What does "ki rank " mean at Ki Society?

I just noticed at a Ki Society dojo that they have a list of instructors with their dan rank and also with a "ki rank". What is the ki rank?

In Ki Society you have to attain certain Ki ranking to be eligible for a corresponding aikido ranking. The ranks don't match up exactly one for one, they roughly go:

Ki Ranking: Shokyu - Aikido Rankings-5th and 4th kyu
Ki Ranking: Chukyu - Aikido Rankings-3rd - 1st kyu
Ki Ranking Jokyu - sometime before shodan
Ki Ranking Shoden - sometime before nidan

Hope this helps.

Joe

Franco Cuminato wrote: I just noticed at a Ki Society dojo that they have a list of instructors with their dan rank and also with a "ki rank". What is the ki rank?

see this thread in the Testing forum

Ki Society Syllabus http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9606

OK, so the "ki rank" corresponds to ki development, but what does that mean? How do they test ki? Does it have anything to do with things like the unbendable arm?

Franco Cuminato wrote: OK, so the "ki rank" corresponds to ki development, but what does that mean? How do they test ki? Does it have anything to do with things like the unbendable arm?

Exactly. A few others: "standing with mind and body coordinated" (test from the front), unliftable body, sitting seiza.

Go check out Ki in Daily Life, all of the exercises and tests are in there.

Best of luck!

Craig Hocker wrote: see this thread in the Testing forum Ki Society Syllabus http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9606

It appears age plays a big part in the development of ki.

Don Magee wrote: It appears age plays a big part in the development of ki.

only as much as it does in aikido development.

if you under 10, sorry.

Craig Hocker wrote: only as much as it does in aikido development. if you under 10, sorry.

I ment that apparently according to the link provided you can not reach high levels of ki mastery unless you are at least over 30. I find it odd that age requirements are put on adult ranks. I'm not used to seeing hard fast age requirements. Time in rank requirements I could see, but to think that if you started younger then someone, put in the same time as them, were at the same skill as them yet could not rank doesn't click with me. But I'm not a member of the ki society.

Don Magee wrote: I ment that apparently according to the link provided you can not reach high levels of ki mastery unless you are at least over 30. I find it odd that age requirements are put on adult ranks. I'm not used to seeing hard fast age requirements. Time in rank requirements I could see, but to think that if you started younger then someone, put in the same time as them, were at the same skill as them yet could not rank doesn't click with me. But I'm not a member of the ki society.

Jokyu is already performing at a fairly high level. Those high ranks above jokyu you can consider the equivalent of dan grades with the exception that these ranks also imply some teaching status AND for Chuden and above some level of authorization for testing others (of course with good status with KNK HQ - not an automatic but pretty much the required step for the teaching certificates).

Shoden, Chuden, Joden, Okuden

There is two Okuden's in the United States at the moment
and both are 8th dans in aikido, were direct students of Tohei Sensei and visit Japan regularly. So the age requirement it the least of the issues to obtaining that rank. One Okuden in Hawaii, also 8th dan and personal student of Tohei Sensei (since the 1950's).

Chief Instructors in the U.S. are at least Chuden or Joden and 6th or 7th dan in aikido and have decades of training and visited Japan on a fairly regular basis.

In other words if you have reached that rank, you have had personal attention and teaching from Tohei Sensei. These ranks are not taken lightly and people can and do fail and until the last few years, Tohei Sensei was the only one authorized to do the testing until the last few years. That's changing. The organization is in transition due to Tohei's advanced age and health (over 85) has made his wish to make personally sure high standards are maintained not practical.

I know we live in a culture that worships youth but we still require a presidential candidate to be at least 35 years old for good reasons.

Franco Cuminato wrote: OK, so the "ki rank" corresponds to ki development, but what does that mean? How do they test ki? Does it have anything to do with things like the unbendable arm?

In my less than three years experience in the Ki Society, here's what I can say: Ki testing and advancing in ki level is a requirement as you reach certain rank. As you advance in your grade in aikido, you are required to attain a certain level of mastery in extending ki and not cutting it. By this , I mean being able to maintain coordination of mind and body during the test (hopefully you apply this in your daily life which is the true benefit).

Basically, the test involves distracting you at what ever you are required to do during testing, unbendable are being one of them (there's a lot more).

First level of testing test for extension of ki without hesitation right after a waza. If you are extending ki throughout the waza, you should be immovable when they do the test right after the waza.

The second level of testing involves slight hesitation. This requires continuous extension of ki even after the waza. This is a harder test because this goes beyond a physical test, it a test to see if your mind can be disturbed by the slight hesitation. Normally if you see a hand coming in to push you, the tendency is to prepare for the push so you lean slightly forward right? Well, this is mind being disturbed, ki extension being cut. The result is an unstable posture- easy to push. In this test , if your mind is not disturbed by the test and continue to extending ki, you will remain stable and immovable.

The third level is an even harder test in that the tester him/her self will extend ki through you to move you. Like the second level test, you have to extend ki constantly. This time, you are also required to not receive the ki of the tester. This is a total mind job! Normally the tester already know if you are extending ki during his approach. If you cut ki, the test is over even before the tester touches you!

The key thing is (pardon the pun) for you to exted ki all the time. To be able to face any problem: school, work, home, while driving, while being attacked, so you can deal with them the proper way without getting upset.

This is what I know from my limited experience. Corrections are welcome.

My ki rank is at the first level and I'm preparing for the second level on my 3rd kyu aikido testing.