My weight loss journey began January 28, 2010.  I was 120 lbs over weight.  Both my husband and I needed to change our life style, our food consumption, and our exercise habits.  It began with joining Weight Watchers, but we knew we would need to exercise too.  Near the end of February of that year I decided to join Longoria Black Belt Academy’s kick boxing class.  I knew that it would be a high impact work out, especially for a person of my size, but I also knew the benefits.  Right away the instructors and the class made me feel at home.  I never felt odd taking the class even though most of the class was in better shape than I was.  I just tried to do my best and the class and instructors cheered me on. 

We have a free gym at work, so my husband and I would work out in the mornings Monday-Friday on the treadmill and lifting weights.  Then I would take one kick boxing class a week.  Sometimes I would notice that a particular move in class would be difficult for me, so I would work on that move during the week in the morning so I would be able to do it better.  Whether it was push-ups on my toes, triceps dips, or jumping jacks, the class gave me the motivation to concentrate on different areas of my body to make them stronger.  A year and a half later we both work out Monday-Friday in the morning, take two kickboxing classes a week and I have lost 100 lbs.  Only 20 lbs more to go and Longoria’s will help me ramp up my work out to make.  I recommend them to everyone!

Julia K.

After becoming involved in an abusive relationship, I had lost myself and my power.  After taking Krav Maga and CardioKicks, I feel like I found myself again.  Although I have tons to learn (and always will), Krav and CardioKicks gave me the tools and knowledge to feel secure, confident, empowered, and strong. I know that if someone tries to attack me, they are basing their attack on fear while I have learned how to defend myself based on skill. Krav allowed me to leave my fear behind - to take my power back - and THAT is the power of Krav. 

Thanks to Longoria's - all of the wonderful instructors and people I've met - for helping me get back to "me" again.

Tiffiney F.

I feel that Krav has given me my life back. I know that sounds crazy, but a few years ago, I was beaten so far down mentally, not to mention physically, that I didn't ever think I would be able to build myself back up INSIDE to be the person I wanted to be.

I am by nature a very outgoing and loving person.. My friends have always seen me as strong and independent, the person to go to for advice and help, when ultimately, because of my past abuse, I was putting on a painful front, pretending that I was strong, lying to my family and friends, when in reality; I was completely the scared on the inside.

It didn'tstart as a bad relationship. I have always wanted to see the good in everyoneand dug deep to find it, and didn't realize that with this person, I would bedigging so deep that I wasn't going to be able to get out alone.

The abuse started off as mental after a few months of dating, he started by making me feel bad for hanging out with my friends, spending time with my family and even broke my phone when I missed his call one day. That developed into him telling me things like your stupid, your ugly, your fat, and no one loved me. He broke me down so that I no longer had confidence in myself, and felt alone, where as before him, no words could ever faze me.

After he had his control he became violent towards me. I took a year of this abuse before my only friend who knew finally stepped in and called my family. We moved him out and I thought things were going to go back to normal. I lost 65 pounds in 3months, starting a month before we broke up, mostly because in my mind no one would ever love me unless I was skinny, and it took a toll on my body. 

Two weeks after I kicked him out, my best friend died in a car accident, and two weeks later I lost two more friends, in separate accidents. I felt so over whelmed with everything and just wanted to give up on the world. I had to get a restraining order on him because he gave me death threats, and would drive by my work and home. I had to have a cop circle my place so that I felt safe when I got home from work.

Because of my amazing family I pulled through those hard months, and have gotten away from him. The bruises have healed, but the mental scars he gave me have always stuck around, and I not been able to convince myself that I can be as strong as I want to be. 

Then I came to my first Krav Class 2 ½ years later. My friends from work, Rob and Tiffiney, convinced me to go and I will never forget it. I told my brother I was going and he said, "I'm pretty sure you can kick anyone's butt you don't need to take a class." That made me realize that I NEEDED to go, because I had been portraying myself as someone who had no fear, and people see me as a tough, strong person on the outside, but on the inside, in all reality, I was scared as hell.

After the class I sat in my car and got a little emotional, because for the first time in almost 4 years, I felt like somebody. I felt like I was the strong, independent woman everyone thought I was, and I suddenly felt no fear. I knew somewhere deep inside of me, TRUE confidence, like the confidence I "pretended" to have was in there, hiding, and I was finally able to release it! My anxiety has gone down so much since I started, and my strength, not just physical, but mental strength, is back, and I have a whole new family at Longoria's that is helping me build myself back.

I am now completely confident that I can achieve anything, and I will never have to go through anything like that again because of the new mental foundation that I have been able to build with the help of the Cardio Kicks and Krav Maga classes. I am so grateful to the Longorias' for having a program like this, not only to help train people to fight, but to help us be able to live my life with confidence, knowing that I can do ANYTHING I set my mind to, I am worth something, and no one can stand in my way.

Chelsey  H.