There is never a stoopid question?

Many of the early respondents to my survey have stated that they actually enjoyed answering the questions because they provided a venue for expressing thoughts they had been pondering for quite some time. I mentioned previously that it is at the juncture of my personal experience and academic curiosity that this study finds its origins. The list of questions that appears on the survey was compiled when I began meditating on what intrigued me about BJJ and the apparent contradictions I thought were intrinsic to the art. I did this informally at first. It seemed more like a 'wish list' than a set of questions that would one day make their appearance on a survey.

The list of questions that eventually resulted was ridiculously long - at one point the list swelled to over 100! Eventually, through a pain staking process I pared my questions down to about 25. I say 'pain staking' for the simple reason that my intention is capture the BJJ experience in all of its nuances and I felt that taking out any query would neglect some essential angle. At the same time, however, I wanted to avoid asking too many questions which would inevitably precipitate respondents to prematurely abandon the survey. 

As it stands, some of my friends have complained that the survey asked them to think too much about themselves and their BJJ involvement. But this, I have tried to explain, is exactly the point. That is, I'm not asking whether the salesperson at you local Bestbuy was courteous. Rather, the questions tend to lead participants back to themselves and provide a means through which to reflect on themselves and their art. And, more to the point, BJJ experience is the cornerstone of my project which prompts participants for introspection - a difficult and time consuming task, no doubt!

So, again, thank you to all those who have taken the time to provide me with a piece of your BJJ self. It is most appreciated. It is warming to me that many have enjoyed taking the survey and are excited to hear about the results - no pressure!