Origin
Sensei Steve does not remember a time before discipline. His earliest memory is being told no, by a much smaller boy, on a playground in north Florida, and refusing to accept it. That boy is now an accountant in Brandon. Sensei Steve still wins.
He trained in three forms most coaches have never heard of and two he made up. He has been told, on multiple occasions, that he reminds people of a fictional character. He considers this the highest possible compliment in a culture that has lost touch with archetypes. He owns the headband. The headband owns him. They are in a serious relationship.
There Is Only A Day You Did Not Win."— Sensei Steve, parking lot, 6:14 AM, in the rain, no coat
Selected Credentials
- Self certified, Eagle Fang Institute (founded 2022, by him, in his garage).
- Self appointed Sensei. Vote was unanimous. (He was the only voter.)
- Survived a corporate retreat at which he was the only person who took the trust falls seriously.
- Featured on one (1) podcast (single episode, since deleted at his request because the host "lacked the spine to follow up").
- Holds the unofficial Tampa Bay record for longest unbroken eye contact during a difficult conversation: 14 minutes 22 seconds. The other party blinked first. The other party was a labrador.
- Has personally caused 41 spouses to thank him by text message. Has caused 6 spouses to threaten him by text message. He keeps both in a folder.
- Banned from one (1) chamber of commerce mixer for "an unsolicited live demonstration of strike first principles using a folding chair."
The Headband
The red and black headband is not a costume. The red and black headband is a uniform. Sensei Steve owns seventeen of them. He does not know what they cost. He has been wearing them since before the show. He will continue wearing them after the show. He does not consider this a coincidence; he considers it a convergence.
Off The Mat
When not mentoring, Sensei Steve enjoys long uninterrupted silences, very hot black coffee out of a thermos he has owned since 2008, and watching other men try to assemble flat pack furniture without reading the instructions. He is the proud owner of a 1987 Pontiac Firebird that he will sell to no one, including, he has clarified, his children. He owns more headbands than he has ever admitted out loud. He does not own a single piece of athleisure. He considers the Apple Watch a personality crisis.
This Dojo Is Hiring.