THE RED CORNER
NEWS AND UPDATES FROM THE NORTH STAR ACADEMY OF MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
WEEK OF DECEMBER 15th, 2025
Monday Mindset, Junior Samurai Stripe Challenge, Membership Updates, and Facility FAQ Links all available at the bottom!
Happy Monday Team!
Big respect to everyone who has remained steady over the last few weeks — I know it’s hard! But we are almost there. In a few weeks it will be 2026! I am not personally one for “resolutions” (I know I know, it’s trendy to buck the trends lately) but I do have a challenge for you next year: NO CHEATING!
I’ll get back to that in a moment — but first, reminder that our BJJ team day is TOMORROW at 7:30pm! Bring your crispiest gi, and if you don’t have one — don’t worry. Come in your nogi attire. We have some promotions to make, and then we’ll go right into an open mat afterwards. ALL BJJ STUDENTS ARE INVITED AND ASKED TO ATTEND!
Ok, so, no cheating! No cheating on your reps, no cheating on your diets, no cheating on your training routine. If we expect nothing from ourselves and those around us, we get nothing. If we expect much, then we get a lot. We are not making the sacrifices necessary to train in order to be ordinary. Give a little extra, and be extraordinary this coming year.
It takes a lot of time, effort, and sacrifice to be a professional fighter. I stepped into the ring over 20 times as an amateur to build the skills necessary for that next stage of my career. Each of those fights represents a series of major sacrifices that were transmuted into, generally, successful outcomes and greater skill in the ring. I learned early on not to take my time on the mats for granted and although I was not the most talented or natural fighter, I was always one of the most disciplined. With consistency and good discipline (that is to say, NO CHEATING) we can propel ourselves further than even the most talented people around us.
I lived that experience so I can say that to you with confidence and integrity.
It’s easy to say “well, that level of training is for competitors” and, I suppose, that’s absolutely true. But just because you aren’t competing in a ring, cage, or on a tatami doesn’t mean you aren’t competing. You are. You compete against complacency, screen time, snacking, aging, and a thousand other things that work to bring you down and reduce the quality of your life. So you are a competitor, whether you like it or not, and it’s up to you whether you want to be prepared for the challenges that life will throw at you or simply take a knee when things get too tough.
Martial arts training isn’t a panacea by any means, and it has its limits, but there are few other activities out there that can develop confidence, discipline, and self-respect to the same degree. And these qualities will absolutely empower you to take on any challenge you may find yourself facing in life.
So, NO CHEATING!
I’ll have our exact holiday schedule for you next week, but at a glance we will be closed Xmas eve, Xmas day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day. Classes between the holidays will be combined or open mat. We will resume our regular schedule on 1/2!
See you on the mats!
–Coach Jackson
You can find this week’s Monday Mindset HERE
You can find this week’s Junior Samurai Stripe Challenge HERE