08/04/2026
My name is Israel Gomes, and I was born and raised in southern Brazil. I first came to the United States in 2002, already a black belt, and in 2006, I made the decision to move here permanently with one dream: to build my own gym and create something meaningful through martial arts.
The journey was never easy. I arrived without speaking English, and starting a new life in a different country came with many challenges. Over the years, I worked in several states, including New York, California, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Georgia. Every place I lived and every job I worked taught me valuable lessons and helped shape the person I am today.
It was in Atlanta, Georgia, that I met the most important person in my life, my wife. She believed in me when I struggled to believe in myself. During the moments when I wanted to give up, she encouraged me to keep moving forward. Before I met her, I was alone, waiting for the rare phone calls from my family in Brazil. Today, my family is my wife and kids. My wife has been my greatest supporter, my partner, and the person who has stood beside me through every challenge.
In 2016, we received the greatest blessing of our lives when our daughter, Valentina, better known as Kuka, was born. Around that same time, while my wife was seven months pregnant, I lost my job. It was one of the most difficult moments our family had ever faced. Instead of giving up, we made one of the biggest decisions of our lives. We opened our own gym.
Looking back, losing that job became one of the greatest blessings we ever received. It forced us to stop building someone else’s dream and start building our own.
Moving from Georgia to Florida and continuing to grow our association was not easy, but we were never alone. We were blessed with incredible students, loyal friends, and people who believed in our vision. My best friend, Rumi, has stood beside me through both the victories and the hardships, and I will always be grateful for his friendship.
I am deeply thankful to everyone who supported us throughout this journey, including Luis Martinez, Joel Garcia, Jarret, Eric Graham, Matty, Shane Mills, Class Grappler David Robbins, George Bell, Cade, Joel ,Guy Warnow, Mike Girox, Mauricio Alonso, and Bryant Pangelinan. When I lost my job, Mauricio and Bryant opened their academies and invited me to teach seminars, helping my family during one of the hardest times of our lives. I will never forget their kindness and generosity.
I also remember those who closed their doors when I needed help the most. I do not carry resentment toward them. Instead, they taught me one of life’s greatest lessons: not every obstacle is meant to stop you. Sometimes, it is there to make you stronger, wiser, and more determined to succeed.
Over the years, I have learned that not everyone will stay on the same path. Some people choose different directions, and sometimes people will speak about you behind your back. I choose not to focus on those things. Instead, I remain grateful for every challenge because each one has made us stronger, pushed us to work harder, and inspired us to become better for the students and families who continue to believe in us.
For more than 40 years, I have dedicated my life to martial arts. One of my greatest accomplishments is seeing students grow from complete beginners into instructors, leaders, and black belts. Every instructor who has represented our team was developed through our own system, and watching them succeed has been one of the greatest rewards of my career.
As we got to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the AKB brand and 10 years of AKB HQ, I had the honor of promoting six new black belts, students who had been with us since the early days of our academy. Watching them grow from white belts into black belts filled me with pride and reminded me why I chose this path so many years ago.
Today, Florida is our home. My wife and I are raising our children, Valentina and Banyan, here while continuing to grow our association and provide the highest level of martial arts instruction to our students at AKB HQ. The dream that brought me to America more than two decades ago is still alive.
In fact, it has become even bigger than I ever imagined.
To everyone who has believed in us, trained with us, supported us, and stood beside us through every challenge, thank you. You are part of our story, and we are forever grateful.
This journey has never been about one person. It has always been about family, loyalty, perseverance, and leaving a legacy that will continue for generations.
And our story is only just beginning.
One Team. One Dream. One Family.
AKB, the gym where you belong🐝🙏
