In his early years, Dante Anderson was in awe of the graceful yet forceful karate moves he saw in action movies — particularly the 2010 “Karate Kid” film with Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan.
Now, he’s headed to the world championships.
Sherlyn Anderson, a single mother who moved to the U.S. from Nicaragua, said her son Dante blossomed when he enrolled in a dojo to learn karate at 5 years old. She continued to support his dream and dedication to martial arts throughout the past eight years, Anderson told VTDigger.
This winter, the 13-year-old of Rutland City was the only Vermonter to qualify to represent the U.S. in the World Karate-Do Alliance World Championships held in Malta in March 2026. There, Anderson said he plans to compete in the advanced category, performing a Kata — a solo choreography of karate techniques called Shito-ryu — and a weapons demonstration called Kobudo, with a staff called the kai-bo.
Anderson will be joining a dozen others representing the U.S. at the World Championships, said José Dimacali, the sensei for House of Samurai in Londonderry, New Hampshire. Anderson’s positive and respectful demeanor stood out to him when selecting people for Team USA, Dimacali said, adding that Anderson has a “great mat presence” and that “he knows how to carry himself inside the ring.”
“When we’re teaching him the new style of karate, there was no negativity. He was so eager to learn,” Dimacali said. “For me, that’s the most important.”
Anderson reigns undefeated in martial arts championships, placing first in all Twin State Championships, joint state competitions in Vermont and New Hampshire this year. He also achieved a triple crown victory this year — winning three events in one season including form, sparring and weapons, Dimacali said.
Anderson practices his craft every day, he said, and trains alongside other kids from age 6 to 17 at the dojo.
“It doesn’t matter what age you are. As long as you’re in the tournament team, you got to bring it as hard, you got to train as hard as the other kids. So if you’re younger, you got to train as hard as the old kids,” Anderson said. “To get into this level, I needed to be the best for myself.”
Anderson is the only Vermonter attending regular online classes with his dojo the House of Samurai, said Rebecca Dimacali, program director for House of Samurai, and he trains twice a month in person at the Londonderry dojo, which demonstrates his commitment to training for the World Championship and the team.
Anderson said he is versed in his performance techniques, but he hopes to increase the speed of his movement through his training regime in preparation for the World Championships.
Along with the skills he has learned through his karate training, Anderson said he has also learned the principles of discipline and self control that apply to all interactions in his life. He said his motivation to keep practicing karate is to make his mother “proud and happy.”
After Anderson competes in the World Championship, Sensei José Dimacali said he plans to invite Anderson to advance from the state Twin Valley Championships to compete in regional competitions, recognizing his skill and future in martial arts.
Once he reaches the age of 18, Anderson said, he hopes to use his skills to compete in the professional championships and eventually open his own dojo to spread the knowledge of martial arts to communities that do not have access.
There is a sense of camaraderie in martial arts practice, Anderson said, and he finds the encouraging environment helps everybody on his team thrive.
“In the dojo, we all support each other and we push each other,” Anderson said. “What my sensei says is: ‘If you’re at the dojo or even if you’re at the tournament, if you want to be better, push others.’”
