Ken Corona, a martial-arts teacher for four decades, says self-defense lessons are not all about learning to fight.

The owner of Corona’s Martial Arts Academy, near 35th Avenue and Bell Road, has taught self defense to Valley adults, children and police officers. Corona’s business specializes in Pung Wol Kwan, a martial art originating in Korea that builds a foundation for students.

About a dozen youths were at the academy last week in the Lil Ninja class. They chanted, “Front kick! Round kick! Top kick! Round kick! Knee! Knee! Palm strike!”

Corona said his business teaches discipline to children. After all, martial art requires focus, which allows for lessons about respect.

“I teach them about the word, ‘care,’ ” Corona said. “If you care about a pet dog or mother and father, you offer care, and then you need to show respect. In a small way, I am helping the community and teaching them martial arts, but I’m also teaching confidence and self-esteem.”

Customers

Corona’s customers range in age from 3 to 70.

The elderly clients use his business to improve their health and for the self-defense classes. The stretching they do helps with the circulation of blood and boosts energy, Corona said.

“About 90 percent of elders have had some experience in the martial arts,” Corona said. “I modify the lessons for them. For example, if somebody has knee issues, instead of throwing a kick out, I have them lift up their knees. I’d say it takes three months to get them more relaxed and . . . they will notice an increase in flexibility.”

With the school year starting, Corona said he expects parents to enroll kids in his after-school programs.

“I believe America has lost its manners,” Corona said. “Martial arts are one thing that helps in that area. Things that our parents and grandparents taught us -such as respect for others and courtesy, those things don’t seem to be practiced as much.”

Young clients come to the academy to learn self defense. By the time they earn several levels of belts, their parents notice a change in behavior.

Corona said he hears from parents about how a child cleaned his or her room for the first time or how their child’s grades improved. Tarin McGuirk, 28, is a mother who struggled to have her 5-year-old son help with dinner.

Her son, Landon, would declare, “I’m not going to clean up my mess.”‘

She enrolled her son at the academy in April and started to see a more helpful Landon by July.

“I say, ‘Hey, karate champions’ help clean up,” McGuirk said. “He now helps clean.”

History

When Corona started teaching children how to defend themselves through judo in 1971, martial arts had not gained a strong following. After graduating from Greenway High School, he moved to Los Angeles.

He returned to Phoenix and opened a business at 51st Avenue and Northern Avenue in 1982. Corona moved the business to Tempe in 1985 and later added a children’s curriculum.

Hollywood celebrities such as the late Bruce Lee and movies such as “The Karate Kid” boosted interest in martial arts. People became interested in learning about self defense.

Corona was selected by Valley law enforcement as a trainer for police defensive tactics in the 1990s. Clients included police officers from Phoenix, Glendale, Tolleson, Buckeye and Tempe, according to a news release.

“With police, the biggest problem is civil liability,” he said. “Officers like martial arts because it teaches them how to control an individual without hurting them.”

For example, Corona taught officers how to weaken joints of suspects when they are arrested.

Corona’s Martial Arts Academy, would like to expand.

The business has been in existence since 1997 under the same name, Corona said.