The Grading System

In Kikusui Kai Aikido there are five Kyu or student grades, before Dan rank (Black Belt). These are indicated by different coloured belts that the students wear:-

Grade	Belt
7th Kyu	Red
6th Kyu	White
5th Kyu	Yellow
4th Kyu	Orange
3rd Kyu	Green
2nd Kyu	Blue
1st Kyu	Brown

The first Black Belt is know as a Shodan or 1st Dan. In the Kikusui Kai this is the first rank that is registered with the Japan Aikido Association in Tokyo. Japan.

Grading examinations are held every six months. If the student is successful in their grading, they are awarded a Kikusui Kai certificate.

After every grading there are some students disappointed, and even upset, if they have not been successful in obtaining their next grade. Gradings are not rewards for training hard or attending sessions regularly, although both of these elements are necessary if your Aikido is to develop properly. Gradings are but an assessment of the student's ability to move on to the next stage of their training. The belt system is merely an indication that you have knowledge of the techniques at the lower grades and are ready to move on. However, previously learnt techniques. Even the highest grades of Black Belts continue to practice basic exercises and drills, always striving for perfection.

One must always remember that attaining Black Belt is not the end of the student's training, only the end of the first phase, although student's can be justifiably proud of achieving a Dan grade, it is only the start of their Aikido training. By the time the student has obtained this grade they will be fit, strong and have the correct technique and should be mentally competent enough to be able to embark on a most exciting journey knowing they will never reach their destination (perfection).

The student should always keep in mind that Grading do not compare you with others - they simply measure your progress since the last examination.