Duncan Stewart, a Bujinkan ninjutsu practitioner from Tasmania, has trained in Japan since 2004. He holds the Menkyo Kaiden of Shinden Fudo Ryu and runs a dojo in Tasmania. In a conversation with Paul, he described his path from a childhood interest in ninjutsu to a long career in the art, including his move to Japan, his training under Masaaki Hatsumi, and his work with children.

Early Interest and First Training

Stewart became interested in ninjutsu at age 12. After his family acquired their first VHS recorder, he rented ninja films from a video shop. He then borrowed a book from the library, Ninja's Secret Fighting Art by Stephen Hayes, which had a green cover. The book was never returned. Through it, he learned about Hatsumi and began searching for a dojo.

Before finding ninjutsu, Stewart trained in a mixed martial arts class, a freestyle karate class, and judo for about two years. None of these were the art he wanted. He visited a local martial arts shop each week and asked whether staff knew of any ninjutsu dojo. One day the shop directed him to a handwritten poster advertising Bujinkan Ninjutsu.

In early 1988, Stewart contacted the instructor, Richard Jones. Jones was English, had studied under Peter King and Chris Rowley, and had moved to Tasmania with his Australian wife. The minimum age to join was 16, and Stewart was 14. His father spoke with Jones by phone, and Jones allowed him to join. Training took place in a small community hall with a wooden floor. Stewart recalled that early rolling practice was painful, and that he focused on improving his technique.

Change of Direction

At the time, Stewart spent time with a peer group that frequently got into trouble with the police. After he began reading Hatsumi's books, he decided to end those associations. He later told younger students that this decision changed his path. He reported the following outcomes for members of that group:

• One crashed a motorbike and suffered a brain injury. His girlfriend, who had been riding with him, died in the crash.
• One became a drug addict.
• One was sent to prison.

Stewart described his own escape from that environment as luck.

Commitment to Training

Stewart stated that he knew from a young age that training was his main goal. When he received offers of apprenticeships and other career opportunities, he assessed each one by asking whether it would allow him to train as much as he did at the time. When the answer was no, he declined. He did not initially consider moving to Japan, teaching abroad, or traveling to meet Hatsumi.

Move to Japan

Stewart moved to Japan on his 31st birthday, in March 2004. It was his second trip to the country. He stayed with Ed Lomax in Kitakoshigaya. When Stewart said he was considering a move, Lomax offered to pass on his fully furnished apartment in Kitakoshigaya when he left the following year. A friend staying at the apartment encouraged Stewart to attend a job interview wearing a shirt and tie. Stewart received a position teaching English on the west side of Tokyo, starting when he returned in March.

He later took a job in Matsuda, which was closer to his home and reduced his commute. This allowed him to train five days a week.

Training Under Hatsumi

Stewart reported that after a period of intensive training and full-time work, he became exhausted. During one class, Hatsumi placed a hand on his shoulder and told him to take a week off. Stewart followed the instruction, rested, and returned fit. He concluded that he had trained too hard too quickly.

Stewart also described training three times a week with Hatsumi for a period. He eventually reduced this to twice a week, which he could sustain. He described the intensity of the classes as demanding on the mind. After Hatsumi's classes, he walked home from the Atago train station, sometimes alone and in darkness, to process what he had learned before socializing.

Tachi Practice

During a tachi waza session, Hatsumi performed a technique on Stewart using an alloy bokuto. Gato Sensei stood nearby. Stewart stood with his legs apart. Hatsumi ran the sword down his chest and pushed him back. Expecting a backward roll, Hatsumi turned to speak with Gato Sensei and left the tip of the sword in place. Stewart rose back up and received the tip of the sword in the chest. Hatsumi noticed and asked whether it had gone in. Stewart replied that it had, "just a little." Stewart said Hatsumi was always in kamae, showing zanshin even while looking away.

