Phil Norman

A Pioneer of UK MMA

My name is Phil Norman. I am a life-long martial artist, full instructor under Guro Dan Inosanto and considered a pioneer of MMA in the UK.

I've been very fortunate to train with many of the best martial artists in the world, including Dan Inosanto, Erik Paulson, Rick Faye, Yori Nakamura, Trevor Ambrose and many others.

It Felt Like His Three Mates Had Jumped In The Ring

It was after winning World and British titles in different combat sports that an embarrassing KO made me rethink my approach to combat. That led me to Trevor Ambrose — a multiple kickboxing and boxing champion with hundreds of fights to his name.

Trevor had this incredibly elusive style of striking. The first time we sparred, the moment after we touched gloves, it seemed like his three mates had jumped in the ring. He was hitting me from everywhere but seemed to vanish whenever I tried to punch him.

Finding The Missing Piece

The answer was in Kali. A weapon-based art where one of the main principles is off-lining. After all, if someone is going to stab you or try to bash you with a stick, you definitely don't want to stand in front of them.

It wasn't until a particular numerado training session with Rick Faye that I realised off-lining was the missing piece in the elusive puzzle — and one of the main principles of Ghost was born.

Over 11 Years of Pressure Testing

Thanks to a LOT of pressure testing and experimentation at the highest level of competition, Ghost has developed into a complete system that can be taught to anyone — whether they have previous experience or not.

Through the Ghost system, I've taken students with zero martial arts skills to MMA champions in six months, and helped competitors conquer national and international titles while taking minimal damage on route to victory.