Description
Book SynopsisMelanie Gibson was an independent woman with a good job, multiple college degrees, and a condo in the trendy part of town. She also had a few mental illnesses, a minor substance abuse problem, and rotten relationship skills. She was a high-functioning crazy who needed a good kick in the pants, literally and metaphorically.
In early 2013, as a last desperate means to save her sanity, Melanie turned to a nearly forgotten childhood activity: the Korean martial art of taekwondo. As if the universe were listening, she discovered her West Texas childhood taekwondo instructors’ Grandmaster operated a taekwondo school a few miles from her home in Fort Worth, Texas—and she decided to start her training over as a white belt.
In taekwondo, Melanie felt like she had a fresh start in more ways than one. She found an inner peace she’d never known before, a sense of community, a newfound confidence, and a positive outlook on life. The kicking and screaming she was doing in class quieted the long-term kicking and screaming in her mind. Funny and frank,
Kicking and Screaming: A Memoir of Madness and Marital Arts is the story of Melanie’s life-changing journey from troubled, lost soul to confident taekwondo black belt.
Trade Review“Melanie’s story proves that mental illness can be overcome. That alone would be enough, but that fact that she rekindled her love of taekwondo and used it for its true purpose (inner peace) made it that much more compelling. A must-read for anyone looking to get out of a rut!”
—Grayson Berry, actor on
Cobra Kai “Gibson’s sharp-witted, tenacious personality radiates throughout this spirited book, and her determination should prove contagious, spurring readers to discover a pathway through which they can combat mental illness and discover their true selves. . . . An inspirational, sharp, and disarmingly humorous account about taekwondo and mental health.”
—
Kirkus Reviews “I am left in awe of Melanie’s courage to reveal her darkest struggles in the hope of helping others. Her fight to find the light inside herself and share it with the world is a tale of inspiration for anyone–martial artist or not. Let the breakthrough in these pages be a call to us all to transform from our own worst enemy to our own best friend.”
—Ando Mierzwa, Happy Life Martial Arts