Limping Before Class

Stewart arrived early at the ASA dojo one evening and saw Noguchi Sensei and Hatsumi coming up the ramp from the car park. Hatsumi was visibly limping and said his knee was not good that day. Once Hatsumi stepped onto the mat, the limp disappeared. Stewart served as Hatsumi's uke for much of the class. He understood that his role included keeping the observation private.

Broken Foot

Stewart had not been present when Hatsumi broke his foot. Stewart reported that Hatsumi had explained the injury as a fall while walking his dog. Hatsumi then used crutches and a full cast, and used both in ways that surprised students.

Punch at Ayase

At the Ayase dojo, Hatsumi called out, "Duncan, punch," and turned away from Stewart. Stewart was about half the room away. He crossed the floor by sliding his feet, which made it difficult for Hatsumi to count his steps. Hatsumi remained with his back turned, stepped aside as Stewart threw the punch, and Stewart tripped over Hatsumi's leg. Stewart said this moment left him stunned. Steven Hayes has described a similar experience at a seminar.

Awareness and Kyojitsu

Stewart said that when Hatsumi called a student's name, the student lost balance immediately. He recalled being distracted while another person adjusted the air conditioning controls. When Hatsumi called his name at that moment, Stewart was thrown off balance. He described Hatsumi as aware of everything in the room at every moment.

Stewart later related Hatsumi's use of kyojitsu to his experience with his son Kai. He found that he could distract Kai easily with simple questions, and that Kai would still be distracted when the same method was used in a different form. Stewart said this helped him understand how easily he had been misled in his own early training.

Security Work and a Violent Encounter

Before moving to Japan, Stewart worked as a plainclothes security officer for a major department store chain. Two women with prams, whom he had previously caught shoplifting, entered the store with a man whose relation to them was unclear. The women were loud and created a disturbance that drew Stewart's attention. He then lost sight of the man, looked over his left shoulder, and saw him lunging from behind.

Stewart moved to the side, grabbed the attacker's arm, and threw him forward. As the attacker passed, his arm struck Stewart across the neck. The attacker turned about two meters away and held a knife. Stewart checked his neck for blood. The blade was single-edged, and its back had struck his neck. He was not cut.

Stewart concluded that a technique applied in full could have killed the attacker and that he had been fortunate. He noted that instructors warn students against applying techniques with lethal force, and he did not apply a technique in a way that was fully committed. He also said that the attacker's movement had been fluid and that he had acted naturally. The police later detained the man and told Stewart that he was known to them.

Stewart cited accounts that a Musashi Ryu practitioner had ruptured Takamatsu Sensei's eardrum by baiting him into a throw. He stated that he had heard this account but could not confirm its details. He said that such practitioners draw an opponent into a throw and then use the moment of commitment to attack.

Kebab Shop Incident

While playing semi-professionally in a band, Stewart witnessed a disturbance outside a kebab shop at about 2:00 a.m. About 30 or 40 people had gathered on the street, blocking traffic. The shopkeeper stood in the doorway holding a 30 cm kitchen knife and waved it at the crowd, which was taunting him.

Stewart walked toward the shopkeeper while the rest of the band stopped. He asked whether the shopkeeper had called the police. The shopkeeper said he had called about five minutes earlier. Stewart told him the police would arrive soon and suggested they go back inside. The shopkeeper complied. Stewart closed the door. Two staff members remained behind the counter. Stewart bought a drink and a kebab, asked the staff to wait five minutes for the police, and left.

Stewart said he judged the shopkeeper was not a threat. He attributed this judgment to his training, which had taught him to read intent and posture. He concluded that his training had conditioned him to recognize real threats in other people.

Family Background

Stewart's grandfather served as assistant commissioner of police in Tasmania before retiring. He had worked as a detective. He received a bravery medal from Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to Tasmania after he attempted to arrest a murder suspect. As he moved to tackle the suspect, the man drew a shotgun from under his overcoat and pulled the trigger. The weapon jammed.

