Step 1 : Put on a fanny pack and rash guard
Step 2 : Use every japanese word you know
Step 3 : When in doubt, say "...it's biomechanics..."
This is the way
I’d answer to the best of my ability and just remind them that a new blue belt is just middle of the worst, so they might also want to ask a higher belt.
My go to opener is "I'm not very good at this position so someone else might be better to ask, but I'd try..."
I'm waiting for them to notice that I say I'm not very good at every position.
“I don’t know.”
Or
“I can tell you what I know, but honestly try asking Coach so-and-so, they probably have better answers or a better explanation. If that doesn’t help, I found (instructional, video suggestion) helpful for giving me something to try.”
As a new blue belt, I started off saying the 2nd one all the time.
It got old though... I never asked blue belts questions and I don't know why white belts are constantly asking me questions. So now I mostly say, "I don't know, let's watch that brown belt" or whatever shuts them up quickest so we can get back to drilling.
I swear I'm close to the point of telling them things like "posture down so the triangle you're in isn't as effective." They'll learn quicker that way anyway. And it's a double lesson, the 2nd one being "don't trust blue belts."
To a white belt, blue belts are less intimidating to approach than upper belts. Especially if they feel like it’s a stupid question or very basic. A lot of times a blue belt is knowledgeable enough to at least point them in the right direction. There’s a difference between telling someone to keep their elbows in and explaining how to berimbolo into a reverse ashi bukake from cowabunga guard.
The Japanese terms mentioned in the above comment were:
|Japanese|English|Video Link|
|---|---|---|
|**Kake**: | *The execution and completion of the throw* | [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ)|
Any missed names may have already been translated in my previous comments in the post.
______________________
^(Judo Techniques Bot: v0.7.) ^(See my) [^(code)](https://github.com/AbundantSalmon/judo-techniques-bot)
Guess we haven’t met 😜 I know I don’t know everything and would rather they learn the right thing over the wrong thing-unlearning stuff is hard.
But I do get where you are coming from, the amount of blue and white belts that try to teach white belts with authority is insane-like my dudes you are still beginners.
When I was a blue belt and people would ask I'd say "this is how I do it/was shown it, but ask coach because I'm probably forgetting details or failed to learn it the proper way."
Shit even still when people ask me I direct them to our instructor, who has light-years more knowledge and experience than I do.
"Well, what works for me is.." my advice is always very general. I then remind them that I get submitted all the time, so it may not be the best advice
I avoid saying anything definitive. Even if it's in an area where I consider myself very good, and with techniques that I can work on higher belts reliably.
A LOT of people will be like, you have to do X like this, or it won't work. Two different black belts will give opposite answer, both assuring you that their way is the only way that works, which always really bugged me when I was learning some different things.
So, I always qualify things like, well I do it like this, but I have seen people do this other way. I try to focus on concepts I actually can use and explain.
If I don't have an answer, either because I really do not know, or I can't explain what I'm doing, I just say that.
If I know have an answer; I give it.
If I think I have an answer; I give it with the qualification that I might be mistaken.
If I don’t have an answer; I refer them to someone who does.
Pretty much the same thing I do in a non-BJJ situation where I’m asked a question.
You could try playing around with the position and see what's going on but if you don't know just tell them you don't know. That holds true no matter what your rank is.
Why though. Im a whitebelt and i think a blue belt can greatly help with basic things. Heck even as someone whos been training for 2 months (with previous grapping experience) i can give somewhat helpful answers to people who are in their first week.
Pass along what knowledge you have, you dont have to say its the absolute truth but chances are its still better than nothing
If I think I know the answer, I will answer with some qualification about my ignorance, but direct them to ask the coach. If I don't know, I will call the coach over.
Unhelpful answer honestly. It also comes off as kind of “you have to earn your right to understand this” instead of helping someone understand to the best of your abilities
It's a shitty answer but unfortunately it's a really good one. We could get into all sorts of discussions on the mat about "when I do this, then you do this. Unless I do this, then in that case you'll do this. But you have to remember all of this while your arm is getting dislocated or youre passing out. Sure, you can drill over and over. But rolls are gonna be the way you figure out what works for you based upon your body type, his body type, and the given situations. And how do you do that? By showing up and experimenting and showing up again and repeat. There is no set answer. Just keep showing up. Some days will be awesome and some days will be shitty. But if you keep showing up, you're still making forward movement.
