KEY-UP is a power cry in martial arts.

Two-time Australian Hapkido Champion Mel Thomas created a program called KYUP! (pronounced the same way) with a powerful mission: to foster resilience in the next generation and break the cycle of family and intimate partner violence at a grassroots level.

In today’s episode of the Courageous Conversations podcast, hosted by Leanne Pilkington, the two-time Australian Hapkido Champion reveals the heartbreaking real-life story that inspired the KYUP Project and how her personal challenges became a force for change.

Emphasising that the KYUP Project is about so much more than just self-defence, Mel shares why the project is also zeroing in on embedding self-worth and defence components into the educational curriculum.

She also explores the heightened challenges that today’s youth face, explaining why establishing open dialogues can strengthen family bonds and bolster society’s resilience against violence and mental health issues.

“The sooner we can teach young girls that they have the right to take up space, the sooner we’ll see a shift in gender equality.”