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This place is awesome ! I trained with Jackson for years, he's the best trainer around. Extremely knowledgable about the sport, super encouraging! Jackson makes training fun, while pushing me to do my best. I highly recommend !
Coach Jackson is a great instructor who takes on friendly students who are eager to learn. At no point did I feel uncomfortable with the speed or the level of difficulty and the group of people who I am getting to know all seem to enjoy the workouts due to the positive atmosphere that Coach Jackson has created.
Starting with no martial arts experience at all, I've been training at North Star MMA for about 2 months now. It's become something i look forward to every week. Coach Jackson has a great way of describing the intricacies of muay thai in exceptionally easy to understand ways. Lots of personal instruction and the other people in the gym really help with training. I really like the skills I've picked up so far all while getting a good workout in.
North Star MMA is by far the best training I have received as well as the best MMA facility. Fantastic atmosphere to learn, try, fail and ultimately succeed.
Jackson Galka's expertise and technical instruction easily qualifies him as a "fight nerd." However Jackson's passion and wit will have you kicking, striking and probably laughing too.
Jackson does a great job of integrating all levels of training with all levels of fighters.
Doesn't matter what level you are, you will learn each and every training session.
Top notch instruction, astounding technical expertise, challenging sweat soaked training sessions and a wicked sense of humor make for an unbeatable training academy.
I moved to Philadelphia in October and did a lot of shopping around for a new gym. After checking out NorthStar MMA, I quickly knew it was a perfect fit! I didn’t have much Muay Thai or BJJ experience at the time, but I felt both programs were very welcoming for beginners. Coach Jackson and the rest of the coaching staff have been super helpful in helping me to develop my skills and reach my fitness goals. Coach Jackson has created a great sense of community within the gym and does a great job of keeping the classes interesting, fun and effective! I look forward to each class and I couldn’t be happier to call NorthStar MMA my gym home!
Me and my brother came to train at North Star MMA, and we love it. Very good exercise, really good for getting in shape. Classes are very personal and with very good instructions. I would recommend this place to anyone who is interested in learning Muy Thai, BJJ and looking to get in shape in one of the best ways. It is also a very fun environment with great people.
Jackson is a huge asset to the combat sports community with years of experience as a fighter and trainer under his belt.
JUNIOR SAMURAI STRIPE CHALLENGE: FITNESS WEEK OF 4.29.24 This week’s Junior Samurai stripe challenge is red for Fitness! Students can earn their red stripe by completing a 1-2 minute plank each day for 4 days!
JUNIOR SAMURAI STRIPE CHALLENGE: FITNESS WEEK OF 4.08.24 This week’s Junior Samurai stripe challenge is red for Fitness! Students can earn their red stripe by successfully completing the following workout: 20 Sprawls + 20 Jumping Jacks (repeat x5 for a total of 100 repetitions for each exercise).
JUNIOR SAMURAI STRIPE CHALLENGE 01.29.24 THEME OF THE WEEK: INITIATIVE Our Junior Samurai stripe challenge this week is blue for initiative. Students can earn a blue stripe by taking it upon themselves to clean their room. The extent of the cleaning is up to the parent or parents’ judgment. Students will have until Monday, February 5th, […]
There are a number of tough questions in combat sports. How do I optimize my training? What’s the best solution to a given problem? How do I balance training and life? As a coach I’m constantly asked questions like these (and if you know me, I often give long winded but ultimately […]
Ok, full stop. Definitely believe in yourself! With that said, when preparing to engage in something challenging, we can often start to doubt ourselves. Am I mentally strong enough? Durable enough? Do I “have what it takes” to get this job done? These questions can be hard to answer because, well, there […]
At the Olympic level, athletes have a massive team working behind the scenes to ensure that their training, time management, and recovery are fully optimized. These athletes also train and compete full time and often have difficult decisions about where to invest their limited resources of availability and energy. At that level, by […]
I often get asked — Why “North Star?” Guesses range from The Fist of the North Star (an awesome 90’s anime) to something related to my middle name (Baer, for those wondering — the North Star is on the tail of Ursa Minor, the little dipper). But, nope. Those are good guesses and would fit […]
Happy Monday Team! Big thank you to everyone who made it out for our 6 Year Anniversary Party! I promised everyone I’d go for an Irish Goodbye at some point, but when I attempted to escape it still took me 45 minutes I guess that’s how you know it was a good […]
It’s a tale as old as time — the new student wants to work on the advanced skills, but the coach stresses the basics. In two decades of training and teaching, I’ve come to just accept that this is the way things usually are. And that’s ok. But consider this: you can’t […]
Happy Monday Team! I hope you all had an awesome weekend! Make sure to mark your calendars for the Six Year Anniversary Party rescheduled for Saturday, July 15th, from 2-5pm! More details to come but it’s a pretty simple affair 🙂 By the way, yes — we are open as normal today […]
Quick one for you today! The word “passion” has taken on a lot of romantic, intimate, and otherwise lovey-dovey connotations. But originally, passion comes from the Latin root of pati and means, literally, suffering. When we are passionate about something, we suffer for it (and anyone who’s been training Muay Thai or Jiu Jitsu will tell you […]
