Rob Baard is a 13th-degree black belt (Shihan) in Bujinkan Ninjutsu, trained under the direction of Grandmaster Masaaki Hatsumi in Japan. For over 30 years, Rob has studied martial arts, and for many years prior to COVID he travelled to Japan twice a year, completing over 60 classes annually at the world-renowned Bujinkan Hombu Dojo with Hatsumi Sensei and senior Dai Shihan instructors. His training also includes seminars in the USA Australia including Tasmania, and in 2005 Rob merged his passions for film and martial arts by producing 4 ninja feature films, a web series, and an award-winning documentary, which received Best Documentary at the LA Film Awards.