THE RED CORNER
NEWS AND UPDATES FROM THE NORTH STAR ACADEMY OF MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
WEEK OF JULY 20th, 2026
Monday Mindset, Membership Updates, and Facility FAQ Links all available at the bottom!
Happy Monday team!
Fresh off the heels of another HOT ONE last week but that didn’t stop everyone from getting onto the mats and getting to work. Props to you guys!
Heads up — we are adding an impromptu BJJ seminar NEXT WEDNESDAY NIGHT (7/29) at 7:30pm. This seminar will take a deep dive on the triangle submission: foundational principles, setups, escapes, and finishes. This workshop is open to all BJJ students here at the academy and 100% free! We’ll be running some deep dive workshops each month so stay postedd :0
Other than that, business as usual this week. So I want to share a little perspective and tip that I use before class on days when I’m not personally feeling super “up to it.” After all, a big part of coaching and teaching is just making sure you have the right attitude and the right energy for the session.
On days where I’m not feeling my best, I take a minute to hit my energy reset.. “Altitude makes for Gratitude, and Gratitude makes for Great Attitudes.” Yes, I’m aware it’s corny. As I’ve gotten more experienced I’ve leaned into the corny things — they often work.
Taking a few moments to reflect on the privilege I have of doing something fun, rewarding, and honestly pretty easy for a living really puts things into perspective for me. I’ve worked some of the worst jobs out there — landscaping, cleanouts, dishwashing, you name it. If it’s gross, if it’s hard, and if it’s dangerous I’ve probably done it. By no means is teaching easy, but compared to spending 10 hours in 95 degree weather digging holes it’s pretty much a vacation 🙂
Point is, in order to reset your attitude, you need to first reset your altitude. Put yourself in a mental position to perceive and consider the bigger picture: you’re healthy enough to do something hard, and that’s one of the biggest privileges in the world. And then fully feel it. Sit with it for awhile. Enjoy it. Cherish it.
A few minutes of that and you can’t help but be in a better mood, ready and excited to give your best effort for something challenging.
See you on the mats!
–Coach Jackson
You can find this week’s Monday Mindset HERE