Sensei Gary Melick

Birthdate 7-25-1946
Martial arts style: Matsumura Shorin-Ryu training
2026 Belt rank: Kyudan (9th degree black belt) title: Hanshi from Kaicho Frank Williams

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 at Red Dragon Karate in Easton, PA. 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.

2001 IAMA Outstanding Male Competitor from Shihan Gary ALexander

2002 UMAA Life Member

2002 WKU Male competitor of the year From Sensei Frank Tasetano

2004 Action Martial Arts excellence in teaching from Master Alan Goldberg

2005 Bushido award from Soke Michael DePasquale

2005 Renshi teaching title from Kaicho Frank Williams

2006 AMAA Male Shorin-ryu instructor from Sensei Jesse Bowen

2006 rank of Sho-dan in Japanese Ju-Jitsu from Soke Michael DePasquale

2006-2019 training with Yoshimatsu Akamine Sensei Okinawa

2007 UMAA Master weapons instructor from Shihan Frank William

2008 WKU school of the year from Sensei Frank Tasetano

2009 IFOJJ Shoto award from Soke Michael DePasquale

2009 IAMA Matsumura Shorin-ryu master of the year from Shihan Gary Alexander

2010 Kyoshi title from Yoshimatsu Akamine Sensei

2011 Legend of the martial arts male Shorin-ryu instructor of the year from Sensei Cynthia Rothrock

2012 IAMA Matsumura Seito hozon kai sensei of the year

2014 Shihan title from Master Matt Molineux

2014 Shihan Memkyo from Yoshimatsu Akamine 

2016 who’s who in the martial arts from Shihan GJ Torres

2016 I.O.B.K.A life member

2017 WKU man of the year from Sensei Frank Tasetano

2017 S.O.B.B.A. Society of Black belt of America Inducted

2020 rank of Hachidan 8th degree from Kaicho Frank Williams

2021 inducted in the order of Emerald Dragon from Kaicho Frank Williams

tarted training in Okinawa with Master Yoshimatsu Akamine from 2006 until 2019. We have not been
back to Okinawa due to the Covid 19 pandemic.  We look forward to guiding our students to follow the right path in the martial arts in their life.