A much-loved Greek Australian karate instructor, Steve (Sotiris) Xepapas, has passed away aged 58.
The Tasmanian instructor was a big figure in the Greek community, teaching hundreds of students of all ages including many from the community.
He lost his life after getting swept away by a riptide.
His dojo, Tora Shotokan Karate-do is directly under the Tasmanian Greek community’s hall, and Xepapas and his students would often help with the Estia
Festival, offering manual labour and security.
He also ran fitness classes for the Greek community and taught self defence at South Tasmanian schools,
Xepapas started martial arts training in 1970 at the age of 15, when he was inspired by the infamous ‘judo chop’ in a James Bond film.