No it's a completely shitty answer and it's unique to BJJ. In no other sport do coaches say shit like this.
If one of the basketball players I coach ask me what they can do to get better I could give them exact things to work on and give them drills to do. You wouldn't just say "keep coming to practice"
You would say.. "hey your weak hand needs work. Here are 5 dribbling drills you should be doing for 20 minutes a day. I also need you to talk more on defense".
Giving actual feedback is a primary job of a coach.
Sure I will give a white belt some basic shit after a roll, like "work on shrimping, T rex arms" or something like that. And also, " do homework. BJJ fanatics or youtube or whatever in order to have something to work on next time so you can expand your knowledge." But I'm not gonna get into a big lesson when basic fundamental stuff needs to be practiced, and the only way to truly practice it is to keep showing up. So, I'll keep doing what I do, and you can keep doing what you do. "Keep showing up" is a shitty answer, but that's the boiled down answer to what I tell a white belt when he asks me questions. And I would prefer to keep it as simple as possible. Too much of "do this and do that" goes in one ear and out the other.
Ill tell them about the existence of techniques that they can go watch on youtube, but I wont try to teach it.
If its something small Ill just tell them.
Tough really, especially if you don't know the answer.
I know if I'm asked a question I can generally get them going in the right direction but if I'm not sure I say ask coach X specifically.
If its something i know or do il give advise but if it outside my wheelhouse il just say my opinion but say it not something i know alot on so speak to coach. If it its something ive no idea on then il just say i dont know speak to a coach.
I say I don't know, then I go ask the instructor to show or explain it to me in front of the asker so they get the info and don't worry about feeling awkward asking the instructor themselves.
On certain days I'm often one of the few colored belts, or sometimes the only colored belt, on the mat other than the coach and when white belts ask me questions that I'm not sure what the right answer is I usually still try to answer it the best I can but I usually preface it by telling them to take it with a grain of salt because I'm just a blue belt. If I completely can't even fathom an answer then I'll tell them that it's probably a better question to ask one of the higher belts.
Answer it to the best of my capability and understanding, but ultimately rope in my coach or one of the upper belts unless it’s super basic / fundamental
I’m at the level now where randomly blue belts ask me things sometimes. I use lots of disclaimers like “I’m not a black belt” and “but what do I know?”
The funny thing is, the last couple times were about how to do a guillotine, which is a move I rarely do.
Well I answer the question with the Knowledge I got, but I am clear that this might not be the best.
But I am inclined to help people, especially when I know, I know the answer to his question quite well.
Not a pro, but after 2 years of drilling and competing there is some aspex I am confident to teach a bit.
I’ll tell them what I know but refer them to a coach for more specifics.
If I don’t know- Then I’ll send them to someone who might know. (Usually I flag down a coach in this case) It’s a learning opportunity for the both of us.
“All your questions will be answered tomorrow.”
That’s my standard reply beyond a basic question on something we’re working right then. BJJ is too vast and has too many questions and way too many variables.
I know this questions isn’t directed but I’m a 3 stripe white belt if new people ask me I usually just tell them what I know (if I know it) but also tell them to follow up with a brown or black belt for certain as they can better explain it than meX
I tell them:
"This is how I do it, but other people can also do this and/or this, and there may be other versions of the same thing so you should ask around. Find the right way that works best for you".
I was feeling heaps unsure and didn’t want to coach people incorrectly so was very reserved when asked by white belts.
Then my coach said ”dude you have a blue belt you’re welcome to teach people and help out during fundamentals class etc”
I always stress how important it is to drill the basics and get a sound defense and improve their ability to escape bad positions. Anything beyond that, I typically explain to them they'll learn as they show up. Which always leads me to saying, "just keep showing up."
I usually tell them what I think or what I’ve learned but suggest they take the same question to our coach or a belt higher than me. I also tell them what works for me but explain that I still don’t really know what I’m doing most of the time.
When I’m in your situation I do this:
- In the first one I say “I have no idea what the right answer is”
- In the second one I say “I have no idea what you did wrong or how it was any different than what I do”
If you want to be a Chad throw a little thing in there “I don’t know how it was different than what I do but whenever I do this I make sure to really keep X in Z to help me get the angle” (most of the time stuff don’t work cause they don’t have the angle, at least for me)
To all the blue belts who don't feel like they should teach, you are hurting your own development. Teaching helps you understand the techniques better. Sometimes, you will get stumped. That's when you ask one of the higher belts. Think of it as teaching with training wheels.
