By now, you probably are hip that...

By now, you probably are hip that when your children go on about Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael and Leonardo, they are not talking about Italian Renaissance painters, but the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

You may even be a little worried that they are emulating the “heroes on a half-shell,” along with such other action movie heroes as Chuck Norris and the late Bruce Lee.

Let them, say martial artists Jeff Speakman and Steven Ho, who will be among the experts giving demonstrations at the United States Martial Arts Assn. Martial Arts Expo in Pasadena this weekend.

Sure, taking out three machine-gun-toting bad guys with bare hands is pretty ridiculous, Speakman and Ho say. But that’s the movies. Studying the martial arts, on the other hand, teaches youngsters discipline, respect and goal setting, they maintain.

“The character and the discipline are from Day One,” said Ho, who did the fight scenes and other stunts for turtle Donatello (the one with the purple bands and who carries the bo , or staff) in TMNT movies II and III, due out March 19. “It’s not just the physical aspect. It starts the kids out young on goal setting.”

“I know just as many adults who need to know the same things,” added Speakman, star of the movies “Perfect Weapon” and “Street Knight,” which is being released this weekend.

Speakman, who specializes in Kenpo Karate, will be teaching a demonstration class in a two-hour seminar from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday. Ho will talk on Dynamic Hollywood Stunt Fighting at 11

Martial arts expert Jeff Speakman in a scene from movie “Street Knight.”

a.m. Friday.

“It’s pretty much just how to do the fight scenes,” Ho said. “It’s more for the younger kids so they understand that no one gets hurt. We want to show it so they understand that it’s all choreographed, so they don’t try to replicate it at home.”

After all, it takes years of training to do those stunts.

Other events include an ongoing film festival both days, a trade show, which will be open to the public only on Saturday, and demonstration competitions.

Hours at the Pasadena Convention Center, 300 E. Green St., are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with additional events both nights from 8 to 11 p.m.

There are eight ticket packages, ranging from $10 for one day’s general admission (including film festival and demo competition, but no seminars) to $150 for admission and as many seminars as you can fit into two days. Single seminars are $25. Special events and competition finals are separate.

Tickets are available at the door, or you can call (818) 564-4206 for more information.