Steve Ota Sensei has been practicing Judo and Aikido since his teenage years. First Judo with his father and later Aikido with his father and with Koichi Tohei Sensei.

During his college years at San Jose State in northern California he was a member of the NCAA Champion Judo team. He also started Aikido training with Hideki Shiohira Sensei at that time. Steve Sensei continued to train under Shiohira Sensei until 1994.