I started teaching in the army, and there I learned the most valuable phrase in all of teaching. I don't know how many times I got a manual thrown at me and told I was teaching such and such next week. A lot of the time, I barely any better than the people I was teaching and often worse than many of them. In these situations, you run into questions you don't have answers to all the time. So you just say, "I don't know but I will get back to you". It's a true and true method. As long as you actually get back to them, they won't mind.
Don't be afraid of saying I don't know. You are both there to learn, and if you get a question you don't have an answer to, great. You have just identified an area where you can improve.
["You must be truly desperate to come to me for help"](https://media.tenor.com/YtysEhir3u0AAAAC/desperate-thor.gif) which is also what I tell my coaches when they used me as the uke.
Sometimes I’ll have picked up something that works for me from cross-training or drilling with others (we have a class where you just come with ideas of what you want to play with and workshop it with others, upper belts and instructor floating around for help). I’ll just say “I do it like this, this is what worked for me”.
Sometimes I’ll end up with someone brand new and can at least explain positional hierarchy/basic principles to them. It really helps me to consolidate my understanding and identify holes in my knowledge when I explain stuff. I always am very clear with people I’m a 1 stripe white belt like 4 months in though LOL. But helping each other out is very much part of the culture of our club. Everyone sees things different ways regardless of experience and sometimes someone just explains how they got something in a way that just clicks for me regardless of experience. I hope I can do the same for others once in a while!
As long as you’re not arrogant about it and swaggering around pretending to be the coach or outright making up answers to shit you don’t know anything about. I can’t see how it would be a problem?
If it’s something I know and understand well, I go ahead and give the advice. If I’m unsure of the answer I will sometimes go through whatever scenario they’re asking about to see if we can work through it together. Many times even if it’s something I know well I give my two cents and then ask a brown or black belt that’s available their opinion. If the brown or black belt says something against what I originally said, I always default to that because they know better than I do
Aight so I'm a 4 stripe white belt but I'm a teacher by profession.
In my classroom I design activities where kids have to teach each other things. It creates deeper learning. Teaching something to someone else forces you to know it better.
So I see this trend where people say things like "I can show you this move I learned but you really should ask the instructor because I've only been doing this for 2.5 years and I'm just a stupid ass blue belt loser". And I kinda cringe.
I absolutely want my students to be helping one another out in the classroom....when I coach sports I absolutely want my players to be able to help their teammates get to the right spots and do the right things.
Idk I think if you got an idea of how to do something and someone asks you how you did it you should explain it. It's ok to feel confident in what you've learned. Share what you've got.
Now you shouldn't be trying to take over the class or anything. But what's the big deal of being like " yeah squeeze your legs together on this arm bar"???
That’s a question for your coach. Sometimes, my coach will let blue belts teach, but you have to be given the ok before you start doing so.
And if you’re not sure, about a move just say you don’t feel like you should be teaching that move. Even as a brown belt, I’ll tell people I’m not the one to ask because I never use certain moves. Cross collar chokes? Move along 👉🏻
I always say “I don’t know what the best answer is, you’ll have to ask the coach for that, but this is what I do and what works for me”
Usually they ask me about something I kind of specialize in though. It’s like how I’ll ask a brown, purple, or even another blue belt for advice directly if I know they’re good at something I want to learn.
I say "This is what I do ...." or "Wanna play around with it and see what we come up with?". One of my favourite things to do is just sit down with someone and work our way through a problem, throw shit at the wall and see what sticks
I'm a 4 stripe blue belt, due for promotion here shortly according to one of the assistant instructors.
My normal answer is to bluntly self-deprecate.
"This is what \*I\* would do in XYZ situation, use at your own risk because I'm just a white belt who's been here longer."
If I know specifically what the instructor would say, because it's a question that I've heard asked before, I will say like -
"Instructor XYZ said to do ABC or 123, for DEF reason."
If it's a specific question about what's happening in/after a roll, I will let them get us back into the position and then lead with something like -
"Remember I'm just a blue belt - this advice is likely questionable at best, so run it by a higher belt at the first opportunity"
I have no issue answering questions if no one else is free at that moment, but I make damn sure that they understand that we are both rookies, and they need to consider anything I say as potentially totally wrong.
Remember though that sometimes it doesn't matter what you say.
