Stephen Peil Hanshi
My name is Stephen Peil Hanshi, and I have been training in martial arts since 1980. What began as a young lad stepping onto a hard wooden floor in a sports hall for my first Karate lesson has become a lifelong journey of over 45 years—a journey that has shaped who I am, how I think, how I teach, and how I live my life.
I didn’t start martial arts to collect titles or build a reputation. I started like most people do—out of curiosity, enthusiasm, and a desire to learn. Karate was my first art, and it gave me the foundations that I still rely on today: discipline, respect, repetition, humility, and perseverance. Those early years taught me that progress comes through effort, not shortcuts.
In 1983, I began training in Japanese Jiu-Jitsu, and that was where I truly found my path. Jiu-Jitsu made sense to me. It was practical, adaptable, and rooted in control rather than brute force. I earned my first Black Belt in 1986, and from that point on, Jiu-Jitsu became the core of my martial life. It still is today.
I am currently an 8th Dan in Japanese Jiu-Jitsu, but I’ve never seen that rank as an endpoint. To me, a high grade is not a reward—it’s a responsibility. It means setting the standard, protecting the art, and doing things properly, even when it would be easier not to.
Over the years, I deliberately broadened my training. I didn’t want to become narrow in my thinking or limited in my ability. I wanted to understand combat, self-defence, and movement from multiple perspectives. That led me to train extensively in other systems and earn senior grades, including:
- 7th Dan in Kobujutsu
- Kempo Karate
- Escrima
- Jeet Kune Do / Kali
- Taekwondo
Each of these arts taught me something different. Kobujutsu deepened my understanding of traditional weapons and body mechanics. Kempo Karate refined my striking and structure. Escrima and Kali developed my awareness of weapons and distance. JKD encouraged adaptability and honesty. Taekwondo sharpened my kicking, balance, and athleticism.
I’ve trained on tatami mats, wooden floors, concrete, sports halls, community centres, and seminar venues. I’ve trained with beginners, international instructors, champions, and everyday people just trying to better themselves. In 2022, I competed at the ITF Taekwondo World Cup in Slovenia, not to prove anything to anyone else, but to prove to myself that age does not have to define your limits if your mindset is right.
Alongside my martial arts journey, I spent over 30 years in the UK Prison Service, with time as a Control and Restraint / Use of Force Instructor. That career shaped me just as much as martial arts did—probably more.
Working in custodial environments teaches you very quickly that fantasy doesn’t survive contact with reality. You learn that:
- Force must be proportionate Control matters more than aggression
- De-escalation is always preferable
- Decisions carry legal and moral consequences
- Panic makes things worse
- Ego gets people hurt
In that environment, techniques have to work. Communication has to work. Teamwork has to work. You don’t get second chances. Those lessons stay with you for life.
Being responsible for training staff in use of force and restraint meant I had to understand not only how to apply techniques, but how to justify them ethically, legally, and professionally. That experience heavily influences how I teach today. I don’t teach people to fight. I teach them to think, to assess, and to act responsibly.
In 2002, after nearly two decades of training and professional experience, I founded Aka Ryu Jiu-Jitsu—Red Dragon Jiu-Jitsu.
I didn’t create Aka Ryu to invent something new for the sake of it. I created it to bring together everything I had learned: traditional Japanese principles, practical striking, throws, locks, pins, groundwork, weapons awareness, and professional control and restraint. I wanted a system that was realistic, ethical, structured, and sustainable.
Aka Ryu is not about shortcuts. It’s about doing things properly. It’s about understanding why techniques work, when they should be used, and when they shouldn’t. It’s about developing confidence without arrogance and ability without recklessness.
I hold the title of Hanshi, which reflects decades of training, teaching, and service. I respect the title, and I understand what it represents. But I’ve never let it define me. I will always see myself as a Sensei first—someone who is still learning, still training, still making mistakes, and still trying to improve.
The day you think you’ve mastered martial arts is the day you stop deserving to teach them.
My teaching philosophy is simple:
Honour tradition. Train for reality. Take responsibility.
I believe in strong fundamentals. I believe in partner compliance as a teaching tool. I believe in pressure testing at the right time, in the right way. I believe in safety, structure, and progression. I believe students should understand not just how to do techniques, but the consequences of using them.
Martial arts should make you calmer, more disciplined, more aware, and more capable. They should improve your life, not dominate it.
For me, martial arts have never been about trophies, social media, or status. They’ve been about character, resilience, service, and lifelong growth. They’ve helped me through personal loss, professional pressure, injury, doubt, and difficult periods in life. They’ve given me stability when other things were uncertain.
After more than four decades on the mat and three decades in professional service, I’m still learning. I’m still training. I’m still refining. And I’m still committed to passing on what I’ve learned honestly and responsibly.
Aka Ryu Jiu-Jitsu is the result of that journey. It reflects my experiences, my mistakes, my lessons, and my values. It is traditional in spirit, realistic in application, and grounded in responsibility.
That’s what I stand for.
That’s what I teach.
And that’s the standard I hold myself to.
