PUBLISHED 22 AUG 2026

A senior Bujinkan instructor has criticised practitioners who actively pursue rank, titles and recognition, arguing that the desire for status can undermine the values at the heart of budō.

Duncan Stewart, Dojo-cho of the Bujinkan Tasmania Toku Bu Ryū Sui Budō Dōjō, issued the strongly worded remarks on the dojo’s Facebook page, taking aim at instructors and practitioners who, in his view, attempt to influence teachers into awarding them grades or recognition.

Stewart described reports of people approaching Sōke and directly asking for rank as “deeply disappointing”.

“Rank, recognition, licences and titles are not things a true martial artist should pursue or solicit,” Stewart wrote. “They are things bestowed by a teacher when that teacher believes they are deserved.”

He went on to argue that deliberately manoeuvring for recognition diminishes the meaning of the award itself.

The Bujinkan teacher also questioned the motivation behind hosting martial arts events when the organiser may be seeking personal advancement.

“Likewise, if someone hosts a Taikai with the ulterior motive of gaining favour, recognition or advancement from the invited teacher, I find that equally deplorable,” he wrote.

For Stewart, the issue extends beyond etiquette. He believes actively seeking status can reveal a deeper problem with a practitioner's approach to martial arts.

“Even if they eventually receive the rank or recognition they were seeking, they have gained nothing of real value,” he stated. “They may have succeeded in obtaining a title, but they have failed as a bugeisha.”

Rank Is Not the Goal

Stewart subsequently expanded on his criticism, arguing that rank itself should not be confused with martial ability, knowledge or personal development.

“If someone asks for a rank, their ego and desires are clearly visible,” he remarked.

He described rank as “a piece of paper” and warned that some practitioners may come to regard promotion as a reward for simply having spent a certain amount of time training.

According to Stewart, longevity alone does not necessarily demonstrate increased skill or knowledge.

“Many people have received ranks and titles but have not done anything else to work toward the responsibility bestowed,” he wrote.

He also suggested that the pursuit of promotion can ultimately become an ego-driven endpoint to someone's training rather than a reflection of genuine development.

Following Hatsumi's Warning

Stewart reinforced his argument by quoting the founder of the Bujinkan, Grandmaster Masaaki Hatsumi, on what he described as “rank collectors”.

The passage highlights practitioners who fail to understand the deeper nature of martial arts and instead become preoccupied with grades and being recognised as “Number One”.

Hatsumi's warning describes this as an “underdeveloped” form of martial artist—one characterised by self-centred behaviour and an excessive concern with grades.

For Stewart, the quotation remains highly relevant to the modern martial arts community.

His message is ultimately a reminder that the pursuit of budō is supposed to be about something greater than certificates, titles or status.

A Decade Studying in Japan

Stewart's comments come from a practitioner with extensive experience within the Bujinkan.

He lived in Japan for almost a decade, studying Bujinkan martial arts directly under Grandmaster Masaaki Hatsumi, as well as Shihan Toshiro Nagato, Shihan Yukio Noguchi and Shihan Kennichi Someya.

He is Dojo-cho of the Bujinkan Tasmania Toku Bu Ryū Sui Dōjō and is described as the highest-ranked Bujinkan practitioner in Tasmania. He is also a licensed senior Shidoshi-kai instructor of Bujinkan Budō Taijutsu.

During his time training at the Bujinkan Hombu Dōjō in Japan, Stewart also received the Golden Dragon Award, Embu Excellence Award and Bufu Ikkan Shin Gi Tai Award directly from Hatsumi.

His recent comments therefore come from someone who has spent many years within the organisation and its training culture.

Ultimately, Stewart's message is uncompromising: rank should be the consequence of training and trust—not the objective of it.

For those pursuing the martial arts, the distinction may be an important one. A title can be awarded. A grade can be written on a certificate. But the character, skill and understanding that should accompany them cannot simply be requested.