Teresa M.

I would say that I fell into aikido. After being in a year long emotionally abusive relationship I hit rock bottom and returned to my hometown of Guadalupe feeling depressed, weak, without power, and spiritually dead. My initial reason for joining a martial art was to find a distraction to the pain and feeling of failure that had started to dictate my life. I went to a few different dojo's but none welcomed me as whole heartedly as Full Circle Aikido. I immediately fell in love with the welcoming atmosphere that Sensei Steger and his students created. Sensei Steger's message struck a chord with me, and as I walked out of the dojo I felt alive and on direction. Feelings that were quite foreign to me. I watched a class on Monday and by Wednesday had signed up and bought a uniform. Since then I have never looked back. In the year that I have been attending Full Circle Aikido I handed my life over to the Lord with the guidance of Sensei Steger and his wife Maureen, I have established life long friendships, learned to give and accept love, and joined Sensei Steger's Apprenticeship Program. I have never been more happy and more on purpose in my life. The love, guidance, support, and friendship of Sensei Steger, Sensei Maureen, and the community of Full Circle Aikido have forever changed my life and have given me purpose. As a person coming from a very unstable family background I found many of my personal challenges could be addressed, acknowledged, and worked on through aikido. Every lesson I found my self feeling more empowered and more willing to accept and move through emotions that I always suppressed or ignored. Sensei Steger has been blessed with the gift to empower those who wish to be empowered, and he is more than willing to share this gift with people who are willing to work on themselves. There is no other dojo like Full Circle Aikido. The Lord has truly blessed this dojo and the works of Sensei Steger and Sensei Maureen. I highly recommend Full Circle Aikido to anyone who wants to make great life changes or who is looking for a fun and loving environment to help empower themselves.

Lynda F.

I have watched my children flourish under the guidance of Stephen Steger and his Aikido program. Their confidence is vastly improved, both in their physical skills and in their personalities and personal strength. The difference in them is truly remarkable, and in ways that will benefit them now, and for a lifetime. I couldn't be more thrilled with their progress - which is mind-boggling to watch because it improves so much with each class - and their complete dedication to the art of Aikido.My boys, Gary and Max (now age 11 and 12), enjoy Aikido classes so much that they never want to miss. With every other "hobby" they have tried, it was always a chore to get them there. With Aikido, they begin calling me 45 minutes before class to make sure I am ready to leave work. When I get home, they are all dressed, including their best friend, and they run to the car with excitement. If we aren't at least 15 minutes early "just in case they can start early", I am in trouble... When class ends, they are begging for more time. It is truly an inspiration, and mental, emotional and physical training that they will be able to pull from as they grow up and face life. There aren't words to describe how elated I am to have Stephen to guide my children, and for how deeply he has touched all of our lives by doing so.

Gary T.

My family has been involved in Aikido for nearly eight years. For most of that time Stephen Steger was our dojo cho and Sensei. My sons Graham and Mark and I are all grateful to Sensei Steger for providing us with a true education on many levels, and for his exemplification and embodiment of Aikido principles. His guidance also permeated other aspects of my life. At about the same time as I started my own Aikido journey in 1996, a long-dormant desire to write poetry was rekindled, and has stayed lit from that time on. Without his encouragement and support, I doubt that spark would have reignited in the same way.

Michael B.

Stephen, I don’t know if you remember me, the frustrated artist Michael?  Anyway, I know I am still on your email list and it’s great to hear the wonderful roads you are taking with the new dojo and classes.  Let me also say a big thank you  for the patience and teaching you gave me in such a short time.  My creativity has been flourishing beyond what I ever expected.  After the last class I took with you I went home that night and picked up a sketchbook I had sitting on the table.  I was somewhat frustrated with myself, as you may remember.  Just then I decided to put something you told me into practice, draw the opponent to you, bring it into your domain so it will lose its power against you, see I was listening.  Anyway, after about two hours I finished a beautiful pastel scene of the coast.  I couldn’t believe it, my fear of the blank page was gone. It became not only easier but more clear as to what my block was, me judging and fighting the artist within me. Anyway, I’ve been painting with pastels, which is also something I’ve never done before, but knew I could in my heart, crazy huh?  I even now have some hanging in Foster Donuts and have even sold my artwork.  Oh wow, my artwork, that is so unbelievable to even hear me say that!   Your classes taught me a lot more than I thought, more than just taking a fall or defending myself against violence, it gave me a self-esteem I needed to find. Oh also, I’ve been promoted twice at work and I have accomplished things there that have never been completed before for the bank.  Stephen, I am truly grateful and I will come back to your classess. Once again, thank you for showing me how to unlock the door.

Shammy B.

To sum up in a few short words the gift of Sensei Steger is near impossible; as is the impact Aikido has made in my life. What I can say is that Stephen Steger lives Aikido, He has modeled and taught not only the physical art to me (where I feel totally capable) but also the way to employ techniques into my everyday life that have given me the ability to live a life with a much broader sense of the world around me. When I think of Sensei Steger I know I have met one of the finest and most gifted teachers of all time. He has been a guide thru my processes and has helped me to progress in Quantum leaps always providing the safest and most secure environment. It is not easy coming from an abusive background, kidnapped, raped and struggling. Aikido set me free. Free to be in this crazy and wonderful world. I have since moved and am in a large Metro area (Portland Oregon) where there are many schools, the hard part is finding a teacher like Stephen!

Michael L.

I am delighted to write about my good friend and mentor, Stephen Steger. I took Aikido instruction from him for about six years. He is a truly gifted teacher. I and the others at our dojo in Modesto found his classes to be inspiring. Sensei Steger always seemed to be in tune with the needs of his students in every class. Quite often I would sit in class and listen to him, and think, "How does he know what I am thinking at this very moment?" Additionally, his Aikido technique is phenomenal. We would constantly marvel, "How does he do that?" as he would demonstrate certain techniques. SLO is fortunate to have such a teacher. He is greatly missed by all of us here in Modesto. He touched all of our lives, and continues to be a source of inspiration to me and many others here as we remain in contact via the Internet.

Rebecca M.

I never thought I would study Marital Arts. My background is in theater, poetry, and literature. But something about Full Circle drew me in, spoke to my "artist" soul and has kept me studying for two years now. I am learning, on both a physical and a spiritual level, concepts and techniques to live fully in this life, to take chances, to stay with myself even in the midst of fear, sadness and anger. Stephen as teacher takes the lead in this work, creating a place of safety and challenge where the whole of you can be received, where you can look at what is holding you back and transform fear and chaos into strength, harmony and love. His constant repetition of basic principals go way beyond technique and self-defense, and allow the teaching to go deep into the soul, healing old wounds and empowering a life. He has a way of translating bigger truths into the language of the individual because of his personal connection with the people in his classes. The children's teacher Maureen also creates this real connection with each of her students and incorporates techniques, life principals and games into her work, and embodies the true spirit of harmony. I have found a whole new way to look at life that involves wholeness and stepping out of duality, and I am very thankful to both of them for this."