Susan Martinez - Author, Black Belt, Personal Safety Expert

Women are angels...sort of.

2011-04-26T16:31:00.000-07:00

Someone sent me this profound little quote today. I love it!

Women are Angels.
And when someone breaks our wings,
we simply continue to fly.....on a broomstick.
We are flexible like that.

Personally, my broomstick is well-used!

New Book -- Outsmarting the Bad Guys

2011-04-17T09:25:00.000-07:00

My new book Outsmarting the Bad Guys: A Personal Safety Guide for women was just released! Hope you'll check it out and let me know what you think. Available at Amazon.com or my web site www.susanmartinez1.com.

Be safe out there!

April is National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevent Month!

2011-04-10T07:14:00.000-07:00

President Obama has declared April as
National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month!

As the mother of a teen who was grabbed off the street by a sexual predator, I am honored to spread the word about this national tragedy.

"Awareness" and "Prevention" are the key words. Most attacks on women are preventable with awareness and knowledge.

Nearly one in six American women will experience an attempted or completed rape at some point in her life. The bad guys, sexual predators, raging mates, and low-lifes that prey upon women are pretty smart. They know what they want and go after what they want with a vengeance. They hone their "bait and capture" techniques with lots of practice.

What do they want so badly? They want victims, they want YOU!

So what can you do about it? Plenty! You can wise up and acquire some self-protection skills. Take a self-defense class, study a martial art, or read a book about personal safety. True, bad guys are smart, so you must be smarter.

Are you smarter than a bad guy? If not, please do something about it!

Go to www.susanmartinez1.com for info about my book, Outsmarting the Bad Guys: A Personal Safety Guide for Women...or go to Amazon.

Be safe out there!

My Son, My Hero!

2011-02-01T20:30:00.000-08:00

I want to tell you about my son Jake Erling. He is my second child of five.

In August of 1981, when Jake was five years old, he was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). We were devastated by the news, especially after I had delivered a stillborn baby boy only five weeks before that day in August.

We were given a bleak prognosis and told that if Jake were fortunate, he might live to see his eighteen birthday. We never hid the awful reality of CF from Jake, even when he was five. He knew he was sick and that he would never be normal and healthy like his two sisters.

“In 1981 when I was diagnosed, I remember that there was no one older than me. No one to look up to. No role models,” says Jake.

I didn’t realize it at the time but I said something to Jake that profoundly affected his attitude about his CF and himself. I said: “Jake, I don’t want you to ever use CF as an excuse for anything.” And in all these years, I don’t think he ever has, which may be the secret to his surprisingly good health.

In 1985, Jake was very proud to be the Minnesota Chapter’s CF poster child. He did numerous public and TV appearances, and the whole family joined in the activities.

“Even though I really didn’t understand what was going on, I knew I was doing something good for CF.” That was the first year Jake climbed the IDS tower to raise funds for CF research.

In 1990, when Jake was 14, he was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis Related Diabetes and Chronic Pancreatitis.

“Having diabetes made my CF struggle ten times harder than before. Again I didn’t know anyone who had CF and diabetes and had a hard time finding a diabetes doctor that had dealt with other CF people.”

In 1991 at age 15, Jake earned a black belt in karate. He had started karate when he was six shortly after he was diagnosed. It was a great accomplish to earn a black belt and once again he didn’t know anyone else with CF who had earned one.

“One of the best parts about the day of my black belt test was seeing my CF doctor Dr. Kurachek in the audience cheering me on! He has been an excellent caregiver and a motivating friend to me.”

Today, Jake is 34 years old and married to the beautiful Natalia Velasquez Erling. He works full time and teaches Martial Arts to children and adults at My Gym Fitness Center in Eden Prairie and Out On A Limb Dance Company in St. Paul.

On Saturday, our family and hundreds of other lovely people are raising funds for CF in Minneapolis. If you would like to donate, please click here:
http://www.cff.org/LWC/JakeErling.
Be happy. Kiss your kids!!

Visit Jake's web site at www.jakeerling.com.

Visit Susan's web site at www.susanmartinez1.com.

Outsmarting the Bad Guys Ebook

2010-06-15T12:20:00.001-07:00

Hello Friend!

I am excited to announce that I released a new ebook this week: Outsmarting the Bad Guys: A Personal Safety Guide for Women.

It's a handbook for women of all ages who want to avoid predators and dangerous situations. Statistics are mind-boggling, especially for young women. One out of four women on college campuses will be sexually assaulted!*

I'm a second degree black belt, mother of five grown children, grandmother of two, and a wife. In 1989 one of my teenage daughters was grabbed off the street by an armed stranger and dragged into a nearby park to be raped. But my daughter fought back and was able to escape because of the safety advice I had given her prior to the attack.

I believe that most attacks on women are preventable...if they know what to do. Outsmarting the Bad Guys is a collection of simple, effective, do-able things that every woman can do to prevent and survive attacks. It encourages women to get out of their “victim thinking” and empowers them to live as strong, confident beings. (Bad guys like weak women.)

I like to think that this ebook is a MUST HAVE for teens and young women dating and on college campuses, for everyday women out and about and living their lives, and for mothers and grandmothers who want to be stronger and live safer from harm.

For only $5.95, Outsmarting the Bad Guys is an affordable source of life-saving tips and wisdom. Visit www.tjsusan.com/publishing.htm to order the ebook.

Note: Review copies are available by request.

Contact:
Susan Martinez
susanm@tjsusan.com
www.tjsusan.com/publishing.htm www.blackbeltdo-gooders.com.

* For statistics on attacks on women on college campuses, visit: http://web.mit.edu/stop/www/statistics.htm