SANTA ANA (KABC) — Learning self-defense is crucial for people with disabilities, but finding the right places to do it can be hard. One Santa Ana man is creating a welcoming, inclusive environment where anyone can learn martial arts.
Kenneth Kellogg, 73, works primarily as a real estate broker, but he's also nearing his eighth-degree black belt in American Kenpo Karate and has been inducted into the martial arts hall of fame. He runs a martial arts school where students pay what they can, even if they're not paid.
“It's really hard to make a profit in a karate studio unless you get people to sign contracts and stuff like that, and we don't do that,” Kellogg said.
At Kellogg American Kenpo Karate, we welcome all students, including those with disabilities.
“I was blessed to have a student in a wheelchair who taught me a lot about teaching,” Kellogg said. “Other schools don't have the luxury of giving me that individual time, so they send their students to me.”
In fact, one of his lead instructors is legally blind.
“I'm blind in one eye and partially blind in the other, but I'm still able to pursue my passion for martial arts,” Brian Baker said.
Baker, a teacher for 17 years, says that works to his advantage: “When you have a deficiency in one area, your other senses become heightened, so you can sense things before they even get to you.”
Students and their parents appreciate the self-defense skills they have learned and they also appreciate how Coach Kellogg gives back to the community.
“To give your time to help people when you're not getting paid like a regular job, that's true giving back,” Jamal Sampson said.
Coach Kellogg says none of the instructors get paid or make a profit, but being able to give back is what makes it all worth it.
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