Sebastian Bates
Founder of The Warrior Academy & The Bates Foundation
Sebastian Bates is an award-winning educator, bestselling author, and father of three who has dedicated over 15 years to building confidence in children.
Having experienced bullying himself growing up, Sebastian understands firsthand the lasting impact it can have on a child’s identity. That early experience shaped his life’s mission: to ensure no child grows up feeling small, powerless, or unseen.
Through his work, he has supported more than 50,000 parents across seven countries and helped transform the lives of tens of thousands of children.
He founded The Warrior Academy, now the largest martial arts academy network in the Middle East and Eastern Africa and previously voted number one in the UK. What began as a single inner-city club has grown into a multi-academy organisation developing confidence, discipline, and resilience at scale.
As a father, his mission is deeply personal. “Every parent wants their child to walk into the world strong, secure and respected. I built what I wish had existed when I was younger.”
After seeing the long-term impact of structured mentorship, Sebastian launched The Bates Foundation, which now supports over 10,000 children in orphanages, homeless shelters and slum communities across more than seven countries. The Foundation provides housing, food, medical support and a structured six-to-eight-year leadership development journey designed to break the cycle of poverty permanently.
Sebastian’s work sits at the intersection of parenting, performance, and purpose – combining lived experience, military discipline, and real-world educational impact to build a generation of resilient young people.
Black Belt Character
At the heart of Sebastian’s work is one clear philosophy: build character first.
The Warrior Academy was created around a single outcome – to develop what Sebastian calls “Black Belt Character” – the resilience, discipline, confidence and integrity that set a child up for a happy and successful adult life.
Over the past 15 years, Sebastian has worked with tens of thousands of families across seven countries and three continents. He has also served as a trainer and character development advisor to high-profile families, including members of the Royal Families of the UAE and Jordan.
Recognised globally as a thought leader in anti-bullying and character development, Sebastian is regularly invited to speak internationally on the importance of soft skills within modern education. His work challenges the traditional academic-only model, advocating instead for confidence, emotional resilience, leadership and moral strength as foundational life skills.
Under his leadership, The Warrior Academy has received multiple national and international awards – recognising its transformational impact, educational innovation, entrepreneurial growth and philanthropic contribution.
Central to Sebastian’s ethos is a belief that young people must understand their ability to impact the world for good.
This belief led to the creation of The Bates Foundation, a global scholarship programme that now supports thousands of children in orphanages, slums, rural schools and homeless shelters across developing nations. The Foundation combines housing, food and medical support with long-term mentorship and leadership development – empowering children not just to survive hardship, but to rise beyond it.