The martial arts students line up in front of junior green belt Amy Weisenberger and begin counting off high-inside blocks, everyone yelling on the 10th count.

“It’s a breathing technique,” junior green belt Katharine Dunar said, “for a little extra power.”

Senior student instructor Jim Moriarty watches the students as they switch into a fighting stance and practice kicks.

Moriarty, a black belt for 10 months, offers advice to the students on how to improve their moves. The students listen to his advice intently, while also giving each other helpful advice when they notice one of their peers could improve something.

The martial arts club meets every Monday, Wednesday and Friday of each week. The club was started back in the 1970s, said instructor Scott Ellison, who has been involved with martial arts since he was young.

The club is open to all UW-Eau Claire students, Ellison said, and not just those who have experience with karate or other martial arts. It’s a class as well as a club, he said. Ellison has been involved in the club since 1990.

The club focuses on a style of karate, Moriarty said, “basically, it is street-style self-defense.” All belt testing is done during the usual class hours, which are 7 to 10 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, and 6 to 8 p.m. Fridays, Moriarty said.

In the past, there have been dues ranging from $10 to $30, but there probably will not be any dues this semester, he said. The dues are based on what new equipment will be needed for the next semester.

Students in the club also are able to hone their self-defense skills that they learn by practicing on each other.

“We typically spar twice a week,” Moriarty said, adding that much of the sparring is full contact to experience more realistically self-defense in a real-world situation.

Dunar has been involved with the club for three semesters, and says she is planning to try for a purple belt next semester.

Her friend and fellow green belt, Weisenberger, was the first to see a poster in Hibbard Hall and immediately took the opportunity to try the club out for herself.

“I had wanted to do it for a long time,” she said, adding that she also intends to try for a purple belt next semester.

It usually takes two semesters to advance to the belts higher than green, Weisenberger said. The first three belts — white, yellow and green — all can be attained within a semester, she said.

In addition to working with martial arts students, Moriarty and Ellison also teach self-defense workshops around the residence halls. Their next self-defense workshop will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday in Putnam Hall. They also will be teaching another self-defense workshop in Sutherland Hall.

The workshops are available to all Eau Claire students and are offered for free by the martial arts club. They will focus mostly on basic self-defense, Moriarty and Ellison said, and will be taught at a level that everyone can learn and participate in.