Asking the right questions to improve
Posted: 23 Jun 2017, 09:41
I like teaching people BK and I use to teach fencing a lot in my personal life. One question that people ask me a lot in both games is "What did I do wrong?" Sometimes this is a fine question. But I think a better question to ask people is "What should I do to win?" This is one of the best tips I've learned from my teachers and teaching others.
People will always be around to tell you what you did wrong, sometimes when you don't even want them to (see replays section comments.... or in game when you're on the losing side...). But sometimes, especially in a game like BK, you can do everything RIGHT but still lose. This is because of the nature of the game where variation is a huge factor of success.
Imagine this extremely simplified example: I am learning to play the classic game rock-paper-scissors but with one extra rule of if I do not make the correct hand symbol I automatically lose. I have a problem making the scissors symbol with my hands so I practice over and over again asking people what am I doing wrong. Eventually, I can make a perfect V with my fingers that represented scissors. No matter how perfect my scissors is though, if I go against someone who plays rock I will lose. Did I do something wrong? No, I wouldn't have known the other player would do rock. If I play again and do the same thing and keep asking "what am I doing wrong? please help me fix my scissors" I will never win against rock.
After a certain point it isn't about YOU and fixing what's wrong, it's about analyzing your opponent and building counter plays and changing strategies. If you ask "how to beat the opponent" then you get new tips that aren't about you but about your opponent. Then you can build NEW strategies and skills. Your first time changing your strategies you might do something wrong with mistakes since you are new to the strategy... but don't worry someone will always tell you what you're doing wrong! But, you need to at least take the first steps into trying to find out what the other person is doing. After all, you don't need to be the best player to win; you don't need to even be a better player to win... you just need to counter your opponent.
People will always be around to tell you what you did wrong, sometimes when you don't even want them to (see replays section comments.... or in game when you're on the losing side...). But sometimes, especially in a game like BK, you can do everything RIGHT but still lose. This is because of the nature of the game where variation is a huge factor of success.
Imagine this extremely simplified example: I am learning to play the classic game rock-paper-scissors but with one extra rule of if I do not make the correct hand symbol I automatically lose. I have a problem making the scissors symbol with my hands so I practice over and over again asking people what am I doing wrong. Eventually, I can make a perfect V with my fingers that represented scissors. No matter how perfect my scissors is though, if I go against someone who plays rock I will lose. Did I do something wrong? No, I wouldn't have known the other player would do rock. If I play again and do the same thing and keep asking "what am I doing wrong? please help me fix my scissors" I will never win against rock.
After a certain point it isn't about YOU and fixing what's wrong, it's about analyzing your opponent and building counter plays and changing strategies. If you ask "how to beat the opponent" then you get new tips that aren't about you but about your opponent. Then you can build NEW strategies and skills. Your first time changing your strategies you might do something wrong with mistakes since you are new to the strategy... but don't worry someone will always tell you what you're doing wrong! But, you need to at least take the first steps into trying to find out what the other person is doing. After all, you don't need to be the best player to win; you don't need to even be a better player to win... you just need to counter your opponent.