Concepts of Luck and Determination

Stewart referred to undonkon, a concept he associated with Hatsumi's teaching. He described it as three elements: un (fortune), don (dullness, which he rendered as stupidity), and kon (determination). He said a martial artist needs some luck.

Stewart keeps a stone inscribed with the kanji konjo in the tokonoma of his shomen. He stated that Hatsumi wrote konjo in an unusual way and that he would find the characters and send them to Paul. He described the term as expressing a spirit of perseverance.

Personal Life

Stewart met his wife in Japan. Before moving, he had a vision in Tasmania after bowing out of a class. He saw the silhouette of a woman and a child. He moved to Japan without intending to marry or meet anyone. He later met his wife at a restaurant during a Christmas outing with Steve Olson. Both had remained in Japan over the holiday. Stewart stated that he later recognized the woman as the figure from his vision.

Stewart has two sons. Kai is 18 and has trained at the dojo, although reluctantly for many years. Stewart told Kai early that he could stop training once he turned 18, and Kai has since attended less often. Stewart described an incident in which Kai, who worked at a sushi restaurant, confronted a man who had taken a kitchen knife and threatened staff. Stewart described Kai as mild-mannered but willing to act when necessary. Kai is researching universities and may leave Tasmania.

Stewart's younger son is eight and attends third grade. He trains at the dojo, runs on the mat, and performs forward rolls without using his hands.

Establishing a Dojo in Tasmania

Stewart moved to Japan as a judan. He had operated a dojo in Tasmania before leaving and knew how difficult it was to sustain. He did not want to return to a conventional job. He concluded that he needed to bring elements of Japan with him.

Before leaving, Stewart had planned to return after about two years. A friend, an Aikido practitioner, offered to open a dojo together when he returned. Eight or nine years later, Stewart contacted the friend, who still wanted to proceed. The friend had found a venue. Stewart shipped equipment from Japan and opened the dojo within three months.

Stewart reported that many people had told him he would not succeed. He said this motivated him. He noted that Hobart's martial arts market is saturated for the size of its population, with nearly every style available. The boom in martial arts had passed, which made it harder to attract new students. The dojo survived COVID-19 and remained open.

Stewart leases the venue. The owners permitted modifications, which he carried out within the limits of the lease.

Business and Teaching

Stewart stated that a dojo must generate income. He said that some martial arts communities have discouraged charging fees, but he believes the central question is intent. He said that a person who opens a dojo purely for profit has the wrong motivation. He added that a sincere instructor should be able to earn a living from teaching.

He recalled a conversation with Nagato Sensei about acquiring a sword. Stewart had said he could not afford one. Nagato replied, "Keep training, the money will come." Stewart said the lesson he took from this was to practice sincerely and do what one loves. He said timing cannot be controlled. He described the Japanese term shizen shigoku, or natural timing, as the principle of letting events unfold. He said that accepting this reduces stress and that many opportunities came to him naturally, without his pursuing them.

Teaching Children

Stewart has taught children since age 16. After moving to Japan, he taught children at an eikaiwa, an English conversation school, where he learned to hold children's attention. He said this experience changed his teaching approach.

Stewart described children as unusually receptive. They have few habits from other activities and their bodies remain flexible. He said he finds teaching children more rewarding than teaching adults. He has taught some students since they were six or seven years old, and several have now started university. He described the purity of their movement as a source of satisfaction.

Stewart observed that children often understand more than adults expect. He said instructors need only guide them. He described his youngest child, at age two, and his older child, about four, performing a rear naked choke with his legs around him. He said he recorded this incident.

He also described his wife's experience. She had been training for only a short time when the family moved to Tasmania. She was a Q-rank student, and most of the class held lower ranks. In one session, students struggled to learn a sequence of seven or eight steps. She learned it quickly. When Stewart asked why she could learn it when others could not, a student explained that she was receiving private lessons. Stewart said that was not the reason.

