Malone Karate is having its grand opening at its new location Saturday. The owners are inviting the community to stop by to get familiar with the art of Chun Kuk Do and give it a whack.

John Malone has a fourth-degree black belt with 21 years of experience and his wife Tammy has a second-degree black belt with four and a half years of experience. Together they have opened Malone Karate, which will open at its new location at 209 Pike St., in Coal Grove.

On Saturday, they are offering free introductory classes so people can try it and find out if it’s something they are interested in.

There will be a class for ages 4 through 7 that begins at 3:30 p.m. and a class for ages 8 through adults that begins at 4:30 p.m. The classes will last around 30 minutes each. No registration is needed, and Malone said there will be no pressure to sign up.

Malone said there is a variety of reasons why people become interested in taking the class.

“I have a lot of people who have seen “The Karate Kid” movies and want to try it,” Malone said. He said parents often put children in the classes to help give them discipline.

He said it is also a benefit to children with Attention Deficit Disorder to assist with focus, and the social aspect can help people with autistic tendencies. He added that women have taken it for self-defense and people will also take it for fitness.

John France has been a student of Malones for the past three years when Malone Karate was based out of Malone’s home. He said he is interested in the fitness aspect, but another as well.

“I’m more into the tradition of it, all styles really,” France said. “I like pushing yourself. When you first start out you learn the basic stuff, and the further you go, the more advanced you get.”

France is a fourth-degree brown belt and has always had an interest in martial arts.

“I had taken a different style a few years before, and it just really wasn’t what I wanted,” France said. He said he met Malone through his wife, whom Malone worked with.

France said he recommends the classes, no matter what your age is.

Malone said he teaches classes for all levels of Chun Kuk Do, which was originally founded by Chuck Norris.

“Everybody starts out as a white belt as they begin,” Malone said. “They can earn up to a first-degree black belt, and then with more training they can advance to different degrees of black belts.”

Malone said people can start out at anytime during the year, and will have two introductory courses before moving into the group lesson. The cost for the classes is $30 a month for ages 4 through 7, and $45 a month for all other classes. He said the cost for the uniform varies, but is around $30.

For more information on signing up for classes or about the free introductory class this Saturday, Malone can be reached by phone at (740) 646-1166 or by e-mail at malonekarate@zoominternet.net.