So, recently I was sent a video from Phil Elmore, in which Phil was explaining he actually holds a dan rank in his instructor’s system, as well as instructor certification in that system. I went ahead and contacted his old Sifu’s/Guro’s son-who currently operates the schools and heads the system, asking if Phil was indeed a dan rank or black belt, and if he held an instructor’s certification: This was his reply:
Hello sir, I’m Guro Dan Donzella’s son.
Phil Elmore did study under my father for a few years.
It was quite some time ago but don’t recall time frame
So no, Dan Donzella’s system/schools do not have either an active black belt/dan ranking nor valid instructor’s ranking for Mr. Phil Elmore. I doubt, his having only trained with Guro Donzella for a few years he ever had one–as it apparently takes a decade to earn dan rank in the system. Schools rarely keep gup/ku students records over many years, but I’ve never seen one that doesn’t have a list of the people promoted to black belt, and especially those given instructor certification. Phil’s very philosophy of being a “martialist” (not a martial artist) is that ordinary people can defend themselves. Well, the point seems to be that the ordinary person, who doesn’t train, doesn’t exercise, and doesn’t take care of themselves CAN’T defend themselves against a normal agressor, and we see this all the time.
Next…
So today 9/9/2023 I was viewing Larsen Halleck’s podcast and various comments were discussing the many b.s. martial artists he’d done documentaries on, when Phil got mentioned, he said he had done a video about Elmore back several years ago, and he had to pull it because Phil Elmore threatened to sue him for it; so Phil, who loves to lambast people like Ashida Kim for their legal flailings of anyone who says something they don’t like—does exactly the same kind of behavior.
He keeps failing hilariously…hail the ground dwelling sloth mammal.