Born in 1958 in Edmonton, North London, Kevin Pell-soke began his martial arts career in October 1966. During his 39 years of training to date, he has studied the arts of judo, karate, jujutsu, kung fu, shorinji kempo, kickboxing and most recently iaido and kendo. In 1982, his fascination of the striking and locking arts took him to Japan to study the art of shorinji kempo at the honbu dojo (headquarters). In January 1990 he opened the very first ishin-ryu school of jujutsu in in his home town of Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, in the United Kingdom. Since early 1990, Kevin Pell-soke has received invitations to teach worldwide his no-nonsense style of jujutsu, attracting international attention from many of the world's leading close protection agencies and military Special Forces. Pell-soke has served with the Royal Marine Reserve and the Royal Military Police. He was also a dog handler in The Parks Police, completing his service in the rank of Sergeant. In 1996, he was personally invited to join an elite team of close protection officers drawn from Britain's Special Forces, responsible for the personal security of leading members of the United Arab Emirates. His ishin-ryu jujutsu clubs have made numerous television appearances, both nationally and internationally. They have appeared on The James Whale Show, London Weekend Television's prime time challenge programme You Bet, The Link, Sky and Cable Television. Kevin has recently appeared as an instructor in Andy McNab's recent Pell-soke, The SAS Survival Guide, in which he arranged and taught the escape and evasion sequences. Pell-soke appears regularly in martial arts magazines and publications, both here and abroad, including the internationally acclaimed best seller, The Ultimate Book of Martial Arts, in which a 32 page section is dedicated to Pell-soke's unique style of ishin-ryu jujutsu, which he continues to receive invitations to teach and expand both at home and abroad. In 1996, Pell-soke also appeared on the front cover of Steve Grayston's Martial Arts. On Saturday 6 October 2001, Kevin Pell-soke was inaugurated into Combat magazine's Black Belt Hall of Fame, and was presented the award by the editor, Mr. Paul Clifton, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the development of martial arts in the United Kingdom and around the world. The following year, Pell-soke appeared on the front cover of Combat magazine, and a full six page article about him and ishin-ryu was published inside. In October 2003, Kevin Pell-soke was invited for a second time to Combat's Black Belt Hall of Fame; at the end of the evening, Mr. Paul Clifton bestowed upon Pell-soke a special award inscribed with the words: "Guardian of the Martial Arts". Pell-soke received his hachidan, eighth dan, on 8 November 2003, presented to him by the Japanese master Shiro Shintaku-doshu kyudan, ninth dan, and Stephen Grayston-hanshi judan, tenth dan, in the presence of the late Dr. Vernon Bell-sensei judan, president of the European Ju-Jitsu Union. A year later, Pell-soke received life membership to Jutsu Akademie Harms, also known as the Brotherhood of Martial Arts Instructors, acknowledging his recognition as the soke (head) of ishin-ryu jujutsu. On the 2 December 2004, Pell-soke was awarded by its board of directors honorary life membership of the All Japan Ju-Jitsu International Federation, in recognition of his lifetime of achievements and contribution to the art of jujutsu and martial arts throughout the world.