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For the Kids
Color the Aikido Belts, and Draw the Japanese characters for Aikido!
Promotion Requirements
Required material for each level includes all elements from previous levels.
Children
Children begin training as 10th kyu (Jukyu) - White Belt
9th kyu (Kyukyu) - Yellow Belt - Minimum 25 days training as 10th kyu.
- Wrist stretches (lead class, naming stretches and counting):
- Ikkyo
- Nikyo
- Sankyo
- Yonkyo
- Kotegaeshi
- Strikes with Ki-ai:
- Shomen-uchi
- Yokomen-uchi
- Mune-tsuki
- Shikko (knee walking)
- Hanmi changes:
- Turn in place
- Step and turn
- Box step/side step
- Forward step
- Backward step
- Two-step
- Shomen-uchi Tai Sabaki
- Shomen-uchi Ikkyo Irimi
- Mae Ukemi - Forward Rolls (standing to standing)
- Ushiro Ukemi - Backward Rolls (standing to standing)
8th kyu (Hachikyu) - Orange Belt - 30 days as 9th kyu
- Shomen-uchi Ikkyo Irimi
- Shomen-uchi Ikkