rugwithlegs

I trained in the Canadian Aikido Federation, and obtained shodan. I moved for work, and the only dojo in that city was a dojo that had broken away from the Ki Society. My rank was not acknowledged, neither was the nidan rank for another visiting physician.

The organization has the ability to decide whose previous training and rank they will honor. I went back to white belt. I didn't care much at first, I did just want to train and learn. I had done the same when I went to a Yoshinkan dojo, and I have done the same since ata Tomiki dojo. I have no problem saying I do not have a shodan level of understanding of the teaching method in these organizations.

Where it got weird this time is that I was actively helping students get ready for grading in short order. One local student started the same time as me, and was congratulated for doing variations that the head of the organization had never seen before (I had taught him those variations). He was given two kyu ranks at once for being so "creative." He lapped up that praise, as did the local teacher. Then, the whole room was given an extended lecture on why all other schools of Aikido suck so hard and so badly. I never disavowed my previous teacher or organization, and after 18 months and several seminars I never was given the chance to test for the lowest kyu rank. I practice the method, I claim no lineage in Ki Aikido.

Around New Years, an Aikikai Hombu fourth Dan was charged with a sexual assault or something like that, and I understand he lost his teaching position. His skills were not lost, and I assume his rank is intact. I have known other people who kept rank despite criminal behavior or unethical behavior. I find this a difficult concept as Aikido makes claims of being an ethical art. A nurse can lose their license for unethical behavior as can a lawyer. But, the skills are still there.

People can genuinely lose their skills through injuries and lose their knowledge through strokes or brain tumors; usually the ranks are left intact in my experience. While the rank stays, the actual instructor duties in the dojo at the local level might have to change temporarily if not permanently.

I have met a few who were given rank for other reasons than their skills. In other arts, being promoted in this fashion is noted on the rank certificate. Stanley Pranin had advocated this should be done with Aikido ranks but to my understanding it is not.

The only punishable offense at the organizational level seems to be disloyalty. One of the benefits of the Aikikai is that the group is so large that a student can find someone else to be aligned to, or they can work directly with the mother organization. Fractures in a dojo or a small area do not affect the larger group or training opportunities. IME, smaller organizations can be much more easily affected.

I took a decade getting to nidan, and as I approach my 30th year in Aikido I am sandan. I cannot clearly say what sandan means though.