Author, Melanie Gibson, explains how she found a way to renew herself and cope with her mental illness through her Taekwondo practice. She recently published her memoir, Kicking and Screaming, a memoir of madness and martial arts, in which she shares a brutally honest, yet inspirational and witty account of her intimate struggles with multiple mental illnesses, substance abuse, and poor relationship skills. We talk about her return to Taekwondo after her initial practice when she was ten years old and how it allows her to cope with her mental illnesses in a way she had never experienced before. This story is real, inspirational, and another testimony to the power of martial arts.

Melanie was raised in Snyder, Texas. She has a bachelor's degree in English from Texas Woman's University, a master's in library science from the University of North Texas, and an MBA from the University of Texas at Arlington. Melanie has worked in the healthcare industry since 2004, with roles as a hospital librarian, corporate trainer, and learning designer.

She continues to pursue advanced taekwondo black belt degrees and writes about martial arts and life in general on her blog Little Black
Belt (http://littleblackbelt.com). She lives in Fort Worth, Texas.

Melanie's Links & Info:

Complete bio: https://prbythebook.com/experts/melanie-gibson/

Melanie's Social Media links: https://linktr.ee/melaniegibsonauthor

Melanie's book locations:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kicking-Screaming-Memoir-Madness-Martial/dp/1647420288/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1605974976&sr=8-1
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kicking-and-screaming-melanie-d-gibson/1137387452
Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/books/kicking-and-screaming-a-memoir-of-madness-and-martial-arts/9781647420284

Andrea's Links & Info:

My new book, How to Start Your Own Martial Art Program, is now available! https://www.amazon.com/dp/1511795263?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860

The Martial Arts Woman book: https://www.amazon.com/Martial-Arts-Woman…/dp/1544916213 Martial Art Inspirations for Everyone book: https://www.amazon.com/Martial-Inspirations…/dp/150297830X

Tag Team Interview with Restita DeJesus and Kathy Long

The Martial Arts Woman Podcast By Andrea Harkins Jun 18, 2020