Steven Barnes, a multifaceted individual, was born on March 1, 1952, in Los Angeles, California. He is a writer, lecturer, creative consultant, and human performance technician.
Barnes received his education at Los Angeles High School and Pepperdine University, where he majored in Communication Arts.
He is a certified hypnotherapist from the Transformative Arts Institute in San Anselmo, California, and has also trained in various martial and physical arts.
Barnes holds a black belt in Kenpo Karate (Aikka style) and Kodokan Judo, and is an instructor candidate in Filipino Kali stick and knife fighting. He has also achieved advanced student status in Jun Fan Kickboxing under Danny Inosanto and is an instructor in Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan under Hawkins Cheung.
In addition, Barnes holds an intermediate student ranking in self-defense pistol shooting (Turnipseed modified Weaver method) and has completed the Yoga Works basic Hatha Yoga instructor program.
Presently, he is studying Pentjak Silat, an Indonesian fighting system, under Guru Stevan Plinck, and Ashtanga Yoga, a rare and aerobic form of yoga.
Barnes resides in Longview, Washington, with his wife, Tananarive Due, and their daughter, Lauren, born on March 16, 1986. He shares his home with a dog, cats, and a menagerie of tame, invisible tyrannosaurs.
