We recently connected with Sensei Antoine Sanders Sr and have shared our conversation below.
Sensei Antoine, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
The services offered at Omega Karate Academy are designed to impact both children and adults, male and female, and all nationalities; however, by locating our classes on 12th Street in Downtown Kansas City, Mo, we work to specifically impact African-American/Black youth in underserved areas. Growing up on the Southside of Chicago in a low income, drug and gang infested area; I know the challenges that some inner-city youth have to overcome all too well. I was influenced and put on a path to destruction growing up in a similar environment. The martial arts aided tremendously in changing the trajectory of my life. It was through my training I gained discipline, respect for authority, self-confidence and many other traits that have carried me to success.
Sensei Antoine, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Greetings, my name is Antoine Sanders Sr. Sometimes referred to as Sensei Sanders. Other times called Minister Sanders. I am a native of Chicago, Illinois, but I have been in Kansas now for over 20 years. I have been a lover of martial arts for as long as I can remember. Some of my most fond memories of my late father would be of us watching the old black and white karate movies. He enrolled me in karate at the age of nine. I spent three years growing as a martial artist and loving every moment of it. Those three years instilled some things into me that would never leave me and determined the decisions that I would make for years to come. At 12 years old I stopped going to karate. Due to my parents schedule I had to take the city bus to class and then I was dropped off by my instructor afterwards. The 4-mile, 30-45 minute bus ride seemed a lot longer back then and became more dangerous as time went on. This journey would take me through two or three rival gang territories depending on the route that I took. I personally was not in a gang but I learned early on that in Chicago your gang affiliation is based on where you live. While taking the bus home from school at the age of eight or nine, we would go through rival gang neighborhoods. Gang members would jump on the bus to assault the big kids or adults who lived in my area. I confess, I have a very vivid and shameful memory of one trip home from school in the 4th grade. The young man in front of me was stabbed in the neck with a broken bottle and robbed of his coat and jewelry. He was a teenager. I remember being angered that his blood splattered on my new coat. By age 11, I reached my current height and was now considered fair game for gang attacks. The trip to and from karate grew more and more dangerous. While at one point I might have to fight my way to get to karate class, as I grew the threat went from dodging fist to bullets to get there. Post-karate life took a turn. From 13-17 years old my life would take a steady decline into drugs, alcohol, partying and women. At 17 years old I would stand as a high school dropout and a teenage parent.
I didn’t know it then, but leaving Chicago at 17 for Kansas would be the best thing for me. Just 11 years later I was 28-year old Antoine Sanders who was a Baker University graduate, Licensed Minister in the Church Of God In Christ, and celebrating 10 years of marriage with the mother of my three children, then ages (11, 9, and 7). We enrolled our children into karate so they could get the benefits I had experienced growing up.
By 2020, my children and I were all black belts in Kenpo karate. I started thinking of how to share the benefits of martial arts with persons who look like me not only physically, but with shared life situations and circumstances. We trained at a wonderful facility named Olathe Karate Academy. I still teach and train there to this day. However, being in South Johnson county 90 percent of their 300 students don’t look like my family or have similar life experiences. We decided to open our dojo on 12th Street in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri in an area that doesn’t have any karate schools, and very few productive activities for its youth.
When you enroll at the Omega Karate Academy, you get several things that may not be offered at other karate schools. We’ve recently added a tutoring program for our karate students. Twice a week for 1 hour before class we have one on one tutoring sessions in math, reading, science and other course work. Our school will help you defend yourself, control yourself, better your health, connect and build lasting relationships with your own family and our karate family, and have a ton of fun in the process.
You also get a family of instructors. Our family all trained together and understand the joys and memories that come from doing so. Our eldest son is 21, our daughter is 19 and our youngest son is 17 so when we factor their experiences in to provide students with knowledge from various perspectives, genders and age groups. This helps us reach and connect to many types of students. As a Christian family, our students may not share our faith but they can be assured that their instructors have high moral standards. Teaching the martial arts is my passion and I feel it’s one of my life’s purposes. I made it in Chicago to help some young people make it in Kansas City.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
At the beginning of my family’s karate journey at Olathe Karate Academy I had a ton of free time and would train daily. My employment changed and I moved to working 13 to 15-hour days and training only a couple days a week. My work load intensified and I was putting in 1200 or more overtime hours per year leaving me almost no off days during the week. These changes to my schedule made me remember how much joy I got from starting the karate journey as a child and I realized that it gave me even more joy now. I determined that nothing would hinder me from reaching Black Belt. For most of my journey to Black Belt I would squeeze in training here and there while working 100+ hours weekly at my job, doing church ministry, and making time for my family. Reaching Black Belt status in my 30s was one of the proudest moments of my life. This achievement was a true testament to resilience and marked the accomplishment of a little Chicago boy’s dream.
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
The plan was to wait for my youngest to go off to college before starting Omega Karate Academy. My pastor advised that I should start now and offered the church’s facility as a training location. While in the process of setting up a business I received a call from a grandmother wanting to get her 3 grandsons in an activity. So we started! We didn’t have uniforms, mats, bags, office equipment, means to accept payment or anything else. My main job income takes care of my family so I started working as an Uber driver to get the funds for the items needed for the dojo.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://omegakarateacademy.square.site/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omegakarateacademy
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/omegakarateacademy
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@omegakarateacademy4460
Image Credits
Sean Alexander Media