Students progress through the Colored Belt ranking system (yellow belt through advanced black belt). Black stripes are earned for each colored belt to mark progress along the way to their next rank. This system was designed to provide easily attained and visible goal posts. It constantly undergoes refinements so it may continue to meet the needs of our students.
Weapons class students add a stripe onto the end of their colored belts for each level successfully completed.
Testing
Testing happens when sensei feels a student is ready for the next level. Sensei will let each student know when he feels they are ready. While training diligently toward the next level here are some important points for students and parents to keep in mind.
- Regular attendance should be a cornerstone of training.
- Student conduct and focus in class is very important. Expectations increase with rank and age.
- Students are expected to be training in the right spirit and not to be too attached to reaching the next level. The important part is the journey not the destination. Training diligently with the principles of Aikido in mind will bring students to the next level precisely when they are ready.
- Students must constantly work to improve their Aikido techniques. Learning the form is only the beginning. Polishing the form is an on-going process.
- Students need to have trained for an appropriate period of time. The training-hour guidelines will give students and parents an idea for how long it typically takes to advance from one level to the next. Depending on each student’s development of the points described above, testing may happen with more or less hours than the training-hour guidelines state.
Students and parents are always welcome to talk to sensei about testing.
Adult Technical Requirements
Kyu ranks are awarded by Rock Water Aikikai and the Canadian Aikido Federation while black belt ranks are awarded by Aikikai World Headquarters in Tokyo, Japan.
Adult Minimum Technical Requirements
Youth Belt Requirements
Students under the age of 18 advance through a colored belt ranking system ranging from yellow belt through black belt. A written test accompanies the technical requirements for each level. These ranks are all awarded by Rock Water Aikikai.
Youth Technical Requirements
Youth Written Tests
| Yellow Belt Orange Belt Red Belt Green Belt Blue Belt Purple Belt | Brown Belt Advanced Brown Belt Junior Black Belt Intermediate Black Belt Advanced Black Belt |
Youth Weapons Requirements
Students training in the weapons only class advance through a belt-stripe ranking system where a single stripe is attached for each rank earned. Students need to have earned at least a green belt rank before they are accepted into the weapons class. A written test accompanies the technical requirements for each level. These ranks are all awarded by Rock Water Aikikai.