THE RED CORNER
NEWS AND UPDATES FROM THE NORTH STAR ACADEMY OF MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
WEEK OF APRIL 6th, 2026
Monday Mindset, Junior Samurai Stripe Challenge, Membership Updates, and Facility FAQ Links all available at the bottom!
Happy Monday Team!
Couple new developments coming down the pipe this week. Don’t forget we have the Monday Mindset and Stripe Challenge blog entries linked below the signature. This week’s MM article is about Catalysts and includes a (not-so) subtle nod towards our Sunday Sprint Club which is open to everyone and meets at 9am at the Roxborough High School track! <—shameless plug
And before you ask, yes — sprinting sucks. Yes, you can go at your own pace. Yes, anyone can come. Yes, it’s Easter but we’ll still be there. And yes, it will likely be raining. Unless we have heavy downpours we’ll be out there getting it in. At least, I will!
Ok, on to the info:
First, we’ll be saying farewell to BJJ Coach Valor Boyer as he begins his new chapter as a Jiu Jistu academy owner in Aston, PA! Let’s make sure to pack the mats for Valor’s last regular class here (don’t worry, we’ll be having him back often)!
Starting April 15th, our Wednesday nogi class will transition into the North Star Wrestling Club — a 4-6 week wrestling program designed to get everyone up to speed on the basics! We will then taper off to a once-monthly wrestling workshop. The NSWC series will work off a structured, progressive curriculum so we encourage everyone to attend every session to get the most out of the program!
Note: wrestling is rough on the feet and knees. We recommend a minimum of kneepads for these sessions to prevent mat burn. Wrestling shoes are ideal as well, but it’s understood if not everyone wants to make that investment. Without proper knee and foot protection you absolutely will get some mat burn on your skin. It’s not life threatening, just annoying. You have been warned!
Beyond that, tickets are available for Tim Green’s title elimination bout at Freedom Fighting Championships in Jamaica, Queens on the 18th. See Tim, or myself, for tickets. For those who can’t make it, we’ll have a fight night watch party at the academy (BYOBF). Details TBA!
Also, our Grapple at the Chapel Jiu Jitsu event has been moved to May 16th. The extra time helps us onboard some of our new students, as well as prepare for a smoother and better event overall. We’ll have more information coming up shortly!
- 4.15 WEDNESDAY – Launch of North Star Wrestling Club. Wednesday nogi will be wrestling for a few weeks, then taper off into a once monthly workshop)!
- 4.18 SATURDAY – Freedom Fighter Promotions feat. Tim Green.. Tickets are available in house, and we will also have a live WATCH PARTY at the gym. Details TBA, but plan on arriving around 7:30pm — we’ll have more info as we can get it!
- 4.30 – Jiu Jitsu Team Sparring Night @ 7pm. We will have a special schedule for Thursday, 4/30.
- 5.8 – 5.10 WEEKEND – ISKA National Tournament.
- 5.16 SATURDAY – Grapple at the Chapel: Fit Jitsu and Junior Samurai showcase and awards!
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