THE RED CORNER
NEWS AND UPDATES FROM THE NORTH STAR ACADEMY OF MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
WEEK OF FEBRUARY 16th, 2026
Monday Mindset, Junior Samurai Stripe Challenge, Membership Updates, and Facility FAQ Links all available at the bottom!
Happy Monday team!
Writing this actually on a Saturday afternoon (4pm here, 10am your time) in the Alpine village of Innsbruck, Austria. Innsbruck lies at the top of the Brenner pass which cuts through the alps and connects Italy to Austria. As such, given its strategic geopolitical location, Innsbruck was the former home of the Holy Roman Empire and the Hapsburg dynasty back in the day. So, pretty cool!
I’m here doing a deep dive into BJJ and have spent some time working with Joao Miyao, Yuri Simoes, and Michelle Nicolini and will be heading out soon for the final session with Roger Gracie. Picked up some great stuff, averaging about 3 and a half hours of training each day. I’m beat!
At black belt level it’s not that we see a few new things when we train, but rather we see a few things in a new light which can make all the difference. Last year I attended this camp and came away with some upgrades to the software and this year will be no different. Excited to be back on home turf and share some of this with you all.
Anyway!
Unfortunately, both of our matches for Gut Check this coming week have been scrapped — both Ayden and Xavier have worked incredibly hard to prepare themselves for their fights but it wasn’t in the cards for this weekend. We will see them both in action soon! However, we were able to find Makhi Anthony a last minute spot (up two weight classes!) on Freedom Fighter Promotions this weekend at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia!
The reason you haven’t seen much local Muay Thai is due to an archaic and difficult state athletic commission. They charge exorbitant fees and make the process incredibly difficult for organizers and athletes alike. Fortunately, in the last few months, some internal changes have happened and we hope to see more shows like Freedom in Philadelphia down the line. Fingers crossed! Driving in and out of NYC gets old after awhile 🙂
The 2300 Arena is a venue close to my own heart as I fought there twice (when it was the “New Alhambra”) in both 2007 and 2008 early on in my amateur career. It’s an incredible venue, close to home, and this weekend will feature some great Muay Thai action. I’m formally inviting all of your to come watch Makhi and a predominantly Philadelphia-based roster of fighters showcase their hard work and skill.
To purchase tickets, head to this link: Freedom Fighter Promotions
–Coach Jackson
You can find this week’s Monday Mindset HERE
You can find this week’s Junior Samurai Stripe Challenge HERE