There is only practice, there is only the way.
Steve’s path began in motion from a disjointed childhood, where survival meant inner resolve, to a lifelong quest for clarity and truth. Moved by old black-and-white TV shows like Kung Fu and The Water Margin, the seeds of the warrior spirit were planted early. Books like The Way of the Warrior echoed something within: a call to live with meaning.
A Martial Path with Soul
From early adulthood, Steve trained with unwavering commitment; four hours a day, every day. His journey led him through the gritty labor of everyday life to the mountains of Wales, where he joined a Kung Fu school studying both Shaolin Mok Ga and Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan. It was here that the outer discipline began giving way to inner cultivation.
Tai Chi Chuan became more than form. It became the Way.
“Kung means excellence through hard work. Tai Chi Chuan is not simply movement, it is meaning in motion.”
The Meaning of So-Pa
“So-Pa” comes from Sanskrit: compassion for the aggressor. It is the guiding principle of Steve’s teaching.
To stand. To breathe. To move, not from anger or fear; but with clarity, spirit, and intention.
“Don’t back down, but don’t start it. Be committed if you must… and do no more harm than needed.”
So-Pa Tai Chi Chuan, then, becomes a mirror. Every movement contains a reason, a message, a layer of self.
Teacher, Way-Shower, Guardian of the Flow
When his teacher, Master Thomas, entrusted Steve with his school, the path deepened. The responsibility was no longer about learning; it was about preserving, sharing, guiding.
Since then, Steve has supported individuals facing physical limitations, chronic conditions, and emotional blocks. He has taught people with Parkinson’s, arthritis, brain injuries, and those simply seeking calm. His work has never been performance, it has always been presence.
