Aikido Ranking Data

As an extention of the "Dan grade age" thread, which asked about people's average age for achieving Dan ranking in their dojos, I would like to collect data and create a study. I therefore request that anybody interested email me at aikidandata@yahoo.com with the following data:

• The person's age
• Gender
• Rank
• And if you know it, how long they have been studying

Thank you so much. Obviously, this won't take into account a number of factors, such as prior experience, association, etc, but hopefully this will yield some interesting data.

Have a nice day,
Matt

Okay, just to clarify a few things... I'm not looking for you to spend hours evaluating your entire dojo roster. Just a few minutes spent thinking about a half-dozen of your training partners would be great. So far I've gotten one response (thanks, Rachel!), and I'm hoping for much more. Also, don't forget to include yourself!

Matt

So I still haven't gotten any responses. Does anybody have any advice for me? Reasons why maybe people don't want to respond? I just want to know.

Matt

I'm sorry, but I don't feel comfortable giving up these informations about my sensei and sempais without asking them first, and I must admit that I haven't asked any of them, as I have had a lot of other things on my mind. Perhaps go to the source and ask the yudansha's themselves.

Matt Holmes (mattholmes) wrote: As an extention of the "Dan grade age" thread, which asked about people's average age for achieving Dan ranking in their dojos, I would like to collect data and create a study. I therefore request that anybody interested email me at aikidandata@yahoo.com with the following data: The person's age Gender Rank And if you know it, how long they have been studying Thank you so much. Obviously, this won't take into account a number of factors, such as prior experience, association, etc, but hopefully this will yield some interesting data. Have a nice day, Matt

Mr Holmes,

Apologies for the seeming lack of cooperation, but there are too many variables in your original post. You say that you want to do a study, but I would want to know what kind of study. My own university students who want to do surveys are usually very careful about how they present the request and how they justify the requests for information they are seeking.

On the basis of your initial post, I think very few people would go through their records and give you the information you are seeking. I think I can speak for the Aikikai Hombu in this regard.

So perhaps you might give more information about the study you intend to do.

Best regards,

I agree with Peter's post. I also would not participate because I'm not sure rank is much of an indicator across associations, or even sometimes, within an association.

I generally would not ever ask someone their rank. If someone asks mine, I make a determination based on the situation as to whether to answer or not. I probably would never answer in a public forum.

Ron Tisdale

Being probably the only person who answered this question, I took it just as a poll to see what average age, length of practice and the like, and not anything specific to who we were, just a general question for a general answer, no individual specifics. Am I then the only one who read it that way? Was it meant differently? Matt, please explain.

Thanks,

Rachel

Hi! I'll give my info: 43-yo Female white belt studying 1 year.

I read Matt's request as a informal poll more than a "study." I feel as if I could reveal the above info about other people as long as there is no identifying info attached. But I respect that others may feel differently. Certainly Matt used some formal language that could be associated with a scientific survey, which would need consent forms and risk/benefit analysis and disclosures and all.