A topic from AEG's L5R CCG Rules forum, copied for Oracle of the Void from a copy of the forum saved in October 2015, so pages it didn't save are missing. Players' names are left out; the rules officials are named. Rulings are as they stood on these dates; later rulings, the rulebooks and the Rules Archive may differ.
A player, 17 April 2008
"Duelist: A Personality with the Duelist keyword is a specialist in single combat. Immediately before the first opportunity to focus or strike in a duel, if a Duelist is the challenger, and the challenged is a non–Duelist with an equal or higher duel stat, the Duelist gains the first opportunity to focus. The Duelist must use this opportunity to focus instead of strike, if possible." (from the Samurai Rulebook)
If your personality has the duelist keyword but is challenged (instead of being the challenger), does your personality benefit from anything ?
Doruk Özaydın (rules official), 17 April 2008
"Duelist: A Personality with the Duelist keyword is a specialist in single combat. Immediately before the first opportunity to focus or strike in a duel, if a Duelist is the challenger, and the challenged is a non–Duelist with an equal or higher duel stat, the Duelist gains the first opportunity to focus. The Duelist must use this opportunity to focus instead of strike, if possible." (from the Samurai Rulebook)
If your personality has the duelist keyword but is challenged (instead of being the challenger), does your personality benefit from anything ?
Only that an opposing Duelist personality who challenges a Duelist personality won't change who gets to focus first.