Happy Monday Team!
Last week was a great teaser to the beautiful weather (and therefore amazing training conditions) that are right around the corner. As the world and we move into Spring, let’s take a moment to consider the ideas of cycles and rebirth. As a coach I truly believe that progress looks like a circle from top down, and a spiral from the side.
It is the routines we employ that get us to where we need to go. We are not chasing some distant goalpost somewhere over the horizon. Instead, everything we need to know, feel, learn, and hold is right here, right in front of us. It’s up to us to follow and practice the proper routines in order to elevate ourselves and our craft.
Often, routines feel boring. The sights are often the same, and it can be easy to fall into the trap of zoning out because we feel like we’ve been here before (and, well, we have). The trick is to think in cycles. Every lap around the route we’ve chosen for ourselves is like a miniature life/death cycle — as one cycle comes to an end and we are facing the prospect of another lap around the ol’ block, we need to try and see the sights as if we are coming in new. Seeing the routine with the eyes of a beginner and the wisdom of your expertise is the key to maximizing your growth and keeping the process fresh and productive.
I could go on and on but I’ll stop there 🙂
Let’s give a big shout out to Gianna Vadino who picks up some additional golden hardware in another foreign country with a winning performance at the ISKA International Muay Thai Tournament in Phuket, Thailand! Gianna improves to 17-0 in Muay Thai and adds another belt to her resume with a 2nd round TKO finish in the gold medal round.
We also have a special gift for our BJJ program this month — IBJJF ranked black belt Valor Boyer returns to North Star MMA for a nogi De La Riva x Berimbolo workshop on Wednesday, March 27th. This workshop will replace both our 201 and 101 classes and is open to all North Star students with approximately 6+ weeks of training.
Please note, this workshop will heavily focus on inversions! If you have any questions please see a coach.
Beyond that, stay the course and solidify your routines for this season. And do yourself a favor — come into the gym this week with fresh eyes and a fresh mind. You may see, feel, or experience something you’ve never noticed before, but that was right in front of you the whole time.
I’ll see you on the mats!
–Coach J