Instructor

Duncan Mitchell

I began my study of the Bujinkan in 1988 in Perth, Western Australia. In 1990, I moved to Japan, where I lived and trained until 1995, immersing myself in the daily practice of Bujinkan Budō Taijutsu.

Duncan Mitchell and Shiraishi Isamu-sensei – 2024

In 1995, I returned to Australia and established my first Bujinkan training group in Perth. After moving to Brisbane in 1997, I founded Bujinkan Brisbane, which has continued to provide traditional Japanese martial arts instruction for students in Brisbane for more than 25 years.

During my years living in Japan and subsequent years since, I was fortunate to train directly with Grandmaster Masaaki Hatsumi Sensei, as well as many of the senior Japanese instructors of the Bujinkan, including Shiraishi Sensei, Seno Sensei, Noguchi Sensei, Nagato Sensei, Oguri Sensei, Sakai Sensei, Hosoda Sensei, Sakuma Sensei, Tezuka Sensei, Nakadai Sensei, and Yoshida Sensei. I also had the opportunity to train with former senior instructors including Manaka Sensei and Taguchi Sensei.

Since returning to Australia, I have continued travelling to Japan regularly for further training, maintaining my connection with the Bujinkan community and continuing my study of the art.

Rank and Recognition

Throughout my training, I have been fortunate to receive recognition within the Bujinkan, including:

Passed the Godan (5th Dan) test and received Shidōshi (Instructor) licence in 1995
Awarded the Bujinkan Gold Medal in 2001
Received the highest dan rank currently awarded within the Bujinkan in 2009
Received the Bufu Ikkan Award in 2011
Received Yūshū Shihan (Teacher of Excellence) Menkyo in 2015
Received Dai-Shihan (Senior Teacher) Menkyo in 2017

Author

In addition to teaching, I have written two books on Bujinkan Budō Taijutsu:

Budo Taijutsu — An Illustrated Reference Guide of Bujinkan Dōjō Budo Taijutsu (2020)

Bojutsu — Hanbō, Rokushaku-Bō and Jō (2024)

I am currently working on my third book:

Bikenjutsu — Ken, Yari, Naginata, Jutte and Kodachi

My aim through both teaching and writing is to preserve, document, and share the principles of Bujinkan Budō Taijutsu for current and future generations.