Steve Wolk began his formal martial arts training in Shotokan karate in 1980 in San Diego, California. In 1984 he began to study a blended system in Berkeley, California under Sensei Miguel Estrada, an open minded martial artist who regularly invited instructors of other styles to teach his students. Because Sensei Estrada was impressed with the skill and knowledge of the Filipino martial artists, he invited Guro Ed Abinsay to teach his students basic weapon techniques in 1985. Steve quickly became enamored of the Filipino arts, and began training regularly with Guro Abinsay,
Soon after, Guro Abinsay and his students began formal training under Grandmaster Dionisio Cañete of the Doce Pares system. Steve thus had many opportunities to train with GM Cañete on his frequent visits to the U.S. In 1988, Steve’s career led him to settle in eastern Pennsylvania. In order to continue his training in Doce Pares, he began traveling to New Jersey to train under GM Arnulfo “Dong” Cuesta, a student of GM Cañete’s who had been teaching in New Jersey since 1981. Steve has traveled to the Philippines five times to compete in tournaments and to train with GM Cañete and the various Grandmasters of the Doce Pares system, including GM Cacoy Cañete. He has also trained with Grandmasters Percival Pableo and Danny Guba.
Steve relocated to Denver, Colorado in 1995 for career purposes and with permission from GMs Cuesta and Cañete, founded PIMA Denver. Under the auspices of PIMA Denver he began holding weekly classes at local dojos, as well as sponsoring Doce Pares seminars in the Denver area. Steve has also been a guest instructor at various martial arts training camps around the U.S. In addition to teaching Doce Pares, he co-authored Master Cuesta’s curriculum, edited Grandmaster Cañete’s 1st book, Eskrima Kali Arnis, has co-authored an article for Black Belt magazine on the tapi-tapi principle of Doce Pares Eskrima, and authored one of the forward’s for GM Cañete’s book on Espada y Daga. He retired from WEKAF competitions in 2004, with 6 world sparring titles and 1 forms championships. No other competitors has won world titles in 6 different world championships.
In May of 2013, he was promoted to Grandmaster, the first non-Filipino to achieve this rank in the Doce Pares Multi-style system.
Achievements
• 1989 – World Champion, WEKAF Supermiddleweight Full Contact Sparring
• 1992 – World Champion, WEKAF Middleweight Full Contact Sparring
• 1996 – World Champion, WEKAF Middleweight Full Contact Sparring
• 1998 – World Champion, WEKAF Middleweight Full Contact Sparring
• 2002 – World Champion, WEKAF Senior Light Heavyweight Full Contact Sparring
• 2002 – World Champion, WEKAF Senior Traditional Forms
• 2004 – World Champion, WEKAF Senior Light Heavyweight Full Contact Sparring
• 2013 – Rank of Grandmaster, 9th degree black belt, Doce Pares Multi-Style System