About KYUP! Project

EMPOWERING THE NEXT GEN TO VALUE & CHAMPION THEIR OWN SAFETY & WELLBEING.

In 2013, with the help of a business scholarship from the Layne Beachley Aim for the Stars Foundation Mel Thomas founded the KYUP! Project. Pronounced Key-up! and named after a martial arts power shout, the KYUP! Project was in response to a wave of domestic violence reports in Australia.

Melanie Thomas is the driving force behind the KYUP! Project.

Mel Thomas is a writer, speaker, media commentator and mother of two girls with more than 15 years martial arts experience in Hapkido, the Korean art of self-defence.

Mel created KYUP! Project, a revolutionary self-worth and self-protection program to break the cycle of violence against women and children after she was awarded a grant with the Layne Beachley Aim for the Stars Foundation in 2013. Mel held the title of Australian Hapkido Woman of the Year in 2005 and is a co-founder of the WMA (Women’s Martial Arts Network Australia), promoting growth and equality for girls and women in martial arts.

More than a martial artist, Mel is a champion for change. Born into domestic violence with a front row seat to unhealthy relationships, emotional, verbal and physical violence. The cycle of violence continued into her early relationships with aggressive, controlling and abusive partners.

Mel overcame adversity with enviable street smarts, resilience and courage and is known as a passionate advocate for kids living with family violence.

Her personal account of growing up with family violence has been published in the Herald Sun and her story has made headlines with Lindy Kerrin and the ABC AM morning show, Business Chicks Latte Magazine, Mind Food Magazine, Blitz Magazine, Peninsula Living, Mamamia Network, Daily Life, Daily Telegraph, Legacy Project and more.

In 2016 Mel was a proud Commonwealth Bank Australian of the Day and an Australian of the Year Awards nominee in 2017.