Stewart linked this to calligraphy. He had observed that children and adults learning kanji practice stroke order daily, which conditions the brain to follow sequence. He suggested that his wife's ability to replicate a sequence quickly might reflect that conditioning. He acknowledged that he is not an academic. He later saw a post describing doctoral research on how such training affects memory and learning. He said he does not know how accurate the research is but found the idea consistent with his observation.

Publications

Stewart is the author of a children's book on the Ten Chi Jin. Joe Morantonio helped prepare it for publication. Stewart said he had believed the manuscript was ready, but Morantonio's editing showed that it needed substantial work. Stewart said the book features children performing the techniques, which shows the next generation of practitioners. He noted that many ninjutsu books show only teachers or adult students.

The book includes a character named Charlie, a student who is nearly 15. Stewart described Charlie as exceptional, with a mature approach to training and strong kama technique.

Stewart's other children's book, Fluffy Pooey Ninja, includes a sequence in which the protagonist steps in dog feces at the end. Stewart explained that the story shows how a person can believe they have acted correctly while overlooking a mistake, because they are fixed on their own view.

Stewart has also published a second book, Arty Farty Ninja, illustrated by Esteban from Argentina. In the story, a ninja searching for purpose eats beans, becomes enlightened, and begins painting. The paintings produce foul odors, so no one approaches him. Stewart said he had concerns about publishing the book but went ahead. At the time of the interview, he had a trial print.

Shugendo

Stewart began practicing Shugendo more seriously in his 50th year. He said many people ask why he took it up, but he cannot give a clear reason. He said it simply felt right.

Stewart is the only qualified yamabushi in Tasmania. He trains in Yamagata, where he goes to participate in mountain training. He describes a typical trip as about 10 days in the mountains. He completes various exercises during these periods. He also trains at the dojo before and after these trips.

Stewart bought a conch shell the previous year and spent much of that year practicing. He walked in circles in the dojo while practicing with a kongozue and conch.

Paul described an incident in which a former practitioner, who had left the Bujinkan to pursue Shugendo, visited the dojo before Hatsumi retired. Wearing a white gi and carrying a conch, he asked to blow it before the kamidana. He prepared, but Hatsumi, who had been waiting to leave, walked out before the practitioner finished. Stewart did not comment further.

Stewart also described his training in the mountains as physically demanding.

Physical Training and Diet

Stewart continues to lift weights. On a good day he could dumbbell press 40 kg. He now does this less often and follows a different routine. He said he is more careful with his joints. He began weight training because he had recurring minor injuries from intensive martial arts training. He stated that these complaints disappeared after a period of weight training and that he concluded the problems were caused by insufficient strength.

Stewart describes his diet as protein-based and eaten in moderation. He said he finds sugar difficult to limit. Paul described having followed a strict carnivore diet, consisting only of meat and eggs. Stewart said he had changed his diet to maintain strength and fitness as he aged.

Stewart walks a great deal. He walks to and from the dojo and climbs hills. He noted that Hatsumi also emphasized walking.

Advice on Choosing a Teacher

Asked for advice on finding a dojo, Stewart said the decision is difficult and that no guarantees exist. He said Hatsumi taught that students must develop the ability to discern good teaching. Stewart said that a beginner may find this hard to judge. He said the risk is to train for ten or twenty years under an unqualified teacher before recognizing the problem.

Stewart said that his own ability to judge improves as he trains and observes other practitioners. He can see what training others have received. He also cautioned against overconfidence in one's own judgment.

Ukemi for Nagato Sensei

From roughly 2005 to 2006, Stewart attended Nagato Sensei's classes on Wednesdays and Sundays. Nagato usually selected one uke for the first half of class and another for the second half, often choosing newly promoted fifth dan students. For a period, Nagato used Stewart as uke for both halves.

Stewart did not ask why. He believed that asking would end the arrangement. He waited for Nagato to call on him instead of assuming he was dismissed.

