"Both my sisters, my dad, my son, my husband, my father-in-law, it's pretty emotional," Amanda Martinez explains.
Martinez cannot help but to get a little teary-eyed when thinking about how much her life has changed since starting martial arts.
"Without it, I don't know, we wouldn't be as close as we are now probably," Martinez says.
When this family started Tae Kwon Do 12 years ago, they had no idea it would have such an impact on their life.
"Brought us together, we're not just blood family, but now we have this extended Team Chip family," says Martinez.
Lonnie Mendez says he originally wanted his daughters to learn martial arts for protection as they went off to college.
"Just to kind of have the comfort of mind, as a dad, that my daughters would be okay," says Mendez.
Now that Martinez is a parent, she has a greater appreciation for what her father did for her and her siblings.
"Having daughters, I now understand more of my dad's side, how self defense is so important and knowing that we're instilling these principles in them from the get go, it's amazing," Martinez explains.
Despite trying to participate in other activities, the family is now centered around martial arts and they would not have it any other way.
"We literally breath, live, sleep Tae Kwon Do. It's become part of our life and like we say, it's a Team Chip life, life of a black belt," says Mendez.
Martinez cannot help but to get a little teary-eyed when thinking about how much her life has changed since starting martial arts.
"Without it, I don't know, we wouldn't be as close as we are now probably," Martinez says.
When this family started Tae Kwon Do 12 years ago, they had no idea it would have such an impact on their life.
"Brought us together, we're not just blood family, but now we have this extended Team Chip family," says Martinez.
Lonnie Mendez says he originally wanted his daughters to learn martial arts for protection as they went off to college.
"Just to kind of have the comfort of mind, as a dad, that my daughters would be okay," says Mendez.
Now that Martinez is a parent, she has a greater appreciation for what her father did for her and her siblings.
"Having daughters, I now understand more of my dad's side, how self defense is so important and knowing that we're instilling these principles in them from the get go, it's amazing," Martinez explains.
Despite trying to participate in other activities, the family is now centered around martial arts and they would not have it any other way.
"We literally breath, live, sleep Tae Kwon Do. It's become part of our life and like we say, it's a Team Chip life, life of a black belt," says Mendez.