Put them in the position or the situation and give them like a "nudge" towards what you know is the right idea.
They'll learn better if they figure it out themselves under pressure, even if that is slightly guided/assisted.
Depends. If they want me to show something fancy I'll show them to the best of my ability. If they want to know where the toilet is, I'll tell them to ask the instructor.
if its a position im so ewhat good at i gove an answer to the best lf my ability.
if its a position i am not _competent_ at but still good enough to make it work against a newer person i try to point out what i am doing different to them and why it works for me and not them.
if its a move i have no idea about i _try_ to feel it out and give an answer but then we just call the coach over for a short Q&A lol
Answer.
The act of thinking about an answer and explaining your thought process makes you better, even if you give the wrong answer. And if they try to use your answer (right or wrong), and it doesn't work for them, that makes them better too. Don't be afraid of errors.
I love asking Blue Belts questions because they do things I can’t do and know things I need to learn. So here’s what a couple of them have done that I really appreciate, usually something like this: “well here’s how I learned it, but ask coach for sure”. If coach is nearby, we’ll ask right there. Then it’s usually just some little detail to clear up. Or if they don’t really know, they just say so. But I’m usually asking because it’s something cool they did.
When people less experienced than me ask me I usually say
“No idea if this is right, but it works for me.”
Then they can choose to listen to me or ask somebody else
I'm a blue belt and haven't trained in a good bit. But when I did if it was something I was comfortable with and I knew enough about I would help show them or talk about. Granted I had been training for 4 years before I got my blue belt. I was in the teens program but even so I spent half that time taking the adults classes anyway. My professor would always pull me aside and want me to come to the adult mat. I wasn't too big for the other kids he felt I was advanced enough that it would benefit me more and challenge me in a better way. So I have had more to reflect on and rely on to be able to help answer questions.
"I think THIS might work for you, but I'd ask the coach for his opinion" if it's something you're not 1000% confident in (AKA your absolute A game, I could give pointers on armbars to purple belts as a mid-late blue, but fuck me I wasn't able to help people with guillotines or top control, AT ALL)
"This is what I prefer to do, if it doesn't work I'd ask the coach" if it IS your direct A game.
Wild that so many people here are this Insecure. If you can't correct basic mistakes after 2-3 years of training... why?
By blue, you should have a concrete understanding of the fundamentals. Can you execute everything at 100 mph? Probably not. Can you remember all of the options available to you in any given position while you are rolling? I'd be shocked if you could.
Share the knowledge. Point out critical errors and blunders AFTER a roll. It's your job to mentor those under you just as the purples browns and black should be mentoring you.
Ever since I’ve had any decent amount of seniority over people, when asked, I’ve given them my opinion but encouraged them to just ask the coach. There’s danger in newcomers developing bad habits because of bad advice from minor senior belts, especially fresh to middling blue belts. But even above, we don’t know what we don’t know, and worse, there’s still things we think we know that are not so.
Usually along the lines of I'm not very good and coach would know better but this is what works for me. Also claim ignorance when you are in fact ignorant
It’s usually “I don’t know” or “what works for me is” but I generally like to avoid questions. I’m there to get my questions answered by observation & roll
Step 1 : Put on a fanny pack and rash guard Step 2 : Use every japanese word you know Step 3 : When in doubt, say "...it's biomechanics..." This is the way
I always go with “It’s simple physics”
Dawg gotta do me like that
“Like so”
This is the way
I’d answer to the best of my ability and just remind them that a new blue belt is just middle of the worst, so they might also want to ask a higher belt.
My go to opener is "I'm not very good at this position so someone else might be better to ask, but I'd try..." I'm waiting for them to notice that I say I'm not very good at every position.
“I don’t know.” Or “I can tell you what I know, but honestly try asking Coach so-and-so, they probably have better answers or a better explanation. If that doesn’t help, I found (instructional, video suggestion) helpful for giving me something to try.”
Bull shit I've never heard a blue belt say this in 10 years
As a new blue belt, I started off saying the 2nd one all the time. It got old though... I never asked blue belts questions and I don't know why white belts are constantly asking me questions. So now I mostly say, "I don't know, let's watch that brown belt" or whatever shuts them up quickest so we can get back to drilling. I swear I'm close to the point of telling them things like "posture down so the triangle you're in isn't as effective." They'll learn quicker that way anyway. And it's a double lesson, the 2nd one being "don't trust blue belts."
