Laurel Jacobson of Scotts Valley wears her tae kwon do second-degree black belt cinched around her waist with gusto: She can spar, break through boards and pose in the art’s many forms with ease.
A mother of three grown children, Jacobson has trained in the Korean martial art for nine years.
“I never imagined I would be doing this, especially later in life,” said Jackson, who is in training to test for third-level black belt rank.
Jacobson, who has dark hair and bright eyes, said that testing for the different degrees of black belt brings about a focus that is very intense, yet calming. Despite the fact that she could probably beat up most people if she cared to, she exudes a Zen-like calm.
“You walk differently, feel differently,” Jacobson said. “It’s amazing, because you can really feel the full-throated power of yourself.”
At a recent meeting of Scotts Valley Tae Kwon Do academy’s all-female class, the empowerment Jacobson gets from the martial art was obvious. The women moved together in a fluid-like dance, flowing through poses and forms at the instruction of owner Matt Salisbury.
“There has been a huge boom of females at the academy,” Salisbury said. “Now there’s actually more women than men. Our all-female class can accommodate a variety of levels and is great for new beginners.”
Salisbury also owns Valley Tae Kwon Do in Ben Lomond and has taught the martial art since 1996.
Jacobson admitted that she initially trained in the sport because of her daughter Alexis, who started classes at the academy in 1999.
“She’s a second-degree black belt also and started training a year before me,” Jacobson said with evident pride.
Both mother and daughter will test for their third-degree belts in December.
A picture on the academy’s wall shows both of Jacobson’s daughters donning white sparring outfits in a full-color spread in a newspaper article written a few years ago.
Salisbury married Alexis, 26, two years ago after training the mother-daughter combo for years.
Laurel Jacobson touts the camaraderie between the women in the academy’s tae kwon do classes as a favorite.
“It’s also great for the body,” she said. “It gives a feeling of being-ness that’s very calming and empowering.”
