you follow the crack.
People learn the same way.
Start with what the student can improve the fastest. Early success builds confidence. Confidence builds momentum. And momentum carries them into tackling the harder challenges.
If the hardest task is last, they’re far more likely to follow through—because they’ve already experienced progress.