Know - Instructor Tools
It is down to the individual trying to master the skill to have the Know; to decide what is the right skill to accomplish their goal. The instructor can have their own opinion on the best skill. But rather then tell the student that's the way it is, we can convince them to agree. If they don't, there might be a lesson in it for us. If you have not already, please read the other pages in the Know section before continuing here.
Keep it simple: One of the hardest lessons for any experienced, proficient individual to learn is that you don't see things from a beginner's perspective. Black belts have long lost the ability to see from a white belt's point of view as many skills are second nature. When asked a question, we must provide an answer within the questioner's reference. Don't condescend and assume they no relevant knowledge. Rather ask followup questions, e.g. "do you know how to throw a front kick?" If that doesn't work, try and find a common place motion that occurs in everyday life, e.g. "have you ever flicked a loose shoe of your foot?" Finding a common motion like that will only help you as an instructor and aid you with future students.
Only answer questions: Another hard, hard lesson is to be quiet and concise. While a person's capacity for knowledge often seems limitless, they can only handle a small amount of input at a time. Some suggest that humans can process 8 pieces of information at a time, and up to 5 of which are taken up by dwelling on what we see, hear, taste, touch and smell. Many instructors look at a student and see all the things they are doing which are "less than perfect", "wrong", or just different to what the instructor would do. The initial instinct is to give feedback to correct those "errors". But is the student ready for that feedback? Are they mentally processing step two and you want to pipe in about step four? Will they even understand the feedback (per keep it simple above)?
Grow a question culture: When the student is ready for the feedback, they will have a question or will request help. It takes a lot of discipline to be patient for that question, and then to answer just that question. This is because as instructors we have the information and the experiences. We are eager to share it, and not because we like to hear ourselves and impress others; because we only want the student to succeed. Answering unasked questions is at best a short-term benefit. Most likely it's a distraction and disruption. In the long-term, it can cause the student to shirk their responsibility of ensuring they work on what's right for them onto you. Once a student see's that you will answer their question and only their question they will start to ask and reflect.
Always respect the question: Not to contradict the previous paragraphs, but an equal mistake on the opposite side is to not answer a student's question. To decide that they are not ready for an answer. The only time when that is legitimate is when the answer would compromise safety. Even in those circumstances, be forthright and honest. If the answer cannot be shown, at least talk to it and give an explanation as to why they should not work on it at this time. We want to create a culture where there is no hesitation to ask and grow.
Chose the right path and take the first step