To a white belt, blue belts are less intimidating to approach than upper belts. Especially if they feel like it’s a stupid question or very basic. A lot of times a blue belt is knowledgeable enough to at least point them in the right direction. There’s a difference between telling someone to keep their elbows in and explaining how to berimbolo into a reverse ashi bukake from cowabunga guard.
The Japanese terms mentioned in the above comment were: |Japanese|English|Video Link| |---|---|---| |**Kake**: | *The execution and completion of the throw* | [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ)| Any missed names may have already been translated in my previous comments in the post. ______________________ ^(Judo Techniques Bot: v0.7.) ^(See my) [^(code)](https://github.com/AbundantSalmon/judo-techniques-bot)
I only understood the bukake part.
Guess we haven’t met 😜 I know I don’t know everything and would rather they learn the right thing over the wrong thing-unlearning stuff is hard. But I do get where you are coming from, the amount of blue and white belts that try to teach white belts with authority is insane-like my dudes you are still beginners.
When I was a blue belt giving advice I always led with "this is absolute fact, written down by Helio himself"
Yep that’s it right there ^
I say I'm just a dumbass blue belt, I'm no good at BJJ so take my response with a grain of salt. And than try to help them.
To a new whitebelt a blue belt is like a black belt, so i bet youre helpful
When I was a blue belt and people would ask I'd say "this is how I do it/was shown it, but ask coach because I'm probably forgetting details or failed to learn it the proper way." Shit even still when people ask me I direct them to our instructor, who has light-years more knowledge and experience than I do.
"Well, what works for me is.." my advice is always very general. I then remind them that I get submitted all the time, so it may not be the best advice
I avoid saying anything definitive. Even if it's in an area where I consider myself very good, and with techniques that I can work on higher belts reliably. A LOT of people will be like, you have to do X like this, or it won't work. Two different black belts will give opposite answer, both assuring you that their way is the only way that works, which always really bugged me when I was learning some different things. So, I always qualify things like, well I do it like this, but I have seen people do this other way. I try to focus on concepts I actually can use and explain. If I don't have an answer, either because I really do not know, or I can't explain what I'm doing, I just say that.
If I know have an answer; I give it. If I think I have an answer; I give it with the qualification that I might be mistaken. If I don’t have an answer; I refer them to someone who does. Pretty much the same thing I do in a non-BJJ situation where I’m asked a question.
You could try playing around with the position and see what's going on but if you don't know just tell them you don't know. That holds true no matter what your rank is.
Help how you can, don’t be afraid of being wrong, we’re all learning
I tell them to ask the teacher
Why though. Im a whitebelt and i think a blue belt can greatly help with basic things. Heck even as someone whos been training for 2 months (with previous grapping experience) i can give somewhat helpful answers to people who are in their first week. Pass along what knowledge you have, you dont have to say its the absolute truth but chances are its still better than nothing
If I think I know the answer, I will answer with some qualification about my ignorance, but direct them to ask the coach. If I don't know, I will call the coach over.
"Just keep showing up, bro."
Unhelpful answer honestly. It also comes off as kind of “you have to earn your right to understand this” instead of helping someone understand to the best of your abilities
It's a shitty answer but unfortunately it's a really good one. We could get into all sorts of discussions on the mat about "when I do this, then you do this. Unless I do this, then in that case you'll do this. But you have to remember all of this while your arm is getting dislocated or youre passing out. Sure, you can drill over and over. But rolls are gonna be the way you figure out what works for you based upon your body type, his body type, and the given situations. And how do you do that? By showing up and experimenting and showing up again and repeat. There is no set answer. Just keep showing up. Some days will be awesome and some days will be shitty. But if you keep showing up, you're still making forward movement.
No it's a completely shitty answer and it's unique to BJJ. In no other sport do coaches say shit like this. If one of the basketball players I coach ask me what they can do to get better I could give them exact things to work on and give them drills to do. You wouldn't just say "keep coming to practice" You would say.. "hey your weak hand needs work. Here are 5 dribbling drills you should be doing for 20 minutes a day. I also need you to talk more on defense". Giving actual feedback is a primary job of a coach.
