🌟 From Challenge to Triumph: Our Journey Back to Martial Arts 🌟
Once upon a time, we proudly operated one of the largest Martial Arts Schools in the Baton Rouge area, right here in Central. With over 200 students, nightly Tang Soo Do classes, a bustling full-time After School Program, and an exciting 9-week Summer Camp, we were thriving. 💪🥋
Then came the 2016 flood, testing our resilience. We rebuilt and pushed forward, but just as things were looking up, COVID hit. The pandemic didn’t just take away our After School Program and Summer Camp—it nearly took our entire business. Coupled with serious health challenges, we made the heart-wrenching decision to step back from teaching.
Fast forward to 2024, and we’re thrilled to say we’re back—stronger and more determined than ever! 🙌 We’ve been blessed with a new chapter at Jackson Park, where we can offer the same high-quality Tang Soo Do classes that once cost over $100 per month for just $35 per month.
Partnering with BREC has allowed us to make martial arts affordable and accessible for everyone. 🥋 We understand the challenges of today’s economy, and we’re proud to provide something the whole family can enjoy without breaking the bank.
Our first class on 11/4/24 was nothing short of amazing—it exceeded all our expectations! 🎉 Seeing new students step onto the mat, eager to learn, filled us with hope and excitement for what’s to come.
This is just the beginning, and we can’t wait to grow with our new school, our incredible students, and the supportive community around us. Saying we’re excited is an understatement! Let’s write this next chapter together. 💫
New Beginnings & New Friends
October 2024: Did you know that Independence Park also offers Tang Soo Do classes? In late October 2024, just before our grand opening, Sa Bom Nim Jones extended a warm invitation to our Intermediate and Advanced students to join their class at Independence Park. We had an incredible time training together, making new friends, and sharing our passion for Tang Soo Do. The energy was infectious, and the experience was truly memorable!
We’re excited about the many future training sessions and the opportunity to build lasting connections with our new Tang Soo Do family at Independence Park. It’s moments like these that remind us of the power of community in martial arts.
Have you ever considered inviting your friends to join you in class? Training with friends adds an extra layer of fun and motivation, making each session more enjoyable. Karate is always more rewarding when you’re growing and learning alongside others!
Improvement
December 19, 2024: We’re seeing improvement! I won’t lie—it’s been a new challenge, managing a whole class of beginners. 🥵 They’re constantly glancing around, seeking guidance from one another, only to realize that everyone else is in the same boat. 🚤 We are so thankful for the nights when our junior instructors can be there to demonstrate. Right now, we don’t yet have Orange and Purple Belt students in the front rows for beginners to watch and mimic—but don’t worry, we’ll get there. 💪
Adapting our teaching style has been necessary, and this week (12/16 & 12/18) we witnessed huge improvements! 🙌 The progress toward solid stances 🧍♂️ and the early stages of proper chambers for blocks ✋ is clear. Things are starting to “click” for several students, and they’re looking great! 🎉
Another exciting development this week is the addition of Practice Videos to our website. 🎥 Whether the students have noticed or not, we can already tell who’s putting in the work at home 🏠 and who isn’t. Remember, Santa’s not the only one watching and our first testing is just around the corner! 🎅😉
Keep up the good work, and let’s continue building on this momentum! 🚀
Our FIRST Testing
January 2025
Congratulations Black Belts
Mr. Ryan – Sam Dan
Mr. Liam – Sam Dan
Miss Addy – E Dan
Mr. Trey – Cho Dan
February 2025 Testing
Congratulations everyone!
March 2025 Testing
Our first YELLOW BELTS!
May 2025 Testing
Our first ORANGE BELTS!
Train With Me Night
Summer 2025: Train With Me Night was a blast! Our youth students brought an adult with them to join in on the fun and experience class together. Everyone had a great time learning side-by-side, sharing laughs, and making memories. We wrapped up the night with a high-energy game of youth vs. adult dodgeball—and let’s just say, the adults definitely dominated! 💥🥋
Did Someone Say Weapons?!?
Our Yellow and Orange Belts have officially begun learning Kama, and they’re rising to the challenge with enthusiasm and focus! It’s been exciting to watch them take on this new weapon with such determination, and they’re already showing great progress. 🥷✨
Our Black Belt students are loving the opportunity to teach and mentor, sharing their skills and helping the next generation grow. These students will be using this Kama form to compete in upcoming tournaments—and we can’t wait to see them shine and bring home some trophies and medals! 🏆🥋
BIG WINS for our Tournament Team
Over the past few months, our Jackson Park Tang Soo Do tournament team has been busy—and we couldn’t be more proud of the effort, discipline, and heart our students have shown on and off the mat.
From early morning travel to long days of competition, our tournament team has continued to show up ready to work. Each event has brought visible improvement: stronger basics, sharper forms, more confident sparring, and—most importantly—growth in sportsmanship and mental toughness.
Whether students were competing for the first time or returning with more experience, they represented our school with respect, focus, and perseverance. Wins are exciting, but the steady improvement we’ve seen across the board has been just as rewarding.
One of the highlights of this season came at our most recent tournament, where Miss Addy won Grand Champion in U18 Advanced Forms. That win reflected months of dedication and hard work. Her performance was confident, controlled, and focused—exactly what we strive to develop in our competitors.
Miss Addy’s success is a powerful example for our entire program: consistent training, attention to detail, and a positive mindset truly pay off. We are incredibly proud of her accomplishment and the way she carried herself throughout the event.
While medals and trophies are exciting, our true goal is developing well-rounded martial artists. Tournament competition teaches valuable life skills—handling pressure, learning from setbacks, and supporting teammates—that extend far beyond the mat. We can’t wait to see what the next few months bring—this team is just getting started.
Happy 1 Year Anniversary JPTSD
One year ago, we set out to build something special — a place where everyone could train, grow in confidence, and be part of a true Tang Soo Do family… without breaking the bank. 
Our goal was simple: keep training affordable for everyone and create a space filled with respect, encouragement, and community.
Looking back at how far we’ve come — the friendships, the progress, and the spirit in every class — we couldn’t be more proud.
Thank you to everyone who’s been part of this journey. Here’s to our first amazing year… and many more to come! 
Multi-Award Winning Program
We are incredibly honored to share that Jackson Park Tang Soo Do was recognized with two community-voted awards in 2025:
- Baton Rouge Parent’s Magazine – Best Martial Arts Program
- Community Votes Baton Rouge – Best Martial Arts School
What makes these awards so meaningful is that they were voted on by the community—the families, students, and supporters who believe in our program.
Even more humbling, we received both awards before celebrating our 1st anniversary. In less than a year, our program has grown into a strong martial arts family built on discipline, respect, confidence, and community.
To everyone who voted, trained with us, supported us, and believed in our vision—thank you. These honors belong to you as much as they belong to us.
We are proud, grateful, and excited for what the future holds. 🥋🏆
Jackson Park Tang Soo Do 