Anthony Williamson

From a young age, I was interested in martial arts and fighting. At 5 or 6, I was obsessed with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Shortly after my parents' separation, a week after my 9th birthday, my mother finally listened to me and enrolled me in Sensei Mike Hess's class. At the time I started, he was in Hawaii fighting in a National Championship. Another primary motivation for joining karate was I always felt like I needed to hit something: not in a good way. My "anger issues" as a child were quickly channeled through martial arts in a way that pushed me to do better in class.

A year in, I made my orange belt. At this point I decided to assist Sensei with the Little Dragons Class (ages 3-6). Due to an abundance of teaching, I remained an orange belt for nearly two and a half years.

Being 11 years old and just under 5 feet tall, it was quite daunting, yet humbling to teach (and order around) a grown man. It wasn't until I made blue belt did I really understand what everyone was talking about saying, "It becomes natural after a certain point." In a single summer, I felt like karate fit perfectly with me: I had power (as much as a 13 year old could have), I had control, I had determination!

I continued to teach, learn, and grow as both a Martial Artist and a young man constantly looking up to Sensei as a father-figure. I continued to move up in rank making green (my heat test in which I vomited) at age 14, brown at 15 and a half, Shodan Ho (black with white stripe) at 16 and a half.

In October 2015, my father, James Williamson died.

Only a month and a half later, I took my black belt test. Being a very emotional time, both martial arts and religion became my emotional rock. Being judged by a panel of 18 black belts, I gave it my all and so, on November 28, 2015, I was awarded the rank of Shodan (first degree). In those moments Sensei Hess spoke, I wasn't just reminded of how lucky I was to have a sensei that cared about me, but also a father.

Unlike most, I continued my martial arts career and helped teach class with Sensei Mike Hess. Spring 2018 I graduated form South Aiken High School. Later that year I left home to attend Clemson University. I am currently a sophomore in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Sustainability. In my free time, I enjoy genealogy, coin collecting, and watching television.

Throughout my time at college, I have visited various dojos in the area always finding a critical flaw in each. It isn't until I come home over the weekend or summer do I feel at home in a dojo. That being said, I am training on my own this semester and hoping to test for my second degree (Nidan) sometime in the next year.

GO TIGERS!