Master Mel teaching a Kickboxing class in Hawaii. Circa 1996.
The Curtis brothers in the Honolulu Dojo. Circa 1997.
The founding Dojo Family. Circa 2003.
The founding Dojo Family: (from left) Garret, Mel, Austin, and Dave. Circa 2009.
The Story Behind the dojo
In 1996, a mom and her two sons walked into a martial arts school on the island of Oahu. Melodee hoped it would help her boys learn self-defense and build a little discipline. The instructor, Dave, invited her to try a fitness kickboxing class—and before long, she was training too. What started as an afterschool activity quickly became something more. Melodee and Dave fell in love, and the four of them became a family both in and out of the dojo.
As the boys got older, they became more involved. By their teenage years, Austin and Garret were teaching classes, working alongside their parents, and helping grow a small but strong martial arts community.
When the family moved to California, they opened a new dojo in downtown Santa Barbara. People came for the workout, but they stayed because they felt supported, challenged, and welcome. Parents trained with their kids. Siblings trained together. It became a place where families could grow stronger—physically, emotionally, and as a team.
Today, Santa Barbara Dojo is still run by the same family and built on the same core values: discipline, respect, perseverance, and community. Austin runs the Santa Barbara location, and Garret has opened a school of his own in Los Angeles. The tradition continues with the same care, energy, and purpose that started it all.