NOT-ME! has fulfilled requests for thousands of the 5D's of Self-Defense bookmarks from police officers, campus security, and self-defense instructors across the country.
The bookmarks are used in conjunction with their self-defense classes to help the students make sense of self-defense.
NOT-ME! has provided an emergency grant of $1,800 to help a survivor of domestic abuse. Ms. B, a single mother of three young children who has a disability received the grant from NOT-ME! to stop foreclosure on her home.
"Thank you so much for your amazing work during our Taking Healthy Steps Program. We had a lot of positive feedback from parents regarding the content." - Brynn Wartman, Outreach Coordinator for the Boston Ballet
NOT-ME! goes to the Boston Ballet to teach classes on Physical Assertiveness and the 5D's of Self-Defense.
Local teens dance and socialize to benefit NOT-ME!
Our first teen dance party fundraisier was a success with over 60 teenagers getting together to support NOT-ME!
A special thanks to Helenas for providing prizes to the winners of the Test Your Knowledge of Self-Defense Quiz and Together in Motion for providing the venue.
NOT-ME! teaches a workshop on the 5D's of Self-Defense and Physical Assertiveness for the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission 2009 Conferance at Northeastern University.
"Erik Kondo is a phenomenal trainer. He gave a workshop at our Annual Consumer Conference and I have heard a great deal of positive feedback from workshop participants."
- Lisa Weber of the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission.
A special thank you to Bentley College students for helping NOT-ME! by creating a special marketing plan to help NOT-ME! with our marketing plan for 2009.
The Craig Neilson Foundation (www.CHNfoundation.org)has awarded NOT-ME! a grant to produce a display book that provides self-defense instruction and profiles martial artists will Spinal Cord Injury.
This book will be distributed to rehabilitation hospitals across the United States and Canada. An e-book version will be available to individuals with SCI for free download.
For more information, or to order a book, please send an email to: info@not-me.org.
Paraplegics not an easy target for attack January 18th, 2008 @ 9:10pm Ed Yeates reporting
Think a paraplegic is an easy target for an attack? Think again! People confined to wheelchairs watched an eye-opening demonstration tonight in South Jordan.
Erik Kondo is a paraplegic. Despite his disability, he has an ability which is very much a threat to a would-be attacker, even in the throws of a full attack.
At the nonprofit Neuroworx rehab center, Erik showed those in wheelchairs they're not as vulnerable as they appear. Even without the use of lower limbs, they can unnerve an attacker with surprising strength.
"We're not talking about fighting situations where people get in an equal fight or a bar fight. We're talking about a predator who is looking specifically at someone because of their limited physical ability," he said.
The attacker, Bob Taylor, is part of his team out of Boston. Grabbing wrists or hands, grabbing the legs, bringing them down. Biting. Full strength strangle holds. Even a stick, or hard hits from that stick.
But not everything is physical. Psychology plays an even greater role.
"Because you are at a physical disadvantage, you have to make up for that by much greater awareness, much greater use of intuition, much greater use of verbal boundary settings, much greater use of strategy than someone who is able-bodied," Erik said.
Try verbally diffusing the situation first, even when it's "in your face."
"I made a mistake. That was totally my fault."
"Don't apologize. My mistake, my mistake. Back off, back off."
Though these folks may never need to use these techniques, at least they're in hand. Erik's message to the attacker? You've picked the wrong person. "Not Me" on the shirt means he will not be a victim.
Though Erik is paralyzed from the waist down, he holds a second-degree black belt in martial arts.
Spoke n' Spokes talks about Erik Kondo and NOT-ME!
For the full article, cut and past this line into your browser. http://www.pvamagazines.com/sns/magazine/article.php?art=2298
SUMMERY OF ARTICLE Erik Kondo's mission in life is to teach people with disabilities how to defend themselves. Keeping that in mind, Kondo, of Lexington, Mass., designed the Not-Me! self-defense system.
Before becoming serious about the martial arts, Kondo competed in soccer and lacrosse in high school and college. After a motorcycle accident left him a T4-5 paraplegic in 1984, Kondo didn't skip a beat and changed his sports activities to swimming and weight training. He made a solo ascent up the Mount Washington (New Hampshire) Auto Road in 1986 and climbed up the stairwell of a 50-story building in his wheelchair as part of a fund-raiser. He graduated from Bates College (Lewiston, Maine) with a double major in math and physics and a minor in computer science and has since founded and operated a number of successful retail and real-estate businesses.
Showing how multi-functional he is, Kondo helped deliver his second child, Helena, in the family car when his wife Katherine went into labor on the way to the hospital. To top if off, Erik and Katherine share the challenge of running their businesses while raising three young children.
Budo Magazine writes about Erik Kondo and his black belt test.
Taking a self-defense class through Not-Me! was a unique and empowering experience. The instructor's training prepares you to become a survivor of a dangerous situation no matter your what your size, experience or physical capabilities may be. It was far more useful and realistic than any particular "self-defense" technique will ever be. - Heather
I never realized the psychological stamina and confidence necessary to safely assess, confront, and escape a dangerous situation. The instructors empowered me to do all three through videos, drills, and recreating real-life scenarios. I would recommend this class to any woman!
Sarah - school teacher
I found the classes very enjoyable. The atmosphere was nice and the instructors were well informed
Anna - college student
Even with 8 years of martial arts and considerable size on my side, I learned a lot of new techniques. Focusing on the mental/emotional aspects of an attack is so much more helpful than simple techniques.
~Anne B. Age 24 Brown Belt Hantou Jutou
The Not-Me! self-defense class was my first course/class in self defense. After completing the class, I feel more confident and prepared for any situations I might need to use self defense. I enjoyed the class, instructors, and other students. I look forward to taking a second level course with Not-Me!
- Meg
You can learn the "survivor" mindset if you have the right instructors. You'll find them here.
- Jane Follansbee
I had never taken a self-defense class before but after taking the Not-Me! courses I feel much more confident in my ability to not only defend myself against someone larger but to also assess the environment and situations going on around me. It was a great eye opener for me to see that I have the ability to get aggressive when I have to. It taught practical defense skills using real life scenerios, and I would recommend the course to anyone!
