THE RED CORNER NEWS AND UPDATES FROM THE NORTH STAR ACADEMY OF MIXED MARTIAL ARTS WEEK OF MARCH 31st, 2025 Happy Monday Team! Spring is in the air! Which means, time for my annual hygiene chat 🙂 We might think that armbars, slams, and overhands are the most dangerous things on the mats. In […]
Spring has Sprung! We might think that armbars, slams, and overhands are the most dangerous things on the mats. In some cases, they could be. However, our biggest enemy here are microscopic adversaries: ringworm, staph, impetigo, and worse. Keeping yourself and your gear fresh and clean is not just a pleasant and polite thing to do for […]
YES OR NO WEEK OF 3/31/25 My two favorite words in the English language. Yes, and No. Yes is usually my first favorite, because it means I’m going to get what I want, or that we are in agreement so we can move forward. No is also super useful. Now, I may not get […]
JUNIOR SAMURAI STRIPE CHALLENGE: TECHNIQUE WEEK OF 3/31/25 This week’s Junior Samurai stripe challenge is GREEN for technique! Students can earn their green stripe this week by memorizing the scoring system in IBJJF/standard BJJ competition. There are six methods of scoring, each with their own point value. Students must get 4/6 correct in order […]
THE RED CORNER NEWS AND UPDATES FROM THE NORTH STAR ACADEMY OF MIXED MARTIAL ARTS WEEK OF MARCH 24th, 2025 Happy Monday Team! Back at it after a successful week of training. Mats were packed, and it’s always extremely rewarding for me to see students making breakthroughs. Whether that’s a seasoned veteran adding a […]
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER WEEK OF 3/24/25 When dealing with many prospective students, a common question I hear is “I am such-and-such years old, am I too old to start?” The answer, of course, is no. You are never too old to learn something new. And in fact, all the days/weeks/months spent deliberating about […]
JUNIOR SAMURAI STRIPE CHALLENGE: FITNESS WEEK OF 3/24/25 This week’s Junior Samurai stripe challenge is RED for Fitness! Difficult one this week — students must complete 300 (or more) jumping jacks over the course of the week!
THE RED CORNER NEWS AND UPDATES FROM THE NORTH STAR ACADEMY OF MIXED MARTIAL ARTS WEEK OF MARCH 17th, 2025 Happy Monday Team! We are doing double-duty today by celebrating both St Patrick as well as Nai Khanom Tom, a legendary Thai folk hero! Interestingly, these two figures share a common theme: snakes! St […]
NAI KHANOM TOM — TRAINER’S DAY WEEK OF 3/17/25 This week’s “Monday Mindset” lines up with a very important holiday in the Thai tradition. Yes, it is St. Patrick’s Day–and if you are planning on celebrating, I hope you have (or, had) a safe and awesome time! But more importantly, it is Nai Khanom […]
JUNIOR SAMURAI STRIPE CHALLENGE: INITIATIVE WEEK OF 3/17/25 This week’s Junior Samurai stripe challenge is BLUE for Initiative! Students must write a quick thank you note to a teacher or coach this week — we recommend including a short reflection on something they’ve learned from that person that they have enjoyed. BJJ Coaches are […]