STEVE NAKAMURA, Senior Master 6th Degree
Steve is a founding partner of SDSS Pittsburgh and was the first Chief Instructor for the studio. He is a 6th Degree Black Belt and Senior Master in Shaolin Chuan Fa. Together with his wife and business partner Lisa, he opened the studio in Regent Square in 2004. Steve spent nearly 20 years wearing a suit and tie as an executive for large corporations before he made a change to teach martial arts full time. “Next to sleep, we spend most of our lives working so I wanted this time to be something that truly helped people, including myself. I’m extremely thankful to my wife, daughter, and parents/in-laws for supporting this change. I’m most proud of the martial arts community that we have built and the students, including my daughter who have developed into amazing human beings who exemplify the tenets of a true martial artist.” He enjoys running, cooking, the outdoors and especially hard workouts. This might be why Steve has always looked forward to his training sessions with Grandmaster Demasco and the trips to the Shaolin Temple. Amituofo!
Lisa Nakamura, Senior Master 7th Degree
Master Lisa is our Senior Black Belt Instructor and is a co-founder of our SETpoint Empowerment Self-Defense program. She began her martial arts training with Grandmaster DeMasco as a teenager (40+ years ago!), and is a 7th degree Black Belt in Shaolin Chuan Fa. Lisa is one of the three highest ranked Black Belts trained by Grandmaster DeMasco, and the only woman to achieve this rank. Master Lisa is a partner in SDSS Pittsburgh and has trained and performed at the Shaolin Temple on numerous occasions.