Melanie Gibson General Martial Arts, Mental Health, Self-Development and Leadership

Little Black Belt is TEN!

Blogging, Near Philadelphia

My blog is TEN years old! Can you believe it? I began this project as a quiet way to document the life-changing insights I was having about a year into my taekwondo journey. I didn’t tell anyone about it for a few months. Since then it has grown to be a documentation of my journey to black belt and beyond, the inspiration for my 2021 book Kicking and Screaming: a Memoir of Madness and Martial Arts, and home to many guest articles from the larger martial arts world. The blog and the book have pushed me into talking openly about mental illness in the public space, which I’ve done on podcasts, in articles, and even in my workplace.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to read my thoughts and to the other writers and martial artists who have contributed richness and diversity to the blog.

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Melanie Gibson Class Diaries, The Poomsae Series, Training Tips

Little Black Belt is FIVE!!!

five fabulous

On April 15 my blog turns FIVE years old! Since April 15 is a Monday, and many people will either be either working or madly rushing to submit their income tax filings I thought I’d treat my readers to some weekend bingeing. Happy early birthday to the blog and happy reading to you…

Wow! Five years have gone by in a flash, and so much has happened in my life both inside and outside the dojang. What an amazing five years it’s been, and I am so thankful to all of you who have read, commented, and encouraged me along the way.

Usually for my anniversary posts I’ll pick my ten favorite articles from the past year…but since 2019 is a milestone year in more ways than one, this is going to be a MEGA BEST-OF POST, YAAAYYYY!

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