Chief instructor Edgardo Perez brings more than 30 years of hapkido experience to his martial-arts classes at The Defense Training Institute. A veteran of the police force and a defensive-tactics trainer for community and military groups, Perez brings a wealth of real-life experience to his lessons on self-defense and weapons usage. The center also hosts youth hapkido courses, which teach kids practical strikes and joint manipulation that they can use to escape from dangerous situations.