The Only Dumb Question

During tonight's Red Belt class, Sa Bom Nim spent quite a bit of time talking to us about the importance of asking questions, emphasizing the protocol involved: Choose the appropriate time, stand at attention, raise your right hand high with the left hand tucked under the elbow, and wait to be called on, then bow and ask the question. He recalled that in his formative years he was always the one with his hand up, because he wanted to learn everything he could. "Seek and ye shall find," he quoted, putting the emphasis on the "seek" part. It is our responsibility as students to dig for the answers.

The Black Belt Prep class which followed was devoted to a review of all our forms, from Basic One all the way to Naihanchi, and then to Ho Sin Sul (Self-Defense), with plenty of opportunity for questions, such as:

"In the opening move of Chil Sung Il Ro Hyung, after the knee strike, which hand punches first?"

"In Bassai Hyung, in the chop-block-punch sequence, is the rear foot supposed to be raised or flat?"

"What is the proper breathing pattern in the opening move of Chil Sung Sam Ro Hyung?"

Pretty sophisticated questions from students whose average age (not counting mine, of course) is probably ten or eleven.

And what was the only dumb question? That's the one that didn't get asked.