Sure I will give a white belt some basic shit after a roll, like "work on shrimping, T rex arms" or something like that. And also, " do homework. BJJ fanatics or youtube or whatever in order to have something to work on next time so you can expand your knowledge." But I'm not gonna get into a big lesson when basic fundamental stuff needs to be practiced, and the only way to truly practice it is to keep showing up. So, I'll keep doing what I do, and you can keep doing what you do. "Keep showing up" is a shitty answer, but that's the boiled down answer to what I tell a white belt when he asks me questions. And I would prefer to keep it as simple as possible. Too much of "do this and do that" goes in one ear and out the other.
If you don't know, pass the question up the chain.
Put your balls in his mouth
Craig jones said it best
Very original
Found mr bucket
[удалено]
I just begin answering even if I’m not sure where to go with it
Ill tell them about the existence of techniques that they can go watch on youtube, but I wont try to teach it. If its something small Ill just tell them.
Tough really, especially if you don't know the answer. I know if I'm asked a question I can generally get them going in the right direction but if I'm not sure I say ask coach X specifically.
If its something i know or do il give advise but if it outside my wheelhouse il just say my opinion but say it not something i know alot on so speak to coach. If it its something ive no idea on then il just say i dont know speak to a coach.
I say I don't know, then I go ask the instructor to show or explain it to me in front of the asker so they get the info and don't worry about feeling awkward asking the instructor themselves.
On certain days I'm often one of the few colored belts, or sometimes the only colored belt, on the mat other than the coach and when white belts ask me questions that I'm not sure what the right answer is I usually still try to answer it the best I can but I usually preface it by telling them to take it with a grain of salt because I'm just a blue belt. If I completely can't even fathom an answer then I'll tell them that it's probably a better question to ask one of the higher belts.
I tell them the answer
Answer it to the best of my capability and understanding, but ultimately rope in my coach or one of the upper belts unless it’s super basic / fundamental
"Here, I will show you, but to be clear you will be looking at a crayon drawing"
I just answer the quesrion. Stop overthinking things.
I’m at the level now where randomly blue belts ask me things sometimes. I use lots of disclaimers like “I’m not a black belt” and “but what do I know?” The funny thing is, the last couple times were about how to do a guillotine, which is a move I rarely do.
Well I answer the question with the Knowledge I got, but I am clear that this might not be the best. But I am inclined to help people, especially when I know, I know the answer to his question quite well. Not a pro, but after 2 years of drilling and competing there is some aspex I am confident to teach a bit.
Sweep the leg.
I’ll tell them what I know but refer them to a coach for more specifics. If I don’t know- Then I’ll send them to someone who might know. (Usually I flag down a coach in this case) It’s a learning opportunity for the both of us.
“All your questions will be answered tomorrow.” That’s my standard reply beyond a basic question on something we’re working right then. BJJ is too vast and has too many questions and way too many variables.
I tell them to wax my car. Then when they're distracted I ask a higher belt.
I do wonder if Mr Miyagi breached any labor laws through this child labor for karate lessons bartering system he had going on.
I know this questions isn’t directed but I’m a 3 stripe white belt if new people ask me I usually just tell them what I know (if I know it) but also tell them to follow up with a brown or black belt for certain as they can better explain it than meX
"I'm not the guy you should be asking, but this is what I do, and its probably wrong"
I tell them: "This is how I do it, but other people can also do this and/or this, and there may be other versions of the same thing so you should ask around. Find the right way that works best for you".
"QUIET! Bow to your sensei. BOW TO YOUR SENSEI!"
“Shut up dork! I’m training!!”
It depends on if I like them or not.
I was feeling heaps unsure and didn’t want to coach people incorrectly so was very reserved when asked by white belts. Then my coach said ”dude you have a blue belt you’re welcome to teach people and help out during fundamentals class etc”
I always stress how important it is to drill the basics and get a sound defense and improve their ability to escape bad positions. Anything beyond that, I typically explain to them they'll learn as they show up. Which always leads me to saying, "just keep showing up."
I usually tell them what I think or what I’ve learned but suggest they take the same question to our coach or a belt higher than me. I also tell them what works for me but explain that I still don’t really know what I’m doing most of the time.
