Thanks for all the great comments, people.
I am looking forward to training again, and for the first time with an affiliated school headed by a Sensei that has an actual ranking by a legitimate Aikido organization.
I know I learned a lot in my 4 1/2 years of training, and probably would be at 2nd Kyu level in most systems. Still, I'm aware that I am essentially starting over and going in at 5th Kyu level.
Which is great, because I need to work my way back into shape anyway.
I just can't help wondering how many other students out there that have invested years in their training don't know they've been mislead.
How many 'maverick' teachers out there are like Dan or Larry, the guys I trained with? They hang around aikido dojos, have a problem with authority, don't believe in testing (for themselves, at least) and after a few years just decide they must know enough to teach now and go off and start their own school and claim an advanced Dan rank?
Corpus isn't that big and I already met two.