You may have heard the saying “there’s no such thing as a bad question.” This is true, but some questions are better than others. Ask yourself the right question and you will get better at judo.
Example 1: “Why does my uchimata never work?”
Example 2: “How will I make my uchimata so good that I can throw everybody in class with it?”
Do you see the difference? In both cases you’re asking a question about your uchimata with an end state in mind. In example 1, the end state is “my uchimata never works.” In example 2, the end state is “my uchimata is so good that I can throw everybody in class with it.” In both cases, your brain will work to get you to that end state.
What are some possible answers to “Why does my uchimata never work?”
- I’m not strong enough
- my kuzushi is no good
- uchimata is too complicated
- my timing is off
- my legs are too short
- I’m not flexible enough to do uchimata
Read through that and tell me how you feel. Kind of depressed, right? It’s so negative! All these things about how bad you are. Now, what are some possible answers to “How will I make my uchimata so good that I can throw everybody in class with it?”
- Drill my entries 100 times left and right every day
- Find a partner who will let me throw them with uchimata 10-20 times extra after class
- Get stronger by doing push ups, sit ups, pull ups, squats, lunges, and weight lifting.
- Identify who is best at uchimata in the class and ask them for help
- Search youtube for “best uchimata instruction” and related search terms
- Get more flexible by stretching every day
- Try a private lesson to concentrate only on uchimata
Now we have something actually useful. We have action items, things we can do to make our uchimata better.
By the way, this little hack works in other areas besides judo. If you find yourself asking negative end state questions like “How come I can never lose weight and keep it off?” or “Why do I always end up in terrible relationships?” then you’re asking the wrong questions! Can you try to reframe those questions with a positive end state in mind?
Remember!
- You can influence how your brain works in a positive way by asking the right question
- Have a positive end state in mind
- A negative question will shut you down and make you feel hopeless
- A positive question will put you in a hopeful and determined state
- A positive question will lead to more questions
- Ask yourself the question often, perhaps daily, and don’t be afraid to modify and refine your question as conditions change.