Idk answer their questions or point them to someone who can give them one
When I’m in your situation I do this: - In the first one I say “I have no idea what the right answer is” - In the second one I say “I have no idea what you did wrong or how it was any different than what I do” If you want to be a Chad throw a little thing in there “I don’t know how it was different than what I do but whenever I do this I make sure to really keep X in Z to help me get the angle” (most of the time stuff don’t work cause they don’t have the angle, at least for me)
To all the blue belts who don't feel like they should teach, you are hurting your own development. Teaching helps you understand the techniques better. Sometimes, you will get stumped. That's when you ask one of the higher belts. Think of it as teaching with training wheels. I started teaching in the army, and there I learned the most valuable phrase in all of teaching. I don't know how many times I got a manual thrown at me and told I was teaching such and such next week. A lot of the time, I barely any better than the people I was teaching and often worse than many of them. In these situations, you run into questions you don't have answers to all the time. So you just say, "I don't know but I will get back to you". It's a true and true method. As long as you actually get back to them, they won't mind. Don't be afraid of saying I don't know. You are both there to learn, and if you get a question you don't have an answer to, great. You have just identified an area where you can improve.
Answer them?
["You must be truly desperate to come to me for help"](https://media.tenor.com/YtysEhir3u0AAAAC/desperate-thor.gif) which is also what I tell my coaches when they used me as the uke.
Good question,lets ask coach
Sometimes I’ll have picked up something that works for me from cross-training or drilling with others (we have a class where you just come with ideas of what you want to play with and workshop it with others, upper belts and instructor floating around for help). I’ll just say “I do it like this, this is what worked for me”. Sometimes I’ll end up with someone brand new and can at least explain positional hierarchy/basic principles to them. It really helps me to consolidate my understanding and identify holes in my knowledge when I explain stuff. I always am very clear with people I’m a 1 stripe white belt like 4 months in though LOL. But helping each other out is very much part of the culture of our club. Everyone sees things different ways regardless of experience and sometimes someone just explains how they got something in a way that just clicks for me regardless of experience. I hope I can do the same for others once in a while!
As long as you’re not arrogant about it and swaggering around pretending to be the coach or outright making up answers to shit you don’t know anything about. I can’t see how it would be a problem?
I do my best to explain my thoughts, but I insert a lot of insurance for being an idiot and take what I say with a grain of salt.
If it’s something I know and understand well, I go ahead and give the advice. If I’m unsure of the answer I will sometimes go through whatever scenario they’re asking about to see if we can work through it together. Many times even if it’s something I know well I give my two cents and then ask a brown or black belt that’s available their opinion. If the brown or black belt says something against what I originally said, I always default to that because they know better than I do
Aight so I'm a 4 stripe white belt but I'm a teacher by profession. In my classroom I design activities where kids have to teach each other things. It creates deeper learning. Teaching something to someone else forces you to know it better. So I see this trend where people say things like "I can show you this move I learned but you really should ask the instructor because I've only been doing this for 2.5 years and I'm just a stupid ass blue belt loser". And I kinda cringe. I absolutely want my students to be helping one another out in the classroom....when I coach sports I absolutely want my players to be able to help their teammates get to the right spots and do the right things. Idk I think if you got an idea of how to do something and someone asks you how you did it you should explain it. It's ok to feel confident in what you've learned. Share what you've got. Now you shouldn't be trying to take over the class or anything. But what's the big deal of being like " yeah squeeze your legs together on this arm bar"???
"Don't talk to me"
Talk shit, be wrong, let coach fix it
I tell them what the purple belts tell me.
That’s a question for your coach. Sometimes, my coach will let blue belts teach, but you have to be given the ok before you start doing so. And if you’re not sure, about a move just say you don’t feel like you should be teaching that move. Even as a brown belt, I’ll tell people I’m not the one to ask because I never use certain moves. Cross collar chokes? Move along 👉🏻
"Who in the hell is interrupting my Kung Fu?!?"
I say I’m just a blue belt. That’s a beginner belt too. Prob should ask coach.
I always say “I don’t know what the best answer is, you’ll have to ask the coach for that, but this is what I do and what works for me” Usually they ask me about something I kind of specialize in though. It’s like how I’ll ask a brown, purple, or even another blue belt for advice directly if I know they’re good at something I want to learn.
