About Ryan Murray

Instructor Spotlight: Nora Schull

10247396_10152375113586718_8424570583080340773_nCoach Nora started training at The Academy over 6 years ago. Through perseverance and hard work she has earned a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and a black rank in Muay Thai. Her commitment to training, coaching, and competing is unprecedented. Her esteemed title of ‘Momma Bear’ was earned through her commitment to the team which has afforded her teammates the ability to travel and pursue their passion. With over 2 decades of experience in modern dance, she oversees all of the arts programming for Minneapolis Public Schools. When she isn’t occupied by these demanding commitments, she is a proud mother of two children, Ella and Ian, and is an avid feline enthusiast. The Academy thankful to have someone of Nora’s caliber within its roster.

Coaches Corner: You Are Not Your Weight

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Gluten free. Paleo. The Juicing diet.  Calories in, calories out. Atkins. There are diets for every type of person.  If you find one that you can live with, you’ve found a key to a door that most people bang their heads against until they shuffle off this mortal coil.  Learning what it takes for your body to shed poundage can be daunting. Oh, and before you get excited, I have no diet tips for you.  The only person who can figure out what works for you is you. So what the hell is this about? This is about the realization that your weight is entirely under your control and has nothing to do with your personhood. I know what you’re sarcastically thinking “Oh I never realized that before; thanks Coach Jerkface.”  Ok. Ok. I’ll frame it a different way. This is about how I realized that my weight is entirely under my control, and I’d like to share my thoughts. 

  Instead of saying “I’m fat” or “I’m skinny,” fighting caused me to use phrases like “I’m fat right now” or “I’m skinny right now.” I began speaking (and thinking) in terms of changeable circumstances under my control that had nothing to do with who I am; only what I am currently doing. A person’s body is reacting to its environment (one’s actions), not simply being fat or skinny on its own. Clearly everyone knows this, but once you start changing your thoughts and speech to view the number on the scale as unfixed, it allows you to take ownership of it. If you are unhappy with it, change it. If you don’t really care, own up to that too. Either way, it will be a weight off your mind. Am I going to end this with a pun? I think I am.  -Coach Jerkface out.