Kyoshi Stephen (Steve) Phillips was born in 1971 in New Jersey. He started training in the martial arts at the age of 11 and has trained under several great masters to include: Howard Moore, Phil Maldonato, John Austino Sr., Ric Pascetta, Grand Master Peter Urban, and Grand Master Bill "Superfoot" Wallace. In 1989, Kyoshi Phillips graduated high school and joined the U.S. Army as a Military Police Soldier. During his military service he traveled overseas and continued training and teaching soldiers in the martial arts.

Over the years, Kyoshi Phillips has trained in several different martial arts to include: Hung Gar Kung Fu, Okinawa Kenpo, Okinawan Weapons, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, Jeet Kun Do, The Superfoot Kickboxing System, and Goju Ryu. Besides training in several systems, Kyoshi Phillips has also competed and coached karate, jiu-jitsu, and cage fighting\MMA events.

Kyoshi Phillips is a local police investigator who is also a U.S. Military Veteran. Upon returning from Iraq, he went to the police academy and opened Fighting Tigers Martial Arts Academy (now the Kei Shin Martial Arts Academy) in Conway, South Carolina. He currently still works in law enforcement as an investigator for a local agency and continues to train in the martial arts. He has been certified by the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy as an instructor for Defensive Tactics and Ground Defense. He has also been certified as an instructor in P.P.C.T. (Pressure Point Control Tactics), Handcuffing, Spontaneous Knife Defense, and Weapons Disarming. He was also certified by ASP to teach their expandable baton system. 

Kyoshi Phillips is also a SAG Eligible actor.  He has been in several films and also does some stunt coordination, fight scene choreography, and is a police consultant.  You can view his films and projects on IMDB at Stephen Royal Phillips.