Phil Morley

Instructor

Phil began training in 2007 when he woke up one morning to an intruder standing over him after falling asleep on the lounge at home. He chased the intruder away however quickly realised that he was very lucky that the intruder decided run and not put up a fight. This incident motivated Phil to search for a street effective self defence so that he no longer feel vulnerable in a situation.

Phil extensively travelled the world and decided to move to Australia from Canada. He was previously working as a mechanical engineer, then transitioned to building furniture from wood when he first started training and enjoyed learning practical self protection skills.

Phil is no stranger to working hard, physically and mentally. He enjoys the growth and personal development from training and has instilled greater discipline and focus in his life. He loves to learn and grow in deep ways and shares his knowledge with his students and everyone he meets.

After a decade of training, Phil was inspired to change careers to become an Arakan Instructor and pass on his knowledge of teaching others how to defend themselves effectively. His focus is on uplifting and inspiring his students and teach them fast and effective self defence techniques.

Phil is amongst a select few who get to train with the Chief Instructor directly and graded his Orange Belt in 2021.

When Phil is not training or teaching, he enjoys being active, spending outdoors and still revels in his hobby of building furniture with his hands.

Student Testimonials

Training with Phil was an incredible experience! His wealth of knowledge was apparent, as was his high level of experience. This martial art has been a huge part of his life for decades and he is eager to pass on the benefits he has gained from it. 
He helped me understand the importance of not only the physical movements, but also strength of mind and spirit. 
He is inspiring in so many ways and I would highly recommend spending your time learning from him!

Domonique Lloyd

I have been training with Phil for about 6 months as he built his hours to become a fully qualified & paid Arakan instructor & it gives me great pleasure to wholeheartedly endorse him as an instructor & knowledgeable Arakan practitioner. Phil's attention to detail is outstanding. Throughout our time training together he's effectively managed to work around various injuries I've had from time to time & always provided a high quality lesson regardless of those conditions. He's extremely enthusiastic, & pleasant to work with, I've always looked forward to our training sessions & I feel privileged to have been taught by him as I think it's taken my skill level to greater heights. Phil's enthusiasm is contagious & I'd encourage anyone to train with him.

Ben Cook

I have had my son training with Phil for about 6 months. With the customisation of the lessons Phil works with my son to achieve the most out of each lesson and my son has come so far in this time. It is all thanks to Phil with his understanding and patience that my son has learnt so life long skills. Looking forward to seeing his skills grow with further lessons.

Aleshia Voevodin, mother of Nate

I was a student of Arakan 20 years ago and have continually found that Arakan has given me so much more than I could have ever imagined it would have when I first started. I have worked away for many years and have not been had opportunity to really train for various reasons. I originally planned to just enroll my son so that he could gain the same skills that I gained from my training 20 years ago, however after a complimentary lesson with Phil Morley I was back hooked. Not just on Arakan but as a student of Phil’s. 

Phil has a very similar ethos to me and shares passion in all the right areas for not just Arakan but life as well. Phil truly walks the walk and talks the talk when it comes to embodying the mind, body and soul element of Arakan Martial Art. Countless times now , Phil has gone above and beyond in teaching and listening to my needs as a student. Phil is Tough on areas that require attention and does not settle for second best, however at the same time he does not expect me to get it right first time and shows commitment to not just be patient in waiting for me to get something right but to also examine how he may be able to teach me something better so that I get to my goals quicker and with less frustration.
 
Phil is destructive, powerful and focused and repeatedly empowers me to become the same. I do not feel that I am ever rushed by Phil and the entire time I am being trained by him I am given 100 percent attention.
 
In 20 years, the quality of instructor has levelled up massively and the professionalism has gone through the roof and with that in mind, it is great to see Arakan has not lost its personal side as well, where student and teacher share the key to success. Phil and his teaching are the product of his commitment and respect to Chief Instructor Rob, Arakan Martial Art itself and all the other Arakan instructors / students.
 
I would like to think that Phil is not just teaching me to become a destructive force, but over time is fast becoming a friend as well. Anyone looking to train Arakan whether new to it or not will gain a wealth of knowledge and confidence from even just a few sessions with Phil Morley.

Ty Kerr

I am 70 years old and have been learning Arakan for approximately 1.5 years. Phil Morley took over my Arakan education in the absence of my usual instructor. Phil is a greater teacher - technically knowledgeable and patient, especially when my mind knew what to do but my body was uncooperative. Phil let me train at my own pace and took into account my physical infirmities. The training varied from week to week  which challenged me and kept me on my toes. I highly recommend Phil as a teacher and trainer.

Mark Kenny

Phil's passion for Arakan and concern for safety qualifies him as a great instructor. However it's his ability to kindly push students, developing not only their bodies but their minds, that has made Phil such a positive influence in my life. I grew more confident, learnt so much about myself and had an absolute blast doing so. I couldn't recommend Phil enough, fantastic instructor!

David Whebell

Love Phil's old school approach with the level of expectations and values he instils in the lads. Phil is a very skilled instructor and cares intensely about his Kids.

Jan Freeman (Jedd & Jai)

I truly have enjoyed learning from Phil. He is informative, humble, and has excellent knowledge of Arakan. 

Kalvin Stone

I have really enjoyed my time being trained by Phil. I have spent many years in various martial arts since the mid 80's. I would put Phil right up to near the top of the best Instructors I have ever been exposed to.

Dr David Christiansen

Phil has been nothing but exceptional in his delivery of Arakan lessons. Our son Noah is on the spectrum and Phil has been incredibly patient, calm, nurturing and supportive. Phil has helped Noah feel more confident and have given him physical skills, who have greatly improved Noah's gross motor skills. Not only is Phil a wonderful human, but he has displayed excellent leadership skills and is a role model to both young and older members of society.

Joseph and Lauren Spedding