“The only thing that is constant is change” – Heraclitus

As we spend our last week here on Greene street I thought it appropriate to reflect briefly on change.

We are largely creatures of habit.  This has been one of the most profound lessons for me, as a coach, over the last twenty years.

In fact, so much of what we put our effort to is to create stability in an otherwise chaotic and ever changing landscape.  This gym, The North Star Academy, is very much a secure and fixed institution for us all (hence the namesake,Polaris, the north star) by which we can both find stability as well as measure change in our own lives.

I take making changes very seriously.  Changes in schedule, changes in format, changes in appearance – these are all necessary at times to adapt to different demographics, circumstances, and interests.  But they are also incredibly disruptive at the same time.  And as such, we must be sensitive to both creating and accepting change in our lives, to see the larger picture and the larger forces at work.

Change has two sides.  The first side is violent.. It clear cuts through the old growth of routine and stability.  The second side is creative, where new foundations are built.

But even after the big work is done, we are still left with something new and alien.  The old structure may not have been ideal, but it was well lived in.  It had charm, character, and familiarity.  We had grown into it.

The new structure is unknown to us.  Like a new trellis in a garden, the form exists but it has not yet been assimilated by the vines growing at its base.  It asks of us trust and time, so that we may too grow into it as well.

Our move to a new facility is one of necessity, but also ambition, fun, and a never ending effort to push boundaries and continuously improve.

As a professional fighter and, now, a coach, I draw no distinction between my own development in the martial arts and the growth of the academy.  The same principles remain.  Effort, discipline, and a hunger for something more.  More challenges, more opportunities to grow and learn.

We are embarking on a new journey.  One of disruption, of challenge, of discomfort.. But also of excitement, of promise, and of opportunity.  The only thing that is constant is change – so too must we learn to ride the waves and let them carry us forward.