Steve Bellamy practiced
judo and
boxing at school. He began studying karate in the early sixties, crediting the book
Karate the Art of Empty Hand Fighting by Nishiyama and Brown as his inspirational source. His first formal lessons were in the
Wadō-ryū style under Masafumi Shiomitsu later changing to
Goju-ryu style under Brian Waites. In the late sixties and seventies he won numerous national, European, and world titles in karate. He was a British All-Styles Karate Team member from 1970 to 1973. During 1974 to 1977, he won several full contact and kick-boxing titles in Japan and in the USA. He has lived and trained in
Japan for more than 40 years. In addition to instructor ranks in
karate,
jūdō and
aikidō, he holds advanced
teaching licenses in several
classical martial arts of Japan, notably
Shindō Muso-ryū Jodō,
Musō Shinden ryū Iaido, and
Kasumi Shindō-ryū Kenjutsu He is a member of the Kansai Japanese language council (関西国語審議会) and has passed both the
Japanese Language Proficiency Test (日本語能力試験) and the Japanese foreign service translators examination at level 1 (the highest). He was made a
freeman of the City of Sheffield in 1992. In 1998 he was awarded a master's degree in Advanced Japanese Studies. In July 2009 he was appointed to the Nihon Jodo Association (日本杖道協会) Board of Directors. In September 2010 he was appointed to the All Japan Iaido Federation (全日本居合道連盟) Board of Examiners. On 24 March 2013 he received 8th Dan and the title Shihan in
Japanese calligraphy (Shodo) On 12 June 2016 he was promoted to 9th dan Okinawan Goju Karate On 12 June 2020 he was promoted to 10th dan Okinawan Goju Karate ==Training History==