Phil has been training for about 35 years. He started training in 1984 under Brian McCarthy. Phil saw Hatsumi Sensei for the first time in London in 1988. He has trained with Soke many times around the world. Phil received his Shodan in 1991 and took the Godan test in 2002 in Japan with Soke. In 2007 he was graded to 10th Dan under recommendation from Jack Hoban, Ed Martin, Richard Van Donk & Murray Taylor.