Master Austin Shares the Story Behind Our Dojo

"This is a special place!" I hear that over and over again, and it's usually followed by a question: "How did it get this way?"

So I thought I'd share the story for anyone who wants to know a bit more about our dojo. Someday I'll write more about the history of Grandmaster Dave, or the origins of our martial art, Hapkido (both are great stories). For now, here's how our family opened this school, which back then was called Martial Arts Family Fitness.

She met Dave

Before she was "Master Mel," my mom was a single mother, raising my brother and me on her own. When we were kids, she had a great opportunity to go to Hawaii for a business convention. When she came back, she didn't say much about the business opportunity. But man, she could not stop talking about this great guy she'd met. His name was Dave.

The dojo in Hawaii

Not long after, Mel and Dave were married, and our whole family was living in Honolulu running a martial arts studio together. Crazy, right?

My brother and I were so excited about earning our black belts that we trained every day after school. Before long, we were even teaching some of the kids classes on our own. My mom started training, too. She began teaching the "Cardio Combat" fitness classes and retooling things on the business side. Together, we built a great school.

That's where I first learned what a family dojo could be: a place where everyone trains, everyone teaches and everyone has a part in making it work.

Looking back, those early years shaped everything about how we run our dojo today. Kids can lead. Parents can train. And when a family works toward something together, they grow closer in the process.

The move to California

Years later, my brother, my mom and I tested for our black belts. It was awesome! The Hawaii school was going great, but shortly after our test, my mom was offered a position running a fast-growing internet travel company in California.

We moved to San Diego and rode the "dot com wave," but we never stopped training. We kept teaching martial arts classes in the garage.

I love that part of our story. Even without a school, martial arts stayed at the center of our family. A garage isn't a dojo, but it taught me that the art lives in the people who practice it, not in the building. Grandmaster Dave looked into opening a school there, but it never felt like the right time or place.

Santa Barbara magic

A few years later, I moved to Santa Barbara to attend SBCC. After visiting a few times, my parents announced they were moving the family up to "my town" to start a full-time dojo again. Our whole family was back together, and it was awesome.

All the doors in Santa Barbara seemed to open, as if to welcome us to our true home. I got to watch my parents risk everything, work tirelessly and eventually make our dojo a success. It didn't take long before we were known as one of Santa Barbara's top martial arts schools.

What I remember most isn't the recognition, though. It's the hard work behind it, and the way my parents poured themselves into it. That's the real answer to the question I hear so often. Our dojo is special because of the people in it, and because it was built by a family that believed in what martial arts can do for people.

A lot has happened since then, and the story isn't done. I've started a new chapter, raising my own family here in town with the martial arts as well. My brother is in Hollywood making movies and making a difference that way. We both hope to continue our parents' legacy and make them proud.

Thanks for reading. I can't wait to hear your story, and I hope you'll share it with me sometime.

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