In a sport where there is barely any hand holding when it comes to your improvement, getting help reminds me of ordering food at a restaurant. Weird huh? Maybe. But often times when people have asked me for help, what they really wanted was for me to tell them what exactly it is that they needed. Now at my level, this is probably damn near impossible (and I have often times found myself sounding like an idiot trying), but even in my own quest for knowledge and help I realized that even for black belts this is hard. Reason being, only you know what you want or need. As an example, imagine going into a restaurant, walking up to the counter and saying...
You: Hi, I would like some food?
Cashier: Ok, what would you like?
You: I don't know. What do you think I should get?
Cashier: How about a burger?
You: I don't like those.
Cashier: Chicken?
You: Upsets my stomach acids.
Cashier: I don't know what to tell you sir.
You: You don't know??? It's your job to know!!
See where I am going?
We all have different preferences, body types, and athletic abilities and nobody knows you better than you. In the aforementioned example, if you were to walk up to the counter and at least knew you wanted a burger, you would probably receive more help. The same goes for when you approach your professor or coach for help in jiu-jitsu, you have to have a solid idea of what you want and where you want to go. The more you know, the better help you can receive. The whole point of an instructor is to guide you through the belts, lending a helping hand every so often, and even keeping you on track. Just like the cashier at McDonald's doesn't know that chicken upsets your stomach and that you are allergic to pickles, your instructor doesn't know the little details about you that make you special or that you have already figured out such and such position doesn't work for you. It is then our job to always be mindful of the "menu" and have an idea of what we want before asking for help. Thanks for the read.
P.S. This also goes for you guys that ask your professor what grip you should use when passing, or what guard is the best to use when the opponent is standing on one leg...GUILTY!
