MONDAY MINDSET: GIVE EXCUSES AN INCH, AND THEY’LL TAKE A MILE 03.18.24 Excuses are powerful. They are often appropriate–some of us have injuries, or restraints on our time or finances, that prohibit us from pursuing our goals. But these excuses often overstep their boundaries and trick us into thinking they absolve us of other […]
JUNIOR SAMURAI STRIPE CHALLENGE 03.18.24 THIS WEEK’S STRIPE CHALLENGE IS RED FOR PHYSICAL FITNESS Students can earn a red stripe this week by completing 50 pushups each day for a total of five days!
Happy Monday Team! This week finds North Star athlete Gianna Vadino once again representing the USA at the IKSA World Muay Thai tournament in Phuket, Thailand! Gianna’s previous international run ended in a grueling six fight weekend and two title belts. We are sending G a ton of good vibes this week as she steps […]
MONDAY MINDSET: WHAT IS STYLE 03.11.24 STYLE. Some people have it, some people don’t.. but everybody wants it. It’s an elusive thing. What, exactly, is style? Well, style is always defined in relation to some sort of system or instutition–“he’s got great fashion style,” “she has an awesome fighting style,” “his musical style is wonderful.” […]
JUNIOR SAMURAI STRIPE CHALLENGE 03.11.24 This week’s challenge is blue for initiative Students can earn a blue stripe on their belt by successfully writing and sending a small note through the mail. Surprising a friend or family member with a handwritten note is a great act of kindness and is sure to put […]
Happy Monday Team! February’s Slamboree was a great success — congratulations to both Mike and Coltrane on their advancement to blue belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu! Although technically only the second adult belt in BJJ, the blue belt is not easy to achieve. It demands a working understanding of the basic mechanics of the art, […]
JUNIOR SAMURAI STRIPE CHALLENGE 03.04.24 THE STRIPE CHALLENGE THIS WEEK IS green FOR technique Students can earn a green stripe this week by successfully drilling their favorite technique 25 times on a parent or sibling (with parental supervision). Students will be required to describe/name the technique being drilled and may be asked to […]
MONDAY MINDSET: GIVE YOURSELF A PAT ON THE BACK 03.04.24 Seriously! Give yourself a pat on the back from time to time. We start our journeys as wide eyed beginners, wholly focused mostly on whether we can, or cannot, actually do something. That is the beginner’s burning question: “can I do this?” As we grow […]
Happy Monday Team! My day-to-day teaching schedule is such journey between extremes. On one end, I teach the littlest students (ages 5+) and on the other I’m working with seasoned fighters. And, obviously, everything in between. As adults we can often be looking too far ahead into the future. To some distant time when everything […]
MONDAY MINDSET: TOUGHNESS 02.26.24 We often confuse the ideas of “toughness” and “dominance.” We see the big, scary bully, with giant muscles and fists the size of cinder blocks, and we think to ourselves: “that guy looks tough.” What we really mean is, that guy looks dominant. Dominance doesn’t require toughness. I guarantee […]