Foundation

Steve Joseph started martial arts training at the age of 10 due to constant bullying at school. At the age of twelve he became totally immerse in Martial Arts
training causing a lack of devotion to his studies with absence from school lessons resulted in practice session in the school’s toilets and at lunch breaks in a deserted classroom with friends, practice sessions would also commence.
This furthermore allowed him to save his lunch money paying for his training sessions.

After school he would directly go to the dojo arriving sometimes two hours early for a possible private tuition with an enthusiastic senior grade.

It was common for Steve to travel from one Dojo to another directly afterwards, completing two classes in different locations

in one evening. In one particuliar school in Chingford Essex after training sessions ended taunts by gang members erupted. At first it was simply racist name calling, but the
majority of times Steve was chased. Not once did this deter or discourage him from continuing his training.

However on one occasion after sustaining a knee injury, limping on his way home he was chased and attacked by local ‘Skin head’ gang members. He fought back using the knowledge of his training. For the love of martial arts he told his family that the bruises were sustained in class.

Analyzing the attack, he thought the styles he studied were limited in their application and approach.
If he knew how to lock, box, throw and apply the use of other techniques he would have been better prepared and equipped to handle the situation.
Disillusioned he proceeded to and extensively study various Martial Arts disciplines.

After gaining black belts in 6 different forms, he combined the styles into what he believed as a realistic method of Self Defence.
He furthemore competed in professional boxing, kickboxing and Martial Arts Challenge bouts adding fuel to his knowledge.
It was not his intention to label what he created as a style but his own personal method of self defence.
From the advice of an Oriental training partner and best friend his method had to be given a name.

Since it was not traditional and formulated in the 70s, he possessed something New. It was label Sun Kune Do. ‘Sun’ meaning New ‘Kune’ meaning Fist ‘Do’ meaning Way. Translated meaning New Fist or Modern Fist Way. (Japanese Pronunciation as “SHIN KEN DO”) .
After opening his first club to the public Steve Joseph gave spectacular demonstrations in Sun Kune Do.
Its method of combine use from various self defence forms attracted martial arts practitioners and the public alike with a huge following and popularity in females.

Based on strictly unarmed self defence while maintaining a strong foundation on discipline and respect, its practical methods gain the attention from members of the Metropolitan and Transport Police, Prison Officers and Security Personel which is part of their training regime.
The first lesson in Sun Kune Do started in East London in 1985 with a handful of students.
Now it has expanded with clubs ranging as far as New Zealand, France, Ireland, USA, Morroco, Australia and is still growing.
The system has now expanded to become a martial art which anyone could study as long as they desired to improve good balance in both their mind and their body, to mutually affirm one another’s value, and to benefit society by being as good as possible with one’s training family.