EVANSDALE - Lots of kickin' going on here.

That is, ever since Medina's Martial Arts came to town earlier this month.

The newly opened Tae Kwon Do academy at 133 Brown St. is quiet by day and becomes a serious training ground by night. But behind the kicks, chops and body thrusts is a sense of self-discipline and respect for others that owners Shelby and Marco Medina feel makes learning martial arts valuable.

"You can see it in our students already," Shelby Medina says. "I'm a firm believer in martial arts."

The school generally accepts students of all ages. Classes generally aren't divided by age group. About 10 students have signed on since the school opened Aug. 2.

Classes are offered Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The school offers two free trial lessons.

After more than a dozen years teaching Tae Kwon Do for other schools, the Medinas opened a school of their own. Both have studied Tae Kwon Do for more than 20 years.

The couple has instructed the martial art at the Waterloo YWCA for three and a half years. The Medinas will continue that, but their focus is on the Evansdale school.

The academy is building a team to compete in national competitions. In the past, the Medinas' students have competed in the Iowa Games and the Junior Olympics. Students who join the team must participate in special training sessions as well as the regular lessons.

"We don't want our students to get the impression that it's only fighting," she said. "We stress technique, which you need to go to the classes to learn."

The Medinas may offer a martial arts aerobics class this fall. The workout would be similar to the popular Tae Bo and kick boxing aerobics, she said.

Business so far has been steady, and the Medinas expect more students to sign up as their name gets out. The couple is mostly relying on word of mouth advertising from people like Jodi Dinsdale of Evansdale.

Dinsdale's son, Noah, 7, began taking lessons from the Medinas at the YWCA two years ago. He followed them to the new school. Dinsdale, a home day care provider, isn't shy about spreading word of the Medinas and their academy to her clients.

"My son was so bashful when he started, now he's the opposite," Dinsdale said. "He's self-confident."

Adam Morris can be contacted at (319) 291-1461 or adam.morris@wcfcourier.com.