Steven Bellamy
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Steven John Bellamy (born in Sheffield England June 12, 1950) is a British martial artist, author and lecturer.
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[edit] Biography
Steve Bellamy practiced Judo and boxing at school. He began Karate in the early sixties, crediting the seminal book 'Karate the Art of Empty hand Fighting' by Nishiyama and Brown as his inspirational source. His first formal lessons were in the Wado style under Masafumi Shiomitsu later changing to Goju 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 the USA. He has lived and trained in Japan for more than 30 years.
In addition to instructor ranks in Karate, Judo and Aikido he holds advanced teaching licenses in several classical martial arts of Japan, notably Shindo Muso-ryu Jodo, Muso Shinden Ryu Iaido and Kenjutsu.
[edit] Training History
Steve Bellamy has studied:
Karate under Tatsuo Suzuki and Masafumi Shiomitsu in Wado-ryu. Brian Waites, Steve Morris and Gary Spiers in Goju Kai. Morio Higaonna, Eiichi Miyazato and Koshin Iha in Okinawan Goju.
Kickboxing and Full Contact under Jeff Smith and Bill 'Superfoot' Wallace.
Wing Chun under Joseph Cheng (UK) and Leung Sheung (HK)
His teacher and mentor in Japanese classical martial arts and in Japanese calligraphy for many years was Ichitaro Kuroda.
[edit] Controversy
In the early 1980s whilst coming to the aid of a Japanese woman being punched and sexually assaulted in the street Bellamy kicked and killed her attacker. The ensuing investigation and court case polarized the Japanese judicial system and established new Japanese law.
Bellamy claimed ‘justifiable homicide in the defense of another’ This defense by a civilian was a precedent setting legal argument pitting the National police agency (which supported his claim and refused to arrest him) against the Justice Ministry which initially charged him with murder, later changed to manslaughter. It was the first Japanese case in which Karate was cited as the weapon used. First found not guilty, then reversed on appeal, the case against Bellamy was finally dismissed by the Supreme Court of Japan
[edit] Other notes
Bellamy is an Ashtanga Yoga, TM meditation and Neuro-linguistic programming instructor. Bellamy is related to Francis Bellamy an American Baptist minister and author of the American Pledge of Allegiance.
