Last night was my first day back to the jiujitsu gym in four months.
I took time off because I had a bunch of family events for the holidays and trips and flights I didn’t want to miss out on. I didn’t want to increase my chances of getting COVID.
Spoiler alert: I got it anyway.
There are a number of life lessons I could write about (and have written about) from my short time doing jiujitsu. But today, I want to talk about something you can apply to any type of practice or community.
Being a n00b
Last winter, I remember hopping into class for the first time. It was fucking terrifying.
The thing was, I wasn’t really scared to get my ass beat—though that would happen each and every night. I was aware that that was simply part of the process going in.
No, what intimidated me was jumping into something with a group of people who already knew each other for years.
My thoughts: They are a family. I am an outsider.
I felt the same way when I started acting in the theatre program in college. They are a family. I am an outsider.
It’s tough when everyone:
• tells stories you were never a part of • knows everyone’s names and facts about them • is constantly talking and laughing with everyone else besides you
How to change things
To be clear, by no means was I ever excluded or belittled at my gym. There’s just a noticeable difference between feeling truly close with the people you practice with and not.
The lesson here: That closeness doesn’t happen overnight.
It’s analogous to building trust with someone. It’s an organic and slow process.
Slowly but surely, I would talk more, tell more jokes, and get enough time in with my gym peoples to tell stories of my own.
One day, I was talking to a classmate before class, and I said something like, “People should feel lucky to come in and join your guys’ gym.”
She raised an eyebrow and unironically retorted, “You mean, join our gym.”
Holy fuck. I’m in.
Conclusion
I got lucky to become closer with an amazing group of people. Not every group of coworkers, athletes, or neighbors will come together in such a way and that’s okay.
The point here is: When you enter a new community, the feeling of being the outsider can be daunting and often discouraging.
You may think, They already have their group. They don’t need me.
But if you keep showing up, keep listening, keep caring, and the group is a good bunch…then after a bit of patience and consistency, you’ll find you have another family.
My old thoughts: They are a family. I am an outsider.
My thoughts now: We are a family. Outsiders welcome.