A Partnership Born to Instill Balance in Others
By Jennifer Erickson
A year ago, when friends Dana Sara and Jacob Cho began pursuing their dream of opening a Laguna Beach studio that combined their respective arts in yoga and tae kwon do, realtors and others advised them of the obstacles to opening a business here. They ignored the advice, and last week Cho’s Academy opened its doors, filling one of many empty storefronts in the 1900 block of S. Coast Highway.
Combining the two arts was Sara’s vision, though it took years and several serendipitous turns for the partnership to come to fruition. Experts in their respective fields, both partners share a vision of teaching and practicing a happy, healthy and balanced lifestyle with the benefit of self-defense skills.
Sara began practicing yoga with her mother as a small child, and has now been teaching for 27 years. Cho, whose father is Grandmaster Hee Il Cho, a living marital arts legend, has lived and breathed tae kwon do his whole life.
The partnership began by coincidence. Sara met Cho in Los Angeles a decade ago because Cho’s Tae Kwon Do abutted her dance studio. She trained there with Cho and his father. The friendship blossomed almost instantly.
Cho remained in Los Angeles, studying, competing, teaching and managing, while Sara, a sponsored snowboarder, made her way to Jackson Hole, Wyo., where she taught yoga and dance, in addition to hitting the slopes.
When Cho came to Laguna Beach three years ago, the seed for the business alliance took root. He grew to love Laguna for its small town feel, for its beaches and canyons, and especially for its residents’ sense of community, appreciation for the arts, and respect for healthy lifestyles. Here, Cho felt he could put down roots and open an academy.
Cho contacted Sara in Wyoming and encouraged her to relocate. “You’re going to love it here, and we’re going to open a school here. It’s going to be great!” Sara recalls Cho telling her.
Sara says Cho’s call came at a time when she felt ready to “warm up” and get back to the beach. She agreed with Cho’s assessment of Laguna. “It seems to be a vortex for creative people and passionate people,” said Sara, who relocated a year ago.
Everything fell into place. When she enrolled her daughter in Anneliese’s, even that was a perfect fit. There was one space left in the third grade, and she got it, along with a scholarship.
While Sara and Cho worked on plans for the academy, Sara organized a drama club for the Anneliese’s school and started teaching yoga there while Cho also taught students’ tae kwon do, inadvertently building a client base.
Cindy Pratt’s daughters Maya and Zoe are among the academy’s first students, having first taken tae kwon do from Cho at Anneliese’s School. Pratt, who lives in Mission Viejo, says she trusts Cho, who made learning self-defense skills fun for her daughters, while instilling a sense of respect for others. She appreciates Cho’s dexterity at building confidence in Zoe, 12, who has problems with motor skills.
Despite the poor economy and competition from local outposts of national franchises, Sara and Cho also exude confidence over the potential of their academy. Their confidence stems from lifetime experience as practitioners of their respective arts, Cho’s family legacy, and their family-oriented approach.
“I teach traditional tae kwon do as was taught to my father by his masters in Korea, including the traditional techniques and traditional school setting of discipline and respect,” said Cho. “These days, this is extremely rare.”
The two principals offer a depth of teaching experience and a sense of belonging unavailable elsewhere, Sara believes. “For us, everyone who walks in our door is family, and we get to know them personally,”
she said.
Valerie Ahmed got to know Sara when her daughter took yoga at Anneliese’s School. “I’m comfortable leaving my child with her, and I’m not comfortable leaving my child with anybody,” Ahmed said.
Liesa Schimmepfennig, who works at Anneliese Schools in program development, took a holistic yoga class that Sara taught for school staff. She was impressed with Sara’s understanding of technique and “loving but firm” teaching style. She believes the academy “will bring depth, excellence and passion to our citizens, young and old.”
Seven people attended the first yoga class last Saturday. The partners say the academy has received an outpouring of community support, which is why they want to give back with this weekend’s special opening celebration from 2:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the studio at 1966 S. Coast Highway. There will be Korean BBQ and other treats, a bounce house for kids, a raffle and silent auction, and live music by local musicians. The proceeds from the silent auction will be split between SchoolPower and Seeds Arts and Education.
Cho’s goal is not to woo students from rival studios, but to add to the local martial arts and yoga communities. “There is no amount of money that can buy good health, happiness, strength of character and longevity,” he said. “Learning the two arts we teach offers it all.”
Cho's Academy ~ Tae Kwon Do & Yoga 