I met Kru Jose' back home in Maryland. I had always been interested in becoming a professional fighter but never knew the proper way to get started. When I met Kru Jose' he was training my sister Bebe and I was a bit skeptical at first but after seeing the results he got for my sister taking her from being a good fighter I knew I had to train with him. She won the WKA's and months later won WKA Worlds she still has an undefeated amatuer record. Once I started training with him I saw results instantly. I'm a more powerful striker and I have seen some improvement in my speed. I know that one day with his training I will become a great champion just like my sister.
- Ricky Lawrence, student at Norfolk State University
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"I have been training Muay Thai with Kru Jose since January of 2009. While I had some experience in team sports from my high school days, my background in martial arts was virtually non-existent. Under his instruction, I have improved significantly in both my technique and my conditioning in a very short time. Kru Jose breaks all aspects of the game down to the fine details; he doesn’t just demonstrate a certain technique or combination, but he explains every little thing you need to know about it and that really helps you absorb it and drill it properly. He is an expert at what he does and you get that right away, it feels like taking a college level class.What makes training with him even more special is that he is very professional but at the same time a polite, fun to work with and considerate instructor who shows patience and excitement with all the students regardless of their level. This hard-working yet pleasant environment has really motivated me to get better every time I go to the gym and makes the forty mile drive all worth it. I’d highly recommend this academy not only to professional athletes but to people like me who just want to learn about the sport and get a good workout in a fun and friendly atmosphere."
- Kostas, U of Maryland Ph.D. student
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-Jacob
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"I have always been interested in Martial Arts as a child all the way until I was an adult but I never actually jumped on the opportunity. I saw the Martial Arts movies and was like wow, I want to do that. Then later on, I watched my first Mike Tyson fight and I became so intrigued by the sport of Boxing, that it became what I wanted to do as well but again I never followed through. I took a couple classes here and there, tried Kickboxing, did my Tae Bo, Billy Blanks videos but it didn't fulfill that need I had. I wanted more and I wanted to actually become one of those fighters. It wasn't until I saw the show "Fight Girls" which was the female version of TUF (The Ultimate Fighter) but they studied Muay Thai and fought each other for the opportunity to fight in Thailand. Just to see powerful women that liked high heels and wearing pink just as much as I did, I knew I had to go for it. I have also been in the U.S. Air Force for 7 years and when I left boot camp, I was 170 lbs. I didn't take care of myself when I left and fitness is essential in the Armed Forces. I had found myself weighing 216 lbs and failing my fitness tests. I had to get it together for my health as well as my career. So, I did my research and chose to train at LIMMA (Lloyd Irvin Mixed Martial Arts Academy. I walked in filled out my paperwork and literally put on there that my goal was to become a fighter. I did my first day consultation where you are taught the basics and jumped right into my first Muay Thai class that same day. I didn't even need to do the 30 days free program to know I was hooked. Kru Jose was my first teacher and who ever knew almost 4 years later, he would be one of the coaches that made a great impact in my life.
I think there is a big difference between being a teacher and being a coach. The dictionary defines a teacher as: a person whose occupation is teaching; one that teaches; especially : one
whose occupation is to instruct
A coach is defined as: someone in charge of training an athlete or a team, a person who gives private instruction; a private tutor b : one who instructs or trains <an acting coach>; especially : one who instructs players in the fundamentals of a competitive sport and directs team strategy
A coach is so much more! They not only teach the team but they must motivate and drive their team. They must give them knowledge and teach them lessons about positivity and to never give up. Kru Jose played a major part in making me become that Muay Thai fighter that I said I wanted to be. It's not a lot of women that do this sport and its super tough but he had faith in me. The summer of 2009 came and here was my opportunity to go out and see if all the hard work had paid off. Well it did and I became a Muay Thai National Champion, defeating 2 women in one day. I then went on to do Muay Thai Worlds and became a Muay Thai World Champion, defeating 2 other women. Within a couple months I had a 4-0 record and had fought women that had more experience and fights than I had. It got even better because I was able to pass my Military fitness test with flying colors and got back down to my boot camp weight.
I want to leave a last note for all the women. I didn't grow up an athlete.
I didn't do any sports in school or outside of school. I was a little "chubby"
girl that lived a normal life. Any girl, any woman, mother, sister, aunt, and even grandmother can do this! You don't have to become a fighter but you do need to be healthy. You don't have to be an athlete but you should know how to defend yourself. You don't have to be a certain weight but you should know that training under Kru Jose is definitely worth it. He will help you get to where you need to be.
This has been a dream come true and I want to thank my wonderful coach for his outstanding training and guidance."
-Rufus E. Gillette
Department of Interior N.P.S
Special Weapons and Tactics
"Before I began training with Kru Jose, I worked out steadily in the gym. I've been hitting the gym pretty hard for the last year and was able to see definite results but wasn't getting to the point I wanted to be at. I had plateaued and was unable to progress physically around the time I found out about Outfox MMA. When Kru started Outfox I began attending classes out of a general interest in Muay Thai. In the couple months that I've been going to class I have noticed that I have noticeably started shedding the fat that I was unable to just lifting weights and running. It was an unexpected bonus. I have also learned self defense and have gained more self-confidence than I've ever had in my life. The Classes offered at OutFox are not only tough and rigorous, but they are fun and easy going. I had no experience in martial arts previously and was afraid of looking the part when I began training, however, I did not feel out of place at all and Kru and the rest of the staff and students have welcomed me in a way I wasn't expecting. I'd like to thank Kru Jose and the rest of the Outfox team for providing me with an easy going but challenging workout that I would have not gotten any other way."
-Chris Carter 27, Steel Worker at Norfolk Southern Railroad
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"I had the privilege of training with Kru Jose for over two years. In that time he managed to improve my skill and understanding exponentially. He guided me to levels of training that I had never before thought that I would reach. His insight paired with his straight foreword approach to explaining techniques, tactics and strategy make him a brilliant instructor and guide to anyone coming into the combat sports world. I would recommend that anyone looking to get into combat sports train with Kru Jose. You will not be disappointed."
-Chris Torres, Krav Maga Instructor, WKA National MMA Silver Medalist Champion
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