arrived in Bermuda for a brief visit yesterday, with an eye on further enhancing the sport's status locally.

Duncan is here as a guest of John Bento and today will be upgrading deserving students from Bento's Martial Arts Academy Kindai-Ryu School of Self Defence.

"My purpose is to reacquaint myself with one of my senior students (Bento) as well as update future plans regarding the direction of martial arts here,'' said Duncan.

Duncan, who describes himself as the "father of Jujitsu in the western world'', claimed the arts helped enhance one's identity and were beneficial both mentally and physically.

"It's character building, creates positive mind sets, self confidence and self determination for those who embrace the art as they should,'' explained Duncan, who lives on Long Island, New York and operates a school in Queens Village. "But let me make it clear that I don't for a moment propose martial arts as a cure-it-all for the world's ills. You have to understand that when you study you have to have desire first, motivation and discipline to persevere as martial arts are expressions of oneself.

Duncan stressed he was not here to lecture and tell the local community what it had to do, but merely to "disseminate the benefits of the discipline''.

A teacher since 1957, he has been called on to train military personnel and police in various methods. He holds the highest rank attainable -- 10th Dan -- and carries the title O-Sensei (teacher of teachers, master of masters).

Also on his list of credits are 34 appearances on ABC Wide World of Sports, several on the rival NBC network, as well as numerous instruction videos and books.

Duncan married a Bermudian -- Rosalie Darrell -- and has visited here several times.

Bento described the occasion of Duncan's visit as a time to "restructure and re-energise our association''.

He said the sport was on the rise again after a period of stagnation and claimed Duncan's visit could only help with that growth process.

"It's gone quiet through the years, but because of certain incidents with break-ins and robberies and things like that people are starting to come out and see what kind of self-defence they can get a hold of,'' said Bento, an instructor for some 20 years and possessing a seventh degree black belt.

Each paid tribute to Skipper Ingham as one who had brought the sport to the masses locally.