These coaches teach at top ranked spots and have great lesson fulfillment & student reviews.


Hi my name is Horacio Hernandez! I’m a guitarist and educator with a bachelor’s degree in Guitar Performance and Music Education from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. This educational background has not only provided me with formal teaching qualifications but also a deep appreciation for the transformative power of music in education. My training spans classical, jazz, rock, and more. I’ve worked with students of all levels—from complete beginners to advanced players preparing for auditions or performances. Whether you’re learning your first chords, exploring improvisation, or diving into theory and composition, I’ll create a custom lesson plan that keeps you inspired, challenged, and making real progress. My approach is tailored to each student’s goals, whether you’re a complete beginner, an aspiring songwriter, or preparing for a performance or audition. As a teacher, I focus on building strong technique, ear training, and musicality, while always connecting lessons to the student’s personal goals and interests. I aim to make every session clear, engaging, and motivating, with custom lesson plans that help you build skills step by step. I’m here to support you through your musical journey and make sure you enjoy the process along the way.



With 22 years in combat sports and athlete development, I bring the kind of experience you can't teach—you earn it. I competed exclusively in the super heavyweight division, finishing my amateur kickboxing career at 12-0 before turning professional, where I went 3-0 in kickboxing and 1-0 in professional boxing. Along the way, I earned three championship titles: TCB Illinois State Amateur Champion (1997), TBC Windy City Champion (1998), and TCB Midwest Champion (1999). Beyond my own competition history, coaching is where I’ve built my legacy. I’ve trained and cornered dozens of male and female athletes across boxing, kickboxing, and MMA, helping them build confidence, sharpen technique, and step into the ring prepared to win. My approach is equal parts technical detail, discipline, and mindset development—because a fighter’s body follows where their belief leads. I’m not here just to teach punches and kicks. I’m here to develop competitors, leaders, and resilient athletes who know how to push through, get better, and show up like champions.
"I hesitate to give constructive critique via message. As we know, words are not always interpreted as intended. That being said, here we go: I have worked with 4 personal trainers over the years. IMO you are the best. You know how the body works, what we should be feeing and where we should feel it. You have shown me that the smallest tweak can make the biggest difference. You’ve been through some things and you also know how the body doesn’t work (injuries) and you are careful about that. I like your training style and if I am not being challenged, neither of us is doing our best. Thank you for not swearing during our sessions. Please don’t tell me I’ve done something well, when I can feel I haven’t. False “kudos” are not appreciated. I understand we live in a time where everyone expects “good job” just for breathing, but when a person who is critical tells me my form/technique was good, I can believe them. Thank you for reminding me to “get out of my head”, but sometimes I need to step back for a minute; take a pause to reset. We’ve had some heated discussions and I’m fine with that as long as we come to an understanding by the end of the session. We play hard and a few clashes are to be expected as long as we have respect. I hope to meet the corporate people next time they come in. I will tell them how I appreciate your knowledge and workout advice. Sorry. Not so short.