At 20 years old, Robin Smith has a red belt in karate, a part-time job helping to train students at Vicksburg Tang Soo Do and a trophy that reads, “Southern Martial Arts Karate Association State Champion.”

She also has Down syndrome.

“When she first started — even when she trained — she looked at the floor,” said Heidi Chausse who, along with her husband, Bill, owns and instructs class at Vicksburg Tang Soo Do. “Now she’s got good eye contact, she’s made friends. Every moment with Robin is special. Her parents decided that she wasn’t just going to be disabled; she could do more. They allowed her to be the best she can be.”

Robin smiled as student’s trickling into the 4 p.m. Thursday class greeted her by saying, ‘Hey Ms. Champion.’ At times, Robin can still be a bit shy, but the moment she takes the floor it becomes obvious she is in her element. She also enjoys the special Vicksburg school she attends, Jacob’s Ladder.

“I like working with the bow the best,” Robin said. “And I like to help with one-steps and self-defense. I really like training, but I like to help my Jacob’s Ladder friends, too.”

Robin, who is about a year and a half away from earning her black belt, the highest ranked belt available in Tang Soo Do, said she hopes to stick with it long enough to achieve that level.

“I don’t know,” said Robin. “I really want to do that, so I am going to try.”

“We hold the (Jacob’s Ladder students) to the same standards as everybody else we teach,” said Chausse. “Some have physical limitations and we work with that, but they learn the same skills as everybody else. The competition that Robin won was not a Special Olympics event — it was open to anybody who was in her skill level in Tang Soo Do.” 

Tang Soo Do is the Korean pronunciation of the Chinese characters which mean “The way of the Chinese hand.” It is a type of martial art that has roots in various styles, including those found in Korea, China and Okinawa.

Chausse, the transition coordinator for the special education department of the Vicksburg Warren School District and a volunteer with the Special Olympics, had the idea to begin training special needs kids about five years ago. She approached Sandra Brooks at Jacob’s Ladder, where Robin attends school with other special needs students, and Brooks took to it immediately.

“We’ve been in operation for about eight years, and we’ve been going to karate about five of those years,” said Brooks, who is the director and a teacher at the special education school. “All the kids go to karate on Friday — it’s part of our program. They get their own (karate) suits and they’re good. They listen and follow directions and know the Korean words for what they’re doing. It builds spirit and mind and discipline.”

Jacob’s Ladder is a school, formed in 2000, for mentally challenged adolescents who receive help in achieving independence and learning life skills. They also have jobs. The school’s eight students participate in programs that help them learn to cook, clean, wash clothes and shop for groceries, as well as build confidence. Karate is one of those programs.

“They all enjoy it, but Robin is the one who has just excelled, she is the one that took off,” said Brooks. “She was open at school, but had a hard time being herself and talking around people outside of the safe environment we create. Karate has changed all that. She just kept getting more belts and more belts and I know she’s just going to keep going.”

Robin’s mother, Nona Smith, said she too has noticed a change in her daughter.

“It’s helped her a whole lot,” said Smith. “Jacob’s Ladder has been wonderful with learning life skills but it got to where those kids were the only ones she wanted to associate with. Heidi Chausse said, ‘Give me four years, and she’ll be teaching.’ She’s learned how to communicate with other people very well and it’s helped her self-esteem. She’s gotten to where she can warm the class up by herself. I’ve seen her when I go to pick her up and she seems to help the other kids.”

In addition to helping with karate, Robin also works at Paper Plus and McAlister’s Deli a few days a week.

“Karate has done a whole lot — but so has Jacob’s Ladder,” said Smith. “They’re equal.”

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Contact Megan Holland at mholland@vicksburgpost.com.