Karate was something that Sensei Eugenia had loved at first sight. First being introduced to karate when she brought her three kids to train in Gotan Ryu with Kyoshi Paterson at the East Coast School of Combined Martial Arts. Every class, she sat in the back of the dojo and watched her kids train. She watched them practice at home, and she watched them compete in the ring. Soon after she noticed that she wasn’t just watching the train, she was learning Gotan Ryu herself.

After years of this, Kyoshi along with others finally began to ask- “Why don’t you take class too?” Yet, she was hesitant and didn’t entertain the idea with others. But that all changed on a trip she had taken with her daughter to Orlando for a competition. On this trip the school took a trip to a water park. Sensei Eugenia, terrified of heights, had been taken to the highest and biggest slide in the park. Once at the top, she realized what she had gotten herself into and instantly regretted the climb up. But with the encouragement of the karate school and with the reminder that she could do anything she put her mind to, she went down the slide. It was that moment, that experience on that water slide alongside the East Coast family, that finally pushed her to take the leap and enroll. After years of being of this karate family that provided such a big sense of community, she was ready to shift her membership from that of a parent’s to that of a student’s. The school returned to Boston after a successful tournament and soon after Sensei Eugenia began her journey as a karateka in Gotan Ryu.

Sensei Eugenia’s transition into the dojo as a student was not an easy one. At the time she was a wife, a mother of three kids, an active member of her church community, an activist and organizer in her community, and was working at a radio station. She already had a full plate but just like everything else in her life she was committed to following through on this journey she had decided to embark on. And as time went on Sensei Eugenia came to realize that karate had not become another responsibility for her, instead it had become the thing that she was doing for herself and that brought her some relaxation. Sensei found peace in Gotan Ryu and a home in the dojo, and she never looked back.

As she advanced in her karate journey Sensei came to learn that she found the most joy in teaching. First teaching small classes in the dojo whenever Kyoshi needed her assistance, Sensei Eugenia later joined Sensei Sonia Arroyo at Rafael Hernandez’s after-school program in 2005. With Sensei Sonia by her side, she really grew her teaching skills eventually taking over the program where she continues to work to this day. In 2007, Sensei Eugenia founded East Coast School of Combined Martial Arts- Arroyo’s Program. Most recently, in July 2021, Sensei Eugenia Arroyo earned her 4th Dan.

Born in the small town of Riosucio, Caldas in Colombia, Sensei Eugenia Arroyo knew she was destined for a life bigger than the one she was born into. Having spent her early years living in extreme poverty, frequently facing housing and food insecurity alongside her mother and siblings, Sensei Eugenia found happiness in the simple things. Whether it was playing outside with her siblings using toys they made from nature or hearing her grandmother’s stories, Sensei Eugenia says, “I was a happy kid, we were happy because it was all we knew”. “My grandma is my biggest role model,” she says with a smile recalling the unconditional love she always felt from her, even in the toughest of times.

In 1974, Sensei Eugenia and her family had the opportunity to move to the city of Medellín where they knew they would be able to encounter more opportunities. It was after that move that Sensei’s eyes were open to the reality of others- homes with multiple rooms and reliable utilities, homes where everyone had their own beds, refrigerators, televisions, and the list went on and on. She recalls her friends telling her that they were “going out to eat” with their families, a concept so foreign to her and far from her reality. Seeing this whole new world showed her what was possible for her future and she was determined to make that dream a reality for herself. She wanted to be known for something other than the challenges she and her family faced. She wanted to be known for being and doing great, to be known for someone who was fearless.

At 19 years old Sensei Eugenia moved to the United States to join her older brother. At the time she was working her first job after having been the first high school graduate in her entire family. Thinking she would be able to continue her studies in the states, she left everything she knew and landed in Boston. To her surprise, she would not be going to college but instead would begin her new life as a factory worker days after her arrival. It was in one of these factories that she met husband, Pedro, and soon after they wed. Together they went on to have and raise 3 children: Pedro, Christian and Vicky. In 2000, Sensei Eugenia finally accomplished that goal she had set for herself years back in Colombia and earned her Associates degree in Liberal Arts from Roxbury Community College. She made intentional choices along the way to live out a life that reflected her priorities. Sensei Eugenia chose to be a stay-at-home mom to her three children, and be a committed, influential, and respected activist in her local community.