Ranks?

I didn't know there were ranks in Aikido! My sensei has never mentioned anything about it, but then again, I've only been practicing for a few months now. Can anyone explain these ranks to me?

Kayla,
I figure if your teacher hasn't mentioned them, then it's not something you need to fill your head with just yet! It's a sometimes contentious subject that people can get 'wrapped around the axle about.' That being said, there are generally colored belts throughout the first several beginner levels of rank, typically called kyu. Most organizations have their students in the kyu levels from anywhere between five and eight years. Then typically student is awarded a black belt at shodan level. This signifies entry into the 'dan' (pronounced don) ranking system and signifies the student starting their training over, at the beginning, but at a more serious level (it kind of signifies that person is now a serious student of aikido). From there one can advance as a student, which often coincides with increasing teaching responsibility. Most teachers feel instruction is a great way for one to learn about themselves. Some, however, differentiate between training students and teachers and have separate teaching licenses or ranks specific to one's ability to teach, test, and promote.

I am glad to hear your teacher hasn't brought up ranks and testing this early in your training. In my opinion testing and gaining rank should be seen as a fun, and challenging, experience that exists for the sole purpose of providing a fun and challenging experience...vice an activity to serve as a means to an end. Regardless, have fun and enjoy your new training experiences as you receive the fire hose of information coming at you!

...oh, and generally speaking kyu ranks run somewhere from 10th to 1st kyu and dan ranks run opposite; 1st through 10th dan. Some aikido organizations don't start at 10th kyu though.

The best thing to do is to ask your sensei. Differen't schools/organizations do things differently. Knowing what other schools do isn't going to help you in this situation.

Hi,

The ranks are separated generally into KYU (non-black belt) and DAN (black belt) levels.

Your school will typically have a syllabus of what techniques, at a minimum, you must be able to demonstrate to meet a certain rank. You can ask your sensei if he has this syllabus for your organization.

Taking promotional exams is important and not important at the same time.

It is important as it is part and parcel of the Aikido experience and it somewhat sets objective goals for you to try to achieve since there are minimum requirements set by your organization. But chasing belts for the sake of getting them will get you nowhere. Belt or no belt, think that you are in it for the long haul (ie lifetime). Achieving rank is not the challenge, the journey is.

In some situations, your sensei may not have the authority to grant rank, or may not choose to do so.

Kayla Crofton wrote: Can anyone explain these ranks to me?

Your sensei would be the best person to ask about rank in your dojo. Most likely he has not explained it to you simply because you have not yet asked.

Depending on where you are you training and with whom. I know that certain places the instructor is a black belt but, may not be allowed to confer rank. I have been fortunate to have been studying and training with a shihan in Tomiki so I had a pretty good grasp on what rank is and somewhat when it may come. Whatever style you are learning, google it and find a home page. It may be generic but, should provide you with what the system is and roughly a time frame spent in each rank. Trust in your teacher they do know and if it has only been a few months into it, what's the rush? Ask for books, literature, or a website.