Amos Chandler was officially inducted into the Mississippi Karate Hall of Fame on February 4. He holds the state record for black belt championships in Mississippi with 20 total championships.
He has always had an interest in karate and started his success in karate when he started to take it when he was 21.
“When I came up, I lived around West Point, I always watched karate movies, but I wasn’t able to take karate because I had no vehicle,” recalled Amos. “When I moved to Quitman, they had classes in Meridian, so it all fell together since I could drive there. I came to Quitman in 1977 and got in karate in 1978. In about two years I earned my black belt.”
Once he had his black belt, he made great accomplishments at the different competitions he participated in with the state.
“I started going to competitions. We have five or six tournaments a year, and people from all over the state and out of the state come to compete. It’s point karate, and there are judges to determine the points,” explained Amos. “I won State Champion like 15 years in a row. I got out of karate, and then my daughter wanted to get in karate. She wanted to go to tournaments, so I decided I might as well compete again since I was there. When I started back competing, I won another five years. I won a total of 20 years of State Champion.”
Mississippi isn’t the only place he has competed. Although he didn’t win the number one spot, he placed high in a much larger tournament that is held in Atlanta, Georgia.
“I went to Atlanta a couple of times. They had a big one over there that had people from all over the United States,” informed Amos. “I ended up coming fourth place in my division.”
With all of his experience, Amos has some advice for anyone who may be considering learning karate.
“Just stay with it,” advised Amos. “It’s not fancy stuff like what is on T.V. It’s down to earth stuff.”
Congratulations on being admitted into the Mississippi Karate Hall of Fame!