Sleiman Zizi, another Australian who lived in Japan at the time, asked Stewart what he would do when Nagato stopped using him. Stewart said he was looking forward to finding out what he had learned about himself. Near the end of the two years, Nagato stopped calling Stewart and chose someone else. Stewart said he did not feel rejected and took the change calmly.

Stewart later saw how much the period had benefited his understanding of ukemi. He said Hatayama Sensei had also served as uke for a long time.

Other visitors had asked why Nagato chose Stewart. Before Stewart left Japan to return to Tasmania, he asked Nagato directly. Nagato replied that Stewart needed conditioning. Stewart accepted this and said he had needed maturity and time to develop.

Stewart said that the period created a strong bond with Nagato. He also said that it is difficult to know one's standing with a teacher. He stated that he has never sought to become a friend of any teacher, which he considers impossible.

Stewart said he found it difficult to look Hatsumi in the eye and experienced his presence as overwhelming.

Hatsumi's Teaching Methods and Cultural Observations

Stewart described a recognition that came while playing with his son Kai. He found it easy to distract Kai, who would look away and then be distracted again by a different method. He said this made him realize how easily he had been misled, and he connected the experience to Hatsumi's kyojitsu. He said playing with children and teaching them helped him understand this principle.

Shuriken and the Tatami Mat

Stewart described an incident at the old Hombu dojo. He had a key and believed he could train alone there. He practiced shuriken throwing on a straw tatami mat used for demonstrations. As the mat deteriorated, he replaced it with a square mat and later brought a full-size straw tatami mat in on the roof of his car. He later posted a video of this on YouTube, which he said caused problems. He had wanted to encourage students to train shuriken at the Hombu dojo instead of going elsewhere.

On a Friday evening, Shiraishi Sensei told Stewart that Soke wanted to speak with him. Hatsumi had seen Stewart's shuriken practice and said, "Nice shuriken throwing." Stewart asked where Hatsumi had seen it. He then explained that he had brought in a new mat. Hatsumi responded that he had not seen that mat and said, "Very good."

Stewart said he should have asked permission, especially because the dojo was not his own. Stewart said Hatsumi's remark was pointed, and that many people do not recognize when they are being corrected.

Gold Color and Dojo Customs

Noguchi Sensei told Stewart that a visitor's clothing was inappropriate because it was gold. He said gold was Soke's color. The visitor's clothing had a print of a weapon with kanji in gold. Stewart checked his own clothing. Stewart observed that no Japanese practitioner in the room was wearing gold. Foreign students were wearing gold clothing, and he noted that they had adopted it because they believed it represented Soke.

Differences in Training Approaches

Stewart compared how foreign and Japanese students train. He said foreign students tend to attempt the full range of what they see Hatsumi demonstrate. Japanese students often select one point, such as a kaname, that they consider essential and repeat it. Stewart said he came to understand this difference over time.

He linked the difference to cultural values. He said Japanese practice often emphasizes group harmony and avoids standing out until a person has mastered a subject. He said that foreigners are typically raised to try, make mistakes, and accept looking foolish while learning.

A Japanese practitioner told Stewart that Japanese students are strong in refining subtleties and mastering basics, but weaker in henka, or variation. He said foreign students are strong in flow and henka but weaker in kime, or decisive execution. Stewart agreed that each group can learn from the other.

Stewart said that Hatsumi was open about his own development. Stewart recalled that Hatsumi had said, after watching a Takamatsu Sensei DVD, that he had seen how poorly he himself had performed. Stewart said this openness was a strength.

Tokugawa Ieyasu's Portrait

Stewart referred to a famous portrait of Tokugawa Ieyasu depicting him after his defeat at the Battle of Mikatagahara. The interview did not confirm the name used for the portrait. The speakers said Ieyasu had fled the battle and had the portrait painted in a moment of defeat. Stewart said most people choose to be portrayed at their best and that Ieyasu chose to be recorded at a low point.

Closing Remarks

The interview ended with a discussion of Stewart's book and other projects. Paul thanked Stewart for the conversation and described it as a review of Stewart's history in the art.