When you first start a new job, you want fit in with the work group, but you feel awkward. The same holds true for the first time you start training in a martial arts class. It is also an established group of people who have adjusted to each other and get along in a civilized manner. As a new student, even if you have had previous experience in the martial arts, you want to make a good impression. Although fitting into a new class may be awkward, there are some things you can do to make the process go smoothly.

Be yourself

First, be yourself! If you are nice person, everyone will recognize it and will warm to you. If you are obnoxious person and try to hide it, while people may be fooled for short time, they will quickly figure you out and feel betrayed by your behavior, and will make you feel like an outsider for as long as you remain with the school. If you let your obnoxiousness show from the beginning, the group will quickly learn how to deal with it and you will have your place within the group.

Do not try to impress

You should not try to impress anyone, neither instructor nor fellow students. It is natural to want to impress, but resist the impulse. If you are a beginner, your fellow classmates will think you are a showoff. If you are experienced, they will think you are trying to put them down. Remember, the class was doing just fine before you arrived. You want to blend in with them, not try to force them to conform to you.

When you are performing techniques, quietly do your best. If you are a beginner, do not complain about not being able to do them properly, no one expects you do learn quickly. If you are experienced, do not make remarks about how your previous way of doing it was better. If you are experienced, you will be expected to have some difficultly in learning a different way of doing things. If you are experienced and pick up things quickly, you will not be expected to perform things in a way that makes everyone else look badly. Once the other students see that you are an ordinary person, they will readily accept you.

Do not be overly exuberate

Do not be a wallflower who does not associate with other students, but also do not be overly exuberate. Be pleasant and polite, but check your ebullience at the door. Do not make jokes or spout off when the instructor asks questions, or when in friendly conversation with other students. Just be one of the students and let your personality and effort speak for themselves. After a few weeks, you will have built up enough good will to let your true self shine through.

Find the leaders

As a new student, you will want to learn about the culture of the school, about what the instructor expects of students, and about what upsets or impresses the instructor. In any school, there is the way things are supposed to work, and the way they actually work. As a new student, it is up to you to find out this information without appearing to be prying or nosey.

Start out by determining which people appear to be plugged in to the happenings in the school. This may not be the senior students, as one would expect. Some people know what is happening, while others think they know what is happening. Seniority in a martial art class is determined by the belt rank, not by knowledge or leadership qualities. There is the “official” way something should be done, but the ones “in the know” know the way it should be done if you want to get it done quickly. Once you find the ones “in the know,” approach them with simple question about how the school operates. Do not ask direct personal questions, such as “Is the instructor a good teacher?” Instead, ask indirect process questions, such as “Does the instructor mind if student’s ask questions?” Chances are that the people you ask will add some of the personal type of information, so you will find personal information without coming across as being nosey.

Influence the leaders

To find out who has the most influence in a school, listen to who the students quote the most. They may always say “the instructor said…” but sometimes you will hear many people saying, “Fred said.” While the instructor may be the boss, it is obvious that the students have much respect for Fred’s opinion.

Once you find out the people who are highly respected by students, and the ones who have the ear of the instructor, work with them as much as you can and always strive to do your best when they are around or watching. Instead of showing off in front of the instructor or telling the instructor how great you are (which may make you look bad in the mind of the instructor), develop a group of people who will tell the instructor how great you are. Buzz created by others is more valuable than buzz created by you.

Fitting in