THE RED CORNER
NEWS AND UPDATES FROM THE NORTH STAR ACADEMY OF MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
WEEK OF JANUARY 5th, 2026
Monday Mindset, Junior Samurai Stripe Challenge, Membership Updates, and Facility FAQ Links all available at the bottom!
Happy Monday Team — and Happy New Year as well!
I appreciate everyone’s patience with our adjusted schedule over the last week; although we ran a skeleton of our regular schedule on the mats, we were able to get a ton of stuff done off the mats to set us up for a productive and amazing 2026 here at the academy. So, thank you!
The new year brings to mind new beginnings and new opportunities to start fresh. So, my challenge to all of you this month is to start fresh. Start over. Start as a beginner. We get so entrenched in our day-to-day routines that we view our lives through a filter. We rarely appreciate where we are, we are just so focused on getting through whatever we’re doing so we can get on to the next thing, and so on.
As such, we get jaded. We become less receptive to new perspectives and new experiences. And we don’t stop to admire, appreciate, and absorb the moments as we’re living them.
Training is no different. Early on, I developed a “revolutionary” approach to training — when I felt I was straying too far and getting a little lost, I always revolved back to the absolute beginning. I emptied my head. I started from scratch, and I endeavored to learn the fundamentals from the ground up all over again.
I truly believe that revisiting the beginning, while adopting the mindset of a beginner, is a truly effective way to move forward.
So, my challenge to you, again, is this: be a beginner this month. Start over. Allow yourself to re-learn the fundamentals. Allow yourself to enjoy the excitement of feeling like a new student all over again.
And, for those of you who fell off in October and beyond, I want you back. It’s ok to stumble a bit. It won’t be the first time, and it won’t be the last time. Allow yourself some grace, get back on the horse, and come hang out and train. It’s fun. It’s good for you. And you are missed.
We have some cool stuff coming up this week, month, and year here at the academy, so stay posted!
I’ll 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