People flock to City Island in the summer for its seafood and atmosphere, but it is also home to a martial arts dojo that is helping turn boys into men.
In 2010, Pelham Bay resident Edwin Castro opened Dragons Path Academy at 229 City Island Ave. The academy offers several programs for physical fitness and instruction in the art of self-defense including Hapkido, taekwondo, kickboxing and other martial arts.
Castro, who grew up in the South Bronx in the 1980s when the area was often in flames, feels blessed to have made a difference in the small close-knit City Island community. Over the years, many of his students have gone on to the armed forces, college, started families and more. This makes Castro feel like a proud father.
“You watch them (students) grow and the next year they are calmer,” Castro said. “Everything is about adapting.”
Castro, 64, never envisioned himself operating a martial arts studio. He was surrounded by gangs from age 10 to 16 and it was really all he knew as a youngster. People fought in the streets often, but that is not the same as what he teaches today, he said.
However, Castro needed to get out of the South Bronx. So, he enlisted in the Army at age 18 and it was a lifechanging experience. Not only did he learn discipline and feel safe but knew returning to the South Bronx at that time was not an option.
“When I came back, I realized I didn’t want to be there,” he said.
With a new perspective on life, he landed a job at a bank in midtown. He worked there for 16 years and became a financial officer. During his days of crunching numbers, he slowly developed a yearning to learn martial arts.
So, at night he signed up at a dojo in the Parkchester section of the Bronx and trained there several nights a week. He won tournaments, trophies and found his calling in life.
“It [martial arts] taught me how to control myself,” he said. “It wasn’t a street fight anymore.”
Castro was now ready to leave the finance world behind. In 2008, he opened his first dojo on White Plains and Boston Road. Then two years later, he launched a second location on Buhre Avenue in the Pelham Bay section of the Bronx, while also offering martial arts classes at the City Island Community Center.
Running a business was not easy, but once he got the hang of things, it was a labor of love.
“I took the knowledge I learned in banking and put it together with my art,” Castro said.
He had built a following throughout the borough, but little did he know the chips were about to fall in his favor. One day while at the City Island Community Center, an elderly lady approached Castro and said, “are you the karate guy?” She then told him about an old record shop at 229 City Island Ave. and asked him if he was interested in the space.
While he was not looking for another location, the offer was too good to pass up, Castro said. This became the first martial arts school ever on City Island.
“She gave me the price and I signed the contract the next day,” Castro said.
So, Castro shuttered his two schools and in 2010, officially opened Dragons Path Academy.
Castro has been studying and training in martial arts and boxing for over 40 years and instructing since 1995. He holds black belts in ITF Tae Kwon Do, WTF Tae Kwon Do, Shotokan and Hapkido.
About 40 students ages 5 through 18 attend classes at Dragons weekly and some have private sessions as well. There are also competitions every other month throughout the tri-state area.
According to Castro, many kids do not realize martial arts is more mental than physical.
One of the important aspects of the academy is its youth empowerment program. Students learn to overcome obstacles throughout their lives. Through the development of spirit, mind and body they learn to build courage and confidence.
Castro said the best part of the job is seeing his students not only succeed at martial arts, but in life. Getting positive feedback from alumni or parents makes the job worth it, he said.
One person who can attest to the impact of Dragons Academy is lifelong City Island resident George Melicharek. Melicharek, 24, joined the academy a decade ago as a student.
He was World Cup Sparring Champion in 2018, has numerous accomplishments in martial arts and has taught the children’s classes for two years. Melicharek told the Bronx Times as a kid he was looking for something to keep him safe, busy and out of trouble. He came at 14 and never left.
“As you know at that age it’s easy to get involved in a lot of bad habits,” he said.
Melicharek was never enamored with sports, but martial arts gave him a special feeling, he said. He admired how Castro and the trainers looked out for kids and provided a welcoming family atmosphere.
While many of his friends ended up in jail or in trouble with the law, Dragons set him on the right path, he said.
“Martial arts was something different for me,” Melicharek said. “It’s a lifestyle. It’s not just picking up a bat and swinging it.”
Melicharek was always one of the leaders in school. So, when Castro approached about becoming a teacher it was an opportunity he could not pass up.
While he looks to Castro as a father figure, he hopes his students one day feel the same about him. He has been invited to kids’ birthday parties and keeps in touch with alumni.
“I have great relationships with all of my students’ parents,” he said. “They look at me like a role model.”
Among the current students who are thriving in and out of the dojo is Zaden Leonard of City Island. Leonard, 17, who has been at Dragons for a decade, started out with karate, but is now focused on kickboxing.
Under the tutelage of Castro and Melicharek, Leonard has gone on to be undefeated in kickboxing and more importantly, calls the dojo a second home.
“My mom sent me here to learn discipline, but it became a lifestyle after a while,” he said. “It keeps you fit and your mind right.”
Leonard played football as a kid, but enjoyed martial arts more because the only person he had to rely on was himself.
He trains in private classes three days a week and hopes to continue kickboxing into the future. Leonard views Castro and Melicharek as father figures and hopes other kids take advantage of the opportunity at Dragons.
“I’ve learned how to defend myself; I’ve formed connections and it’s really a big part of my life,” Leonard said.
Castro recently bought the entire building at 229 City Island Ave., and plans to renovate the facility.
