Every martial art has its own ranking system, and Aikido differs from school to school. Here's how ranks work at Loudoun Valley Ki Aikido, which follows the system of the Ki Society (Shinshin Toitsu Aikido).
Two Kinds of Rank
In Ki Aikido there are two parallel tracks:
- Aikido ranks show your progress in technique, from 5th kyu up through the black belt (dan) ranks.
- Ki tests show your progress in calmness and stability: your ability to keep Bodymind Oneness while standing, sitting, moving, and being tested by an examiner.
The two tracks are connected. Certain Ki tests are required before you can take certain Aikido ranks, because technique without a settled mind isn't really Aikido.
We usually call rank tests "exhibitions." The idea is that you're showing what you've already made your own, not cramming for an exam.
The Kyu Ranks (Before Black Belt)
Kyu ranks count down, from 5th kyu to 1st kyu. Each rank has a training focus, a question that captures what that stage is really about.
| Rank | Belt | Minimum training | Training focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5th kyu | Blue | 3 months and 30 hours | "Where is your mind?" |
| 4th kyu | Purple | 30 hours since 5th kyu | "What is the rhythm?" |
| 3rd kyu | Purple | 30 hours since 4th kyu | "Do you have control?" |
| 2nd kyu | Brown | 6 months and 50 hours since 3rd kyu | "Beginnings of power" |
| 1st kyu | Brown | 6 months and 50 hours since 2nd kyu | "Ki moves first" |
Along the way, you work on solo exercises (hitori waza) and paired techniques (kumi waza), to randori (freestyle practice against one or more attackers), and taigi, flowing sequences of techniques done with a partner.
The Dan Ranks (Black Belt)
| Rank | Belt | Minimum training | Training focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shodan (1st dan) | Black, with hakama | 6 months and 70 hours since 1st kyu | "Show" |
| Nidan (2nd dan) | Black, with hakama | 1 year since shodan | "Clarity of power" |
| Sandan (3rd dan) | Black, with hakama | 2 years since nidan | "Unity of calm and action" |
Higher dan ranks continue from there. The hakama, the wide pleated trousers you may have seen in Aikido photos, is worn from shodan in our dojo.
Shodan (初段) literally means "beginning step." It's a common misunderstanding that black belt means mastery. In Aikido it means you've built a solid enough foundation to really begin.
The Ki Tests
| Ki test | Requirements | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Shokyu | Age 10 and up; no time requirement | Do you understand the difference between experiencing Bodymind Oneness and not? |
| Chukyu | Age 13 and up; 24 hours since Shokyu | Are you stable from the beginning? |
| Jokyu | Age 15 and up; 48 hours since Chukyu | Does your mind/heart/spirit remain calm, not just the body? |
| Shoden | Before Sandan | Deeper level of calmness |
Shokyu comes before 5th kyu, Chukyu before 3rd kyu, and Jokyu before 1st kyu. Beyond Shoden come Chuden, Joden, and Okuden, the senior levels of Ki Development.
How Long Does It Take to Get a Black Belt?
If you add up the minimums, the fastest path to shodan is roughly 260 hours of training and close to two years of intensive practice. Most students take five years or longer, and that's fine. There's no prize for getting there first.
What Rank Really Means
Rank is useful. It gives you milestones, and preparing for an exhibition is a great way to focus and deepen your practice. But in Ki Aikido, rank isn't the point, and nobody competes for it. The training focus for 5th kyu, your very first rank, is "Where is your mind?" At shodan, you're asked the same question again. The beginner's question never goes away; your answer just gets clearer.
Start at the Beginning
Every black belt in our dojo started with a first class. We train at the Hillsboro Old Stone School in western Loudoun County, and your first class is free.
Matt Doetsch-Kidder, Head Instructor, Loudoun Valley Ki Aikido