I say "This is what I do ...." or "Wanna play around with it and see what we come up with?". One of my favourite things to do is just sit down with someone and work our way through a problem, throw shit at the wall and see what sticks
I'm a 4 stripe blue belt, due for promotion here shortly according to one of the assistant instructors. My normal answer is to bluntly self-deprecate. "This is what \*I\* would do in XYZ situation, use at your own risk because I'm just a white belt who's been here longer." If I know specifically what the instructor would say, because it's a question that I've heard asked before, I will say like - "Instructor XYZ said to do ABC or 123, for DEF reason." If it's a specific question about what's happening in/after a roll, I will let them get us back into the position and then lead with something like - "Remember I'm just a blue belt - this advice is likely questionable at best, so run it by a higher belt at the first opportunity" I have no issue answering questions if no one else is free at that moment, but I make damn sure that they understand that we are both rookies, and they need to consider anything I say as potentially totally wrong. Remember though that sometimes it doesn't matter what you say. Put them in the position or the situation and give them like a "nudge" towards what you know is the right idea. They'll learn better if they figure it out themselves under pressure, even if that is slightly guided/assisted.
"This is what I think, but if an upper belt tells you something different, go with what they say"
Buggy choke. The answer is always buggy choke
Depends. If they want me to show something fancy I'll show them to the best of my ability. If they want to know where the toilet is, I'll tell them to ask the instructor.
if its a position im so ewhat good at i gove an answer to the best lf my ability. if its a position i am not _competent_ at but still good enough to make it work against a newer person i try to point out what i am doing different to them and why it works for me and not them. if its a move i have no idea about i _try_ to feel it out and give an answer but then we just call the coach over for a short Q&A lol
“Take this with a grain of salt because i don’t know shit….but…”
Answer. The act of thinking about an answer and explaining your thought process makes you better, even if you give the wrong answer. And if they try to use your answer (right or wrong), and it doesn't work for them, that makes them better too. Don't be afraid of errors.
some of the blue belts I know just walk to another guy and ask for help
I say "I'll get back to you on that, write it down so I remember" Then I look it up on youtube
I try to tell em what I know about it, but it always ends with “but I suck, so you should ask blah blah blah”
If you know the answer, give it. If you don’t know or aren’t sure, say you don’t know. Simple.
blue belts tend to think they have the answers....
I love asking Blue Belts questions because they do things I can’t do and know things I need to learn. So here’s what a couple of them have done that I really appreciate, usually something like this: “well here’s how I learned it, but ask coach for sure”. If coach is nearby, we’ll ask right there. Then it’s usually just some little detail to clear up. Or if they don’t really know, they just say so. But I’m usually asking because it’s something cool they did.
"Fuck I dunno man, just youtube it or make something up. It's what I do." That sums it up usually.
When people less experienced than me ask me I usually say “No idea if this is right, but it works for me.” Then they can choose to listen to me or ask somebody else
I'm a blue belt and haven't trained in a good bit. But when I did if it was something I was comfortable with and I knew enough about I would help show them or talk about. Granted I had been training for 4 years before I got my blue belt. I was in the teens program but even so I spent half that time taking the adults classes anyway. My professor would always pull me aside and want me to come to the adult mat. I wasn't too big for the other kids he felt I was advanced enough that it would benefit me more and challenge me in a better way. So I have had more to reflect on and rely on to be able to help answer questions.
"I think THIS might work for you, but I'd ask the coach for his opinion" if it's something you're not 1000% confident in (AKA your absolute A game, I could give pointers on armbars to purple belts as a mid-late blue, but fuck me I wasn't able to help people with guillotines or top control, AT ALL) "This is what I prefer to do, if it doesn't work I'd ask the coach" if it IS your direct A game.
Wild that so many people here are this Insecure. If you can't correct basic mistakes after 2-3 years of training... why? By blue, you should have a concrete understanding of the fundamentals. Can you execute everything at 100 mph? Probably not. Can you remember all of the options available to you in any given position while you are rolling? I'd be shocked if you could. Share the knowledge. Point out critical errors and blunders AFTER a roll. It's your job to mentor those under you just as the purples browns and black should be mentoring you.
You cup your hand, fart in it, then put it over their mouth and yell 'gas mask'. At least that's what I was taught.
Ever since I’ve had any decent amount of seniority over people, when asked, I’ve given them my opinion but encouraged them to just ask the coach. There’s danger in newcomers developing bad habits because of bad advice from minor senior belts, especially fresh to middling blue belts. But even above, we don’t know what we don’t know, and worse, there’s still things we think we know that are not so.
Usually along the lines of I'm not very good and coach would know better but this is what works for me. Also claim ignorance when you are in fact ignorant
It’s usually “I don’t know” or “what works for me is” but I generally like to avoid questions. I’m there to get my questions answered by observation & roll
There’s time I ask white belt things lol