Sensei Gary Melick

Birthdate 7-25-1946
Martial arts style: Matsumura Shorin Ryu 35 years training
Belt rank: Hachidan, Kyoshi
I started my martial arts training in Judo at the age of 12 till high school then I started H.S. wrestling
I also did Olympic style weight-lifting AAU ranked in the top ten in the country in the 132lb class.
After high school I went in the Army to serve our country where I was a crew chief on a UH1B
Helicopter, flying border patrol on the Berlin Wall.
I started my karate training under Shihan Al Smith till 2002
Together Polly & I opened Golden Dragon Karate School, LLC together in 2002
We have participated in numerous seminars over the years with many notable instructors.
Lifetime member of the UMAA in 2002
January 2006 rank of Sho-dan in Jujitsu from Soke Michael DePasquale
July 2009 rank of Ni-dan from Yoshimatsu Akamine in Okinawa
2014 Shihan title presented by Kaicho Matthew Molineux
Lifetime member in I.O.B.K 2016
July 2017 inducted into S.O.B.B. A (society of Black belts of America)
June 2020 rank of Hachidan 8

th degree black belt from Kaicho Frank Williams

June 2021 presented Order of Emerald Dragon Award
I retired at age of 69 from karate competitions

Awards I received: 9-14-01 IAMA Outstanding Male Competitor from Shihan Gary Alexander, 6-29-02
WKU Male Competitor of the Year from Sensei Frank Tasetano, January 2004 Action M.A. Excellence in
the Teaching of Martial arts from Master Alan Goldberg, 2005 Bushido Award from Soke Michael
DePasquale, 10-21-06 AMAA Male Shorin ryu Instructor of the Year from Master Jesse Bowen, 9-29-07
UMAA Master Weapons Instructor of the Year from Shihan Frank Williams, 6-28-08 WKU School of the
Year from Sensei Frank Tasetano, 9-5-09 UMAA Bronze Life Achievement Award from Shihan Frank
Williams. 11-14-09 IFOJJ Shoto Award from Soke Michael DePasquale. 11-21-09 IAMA Matsumura
Shorin ryu Master of the Year from Shihan Gary Alexander, May 21, 2011″Legends of the Martial Arts”
hall of fame, awarded Male Matsumura Shorin Ryu instructor of the year, November 17, 2012, IAMA
Matsumura Seito Hozon Kai Sensei of the year for 2012, May 21, 2016, awarded Who’s who in the
international hall of fame by Shihan GJ Torres
Started training in Okinawa with Master Yoshimatsu Akamine from 2006 until 2019. We have not been
back to Okinawa due to the Covid 19 pandemic. July 2014 Sensei honored me with Shihan Memkyo.
We look forward to guiding our students to follow the right path in the martial arts in their life.