The following topic has come up at work in the last few weeks. Often I overhear employees respond to questions from the boss with a shrug of the shoulders and "I don't know". When I hear the words I cringe. It is not because of the "I don't know" part. It is because the words are not followed by a "but..."
but I will find out.
but I will look into it.
but I will let you know.
Other responses could be...
Let me get back to you.
I will get you the information you need.
The same is true for the karate instructor. When students ask a question, it is ok not to know the answer. The amount of knowledge to acquire while learning a martial art is endless. There is always something to practice, read, learn and explore. Similar to my work example, "I don't know" could be followed with:
but let's find out.
but we can research the topic.
but let's explore the question.
and so on...
In fact, "I don't know" opens the door to new learning opportunities.
Enjoy your training!
Thank you to the readers and followers of this blog. I appreciate your comments!