Before I got into MMA (and for a very long time throughout my MMA career as both a competitor and coach), I worked in the landscaping and gardening industry. I’ve always been fascinated by the similarities between seemingly extremely disparate things. On the surface, martial arts and gardening are in totally different categories. […]
You may notice that this Monday Mindset section is being delivered on a Tuesday. Well, I gave myself a break over the weekend to enjoy some much needed family time — and whenever possible, you should too. The goal of training in any martial art is not necessarily going to be a belt […]
Muay Thai is known as the “Art of 8 Limbs,” referring to the pairs of hands, elbows, knees, and feet that we can use to systematically break down our opponents. As a competitive fighter, I jokingly referred to Muay Thai as the “Art of 7 Limbs,” as on any given day I’d have […]
Happy Monday Team! Hard to believe it’s already May, right? We are nearly halfway through 2023 (and it feels like we just celebrated New Years). Time flies when you’re having fun I guess 🙂 In April, we debuted a new monthly competition: the Shout Out Show Down. Both the author, and the subject, […]
We had two massive competitive events in a 24 hour span this past weekend. While the team overall did a great job, we ran into some issues dealing with pressure on the whole. Sure, becoming so strong and powerful that you can basically crash through every obstacle is a great way to win […]
Happy Monday Team! We are back for another hard week of training on the mats! Thank you to everyone who observed the slight adjustment in class scheduling this past weekend. Any time we operate on an adjusted schedule and we don’t have a student walking in for a cancelled class means we […]
Words are a source of power. The right words can empower us and set us up for success. The wrong words can strip us of our agency, or put us on a path that only leads to failure. They shape the world we live in — the very way we see and interact […]
It’s super easy not to really go for anything. No risk, no reward, but also no failure. And there’s something nice about that. Because what if we fail spectacularly? What if everyone sees us fail? Often, it’s not so much the failure itself that causes stress. It’s failing publicly. My next door neighbors growing up […]
“Protect yourself at all times.” That’s what you hear from the referee before you touch gloves and get after it. So, what does it mean? Well, you are responsible for protecting yourself. You, and you alone. Despite all the rules, rounds, and presence of the third man, things can (and do) […]
I want to preface this entry by saying that, yes, it is absolutely important and OK to have your own specific, selfish goals in training. In fact, we all do, and it’s both healthy and normal! With that said, the Tragedy of the Commons is a situation in which individuals take from a […]
Happy Monday Team! Yes, we are open today! Last weekend (2/11) we had a great showing for our “Path to Blue Belt” in-house seminar. We are considering doing a more regular seminar series so as to take some deep dives into basic, but large, concepts. What would you like to see? Let me […]
Avoid the “all or nothing” trap when it comes to fitness, health, training, or whatever. We can all be particularly manipulative to ourselves when we set our standards too high, knowing we can’t achieve them. It’s almost like we engineer our own failure just to avoid the hard work of actually sticking […]
Happy Monday Team! Hard to believe, but next month is our 6 year anniversary! I have some crazy stories to tell from the “early years” but believe it or not, we have some ride-or-die students still with us from the get-go. Big shout out to Jamie Ueberroth, Ken Mosely, Colleen Tozer, Coach Bill, […]
What better day to discuss service than today, where we celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr? So often in martial arts we only see things through our own self-centered lens. We come to class to make ourselves better. We do what we think is best for us. We prioritize our well […]
Let’s keep it real today fam. Resolutions are for quitters. The goal is not to commit to a resolution, but rather to reshape your lifestyle. The end of one year, and the beginning of another, create a great symbolic opportunity to address areas of your life that are unfulfilling. We are inspired to seek out […]
In any combat sports competition, we can often say that the person who made the second to last mistake is the winner. This is especially true for submission grappling or no-holds-barred fighting, where victory is absolute. The key, then, isn’t to be flawless. That’s impossible, and also unnecessary. Rather, the key is to be […]
If you are training long enough, at some point you will have to take some time off. This is inevitable. Work, family, friends, relationships, injuries — these can all demand significant amounts of your time (and, rightly so) and pull you out of a comfortable training routine. Coming back from a long layoff […]
Three years ago, almost to the day, I underwent a serious shoulder reconstruction to repair a torn labrum on my left arm. So today’s Monday Mindset feels appropriate. When you have a chronic, debilitating injury, you rehabilitate it. To re-habilitate is to come back and build new habits, essentially. To “re-habit.” To create a […]
Happy Monday Team! We are fresh off a successful weekend at Tap Cancer Out! We placed second overall in single-team fundraising with over $10,000 raised. That’s an incredible amount and I am so impressed with the team’s efforts to not only prepare for competition, but also apply themselves to the fundraising in parallel. […]
This week’s entry is going to focus less on actual mindset and more on organizing your skills in a way that maximizes their effectiveness. No skills exist in a vacuum. A world class jab, for example, can’t simply be spammed non stop successfully. The jab plays off footwork, feints, power shots, and so […]
Happy Monday Team! If I could describe this upcoming month in one word, I would probably say “TUMULTUOUS!” But that’s not a bad thing. We are packed to the gills this month with some awesome events and changes both big and small. Please note that our Striking 101 Review Test is […]
I’m guilty of really rambling on and on about mindset, paradigm shifts, etc. — but one lesson I learned as a competitor is this: The extra work is a choice. Inaction is a choice. Losing, too, is a choice. Making the right choices isn’t always easy, though. We are extremely good […]
Seeing Progress. Yes, I’m aware that a few weeks ago I wrote a similar e-mail. I’m also aware that I also recently wrote an e-mail about the importance of Redundancy 🙂 So bear with me. This is important. Hence the redundancy! I often field e-mails from students (at the academy, and abroad – we […]
I wrote a Monday Mindset article a in February of 2020 with the same title, basically, while overseas in Paris. I really had no idea how different my life trajectory would go in only a month with the onset of the COVID pandemic and all associated shutdowns, restrictions, anxiety, and general instability of the next two […]
Every year as the weather starts to warm up I give my annual “hygiene chat,” which is basically just a quick guide for you — yes, you — to follow so that we can all get down and dirty on the mats without getting, well, actually dirty 🙂 Before we get to that, big congrats […]
The martial arts exist in a state of duality: one side concerned with the fundamental rules of combat, physics, and body mechanics (the “martial”), and the other side being the human expression that operates behind these (the “art”). Newer students often talk about “styles” or “games” — what game should I be focusing on? […]
Picture this — you’ve been running around all day, and at your last stop you go to pull out your wallet to pay for something and, whoops, realize it’s missing. What do you do? A reasonable person would retrace their steps — can you tease out any moments where you might have taken […]
Picture this. You’re zooming down a stretch of flat road on your bike, when suddenly you encounter a hill. It’s steep. You quickly downshift into first gear, pedal like a madman, and struggle to the peak. Up top, you shift back to your high gear, and coast down the other side. Pretty […]
WOW! What a weekend! I want to thank the students and coaching staff here for being integral ingredients in the recipe for Gianna, Tre, and Isis’ success this weekend. While our competition team is filled with highly motivated and gritty athletes, it’s the environment here that keeps them sharp and moving forward. Is […]
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 beyond that initial insecurity, we start focusing more on […]
We’ve all heard the old expression, “practice makes perfect.” This really couldn’t be farther from the truth. We should really think of it more along the lines of “perfect practice, with perfect consistency and appropriate intensity, makes perfect.” There’s a lot to unpack there! When we step onto the mats to train, we must […]
Happy Monday Team! Man, this is gonna be a busy week.. in addition to keeping the flame going on the mats, we have our Five Year Anniversary + UFC Viewing Party this weekend! Essentially, here’s how it will go: In the main room, we’ll have a projection screen displaying the UFC Fight Night event. […]
Happy Monday Team! We have some really cool events on the horizon — the 5 Year Anniversary and UFC Viewing Party on Saturday the 19th, NAGA (North American Grappling Championships) on the 26th, Gut Check Muay Thai on March 26th, and then Art of War MMA at the beginning of April. We’re gonna […]
Happy Monday Team! I want to first apologize for whatever happened last week that sent the newsletter out like four times. Technical error? Or was I just really excited about what was in that e-mail? Perhaps we will never know.. (It was a technical error! But I was also excited about that e-mail) I’m […]
In one of my earlier emails, I told you that persistence is one of the five core tenets of martial arts. It’s a must for kids to learn to fulfill their obligations and stick to their commitments – but what makes them want to do that? In martial arts, we attribute it to one small […]
You know how good it feels to set your sights on a goal and then achieve it. It’s empowering and invigorating – and it’s not just a matter of chance. Goal-setting is an important life skill. The good news is that studying the martial arts can help your child learn: The importance of setting goals How to […]
There are a lot of emotional benefits available to kids who study the martial arts. We’ve talked about some of them already, but today I’m going to talk about one that sometimes gets overlooked: Martial arts classes are a great place to make friends! Think about how most of us make friends. Friendships often start with commonalities, […]
As adults, we think a lot about stress. Modern life is difficult. We worry about paying the bills, doing our jobs well – and we worry about our kids. That’s part of our jobs as parents, but we don’t want our kids to be affected by stress. It’s not good for them physically or emotionally. Still, […]
It’s time to talk about the emotional benefits of studying martial arts. Let’s face it – kids have a hard time managing their emotions. You’d be hard-pressed to find a parent who hasn’t had to deal with their share of temper tantrums. It’s exhausting. Also, consider the other side of the coin: it’s exhausting for […]
In the last couple of blog articles, we’ve been talking about the core tenets of martial arts instruction, and today’s tenet is one that a lot of kids need to learn. I’m talking about self-control. Control is something that’s hard for kids. Their brains and bodies aren’t fully developed, and from the time they’re babies, […]
You know how that saying goes, right? Try, try again! And that brings us to our next core tenet of martial arts: perseverance. Perseverance is what keeps us going when it would be easier to give up. It’s what makes us get up when we fall down – and it often means the difference between […]