10/29/2026
Paths of Thought. A New Journey. A Hard Choice.
I don't know if there are words that can fully express what this decision means to me.... This has robbed me of sleep and has been something I've wrestled with for a while now...
On November 1st, I will be leaving Five Point Defensive Arts. Yes, you're not misreading that....
This is one of the hardest decisions I've ever made, and it isn't one I've made quickly or impulsively. It has taken me nearly a year of thought, reflection, difficult conversations with myself, and consideration of what I want my future in martial arts to look like.
Before I explain why I'm leaving, there is something I need every single one of you to know.
You matter to me! Every single one of you!
I know instructors sometimes talk about having favorite students. The truth is, every one of you holds a special place in my heart. You are ALL my favorites, and I mean that! ❤️ Not because of your belt color, how quickly you learn, how well you perform, how often you get things right, or how naturally martial arts comes to you. You matter because you are YOU! Period.
I see the student who struggles with a technique but keeps trying. I see the student who walks through the door after having a difficult day and does their best anyway when I call them onto the mat to demonstrate. I see the confidence growing in someone who once doubted themselves so much that they had all but convinced themselves that things were impossible. I see the courage it takes to try something unfamiliar, the frustration when something doesn't click, the pride behind a hard-earned accomplishment, and the determination it takes to get back up after after feeling defeated. I see the little victories that might go unnoticed by everyone else. I see the effort you put in when nobody is applauding. I see the moments when you surprise yourself and discover that you're capable of more than you thought. And I see the joy in your face when it clicks.
I want you to know that you are seen, you are heard, and you matter. Your concerns matter. Your struggles matter. Your accomplishments matter. Your goals, your fears, your questions, and your individual journeys matter to me. They always have! You have never needed to be the best student in the room to have my attention, my respect, or my support. You never needed to earn my care by earning another belt or breaking a board while flying through the air. You just needed to try. That's all I've ever needed from you.
My job has never been simply to teach you how to punch, kick, throw, or defend yourself. My job is to help you become more confident in yourself, more capable of facing challenges, and more prepared for whatever life puts in front of you. If I can help you discover strength you didn't know you had, then I've accomplished something far more important than teaching a technique. That is what being an instructor means to me. And it is why this decision hurts so much.
So, why am I leaving? After 6 years, why the change?
Firstly, Tony and I are on good terms, and I want to be very clear about that. This isn't a declaration of war, a personal attack, or an attempt to diminish him or the work he has put into Five Point. I genuinely wish him and Sadie the very best. The reality is that, over time, Tony's vision for what Five Point should become and my vision for what it should become have drifted further and further apart. Our methodology and philosophy to what we teach in class and how we translate that into a business model are just too different. Not different "bad"... just different. Those differences became difficult for me to reconcile with the direction I wanted to take things with the Dojo. Neither of us needs to be a bad person or a bad instructor for those differences to exist. Sometimes, people who share a passion simply reach a point where they see the future differently.
I've spent nearly a year thinking about whether I could make peace with those differences or whether I needed to take a different path. This wasn't an easy conclusion to reach, and it certainly wasn't one I wanted to reach. But martial arts has been a lifelong journey for me. I've worked hard for my black belts, invested countless hours into learning and teaching, and devoted a significant part of my life to understanding how to help people become better martial artists and better versions of themselves.
As I'm now middle aged and need to consistently hit bench marks in lifelong goals such as running a fulltime business, I need the opportunity to build something that reflects my own vision, philosophy, and approach to teaching. I need an environment where I can develop my ideas, make decisions, experiment, learn from my mistakes, and allow those ideas to grow without someone else having an idea that is in opposition to the vision inside my mind. I don't want teaching to feel like stress or for that stress to make martial arts unenjoyable for me.
I need to follow my own martial arts journey and take full ownership of where it leads. That doesn't mean I believe I have all the answers. I don't. I'm still learning, and I always will be. But I want the freedom and responsibility to build, teach, and grow according to the principles I believe in. And sometimes, doing that means making a difficult choice, even when it means walking away from people and a place you care about. Sometimes it means starting over from zero. An empty building, some paint, a vision and a closed sign switched to open...
What I hope you take away from all of this is that my decision to leave has never been a measure of how much I care about you. Please don't mistake my departure for a lack of love for the students, a lack of appreciation for the families, or a lack of belief in the value of the time we've spent together. Nothing could be further from the truth. I will carry the memories, the lessons, the laughs, the challenges, and the accomplishments we have shared with me. Being part of your journeys has mattered to me more than I can adequately express in a social media post.
To the parents and families who trusted me with your children, thank you. That trust is something I have never taken lightly.
To the adult students who have trained alongside me, challenged themselves, and continued to learn, thank you for allowing me to be part of your journey.
And to every student who has ever looked to me for guidance, encouragement, or even just a little extra patience when something wasn't clicking: thank you for giving me the opportunity to be your instructor.
I hope you continue to train, continue to ask questions, continue to challenge yourselves, and never stop growing. I hope you remember that your progress is not measured solely by the color of your belt, but by the person you become along the way.
As I close this chapter, I sincerely wish Tony and Sadie success, happiness, and positive growth with Five Point. I hope the dojo continues to develop and that they find fulfillment in the path ahead.
As for me, I will continue mine.
I don't know exactly where every step will lead, but I know that my passion for martial arts, for teaching, and for helping people grow isn't going anywhere.
And if there is one final lesson I'd like to leave with you, it is this:
Your journey is yours! Own it! Keep growing! Believe in yourself, even when the road gets difficult. And never forget that you deserve to be seen, to be heard, and to be treated as someone who matters.
Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your lives. Thank you for the trust you've placed in me. Thank you for every class, every conversation, every challenge, and every small victory we've shared. You will always be part of my journey, and I will always be grateful that I got to be part of yours.
- Steven
