Biography
Jessica Karas, a dedicated martial artist with a wealth of experience in the field. Jessica’s journey began in college when she took Okinawan Kempo for a PE credit and continued many years later when she joined Swanson’s Martial Arts at the age of 41. Since then, she has studied Taekwondo, Philippine Combatives, Combat Hapkido, and Women’s Self Defense at the school.
Currently, Jessica holds the rank of Third Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo. She also has a Recommended Black in Combatives and an Orange Belt in Hapkido. She began training at Swanson’s because her kids were taking classes and her instructor, Nicole, encouraged her to join in the fun.
One of the things Jessica enjoys most about teaching martial arts is the opportunity to be creative and have fun while helping her students customize their training to their unique needs. She finds great fulfillment in watching her students succeed and develop a sense of empowerment.
In her free time, Jessica enjoys traveling and has played bassoon at Carnegie Hall, been through the Panama Canal, and even knows how to read palms. One of her favorite stories about taekwondo is a testing experience where the whole school rallied around her to provide support and encouragement during a board break. Jessica attributes their support and energy to helping her past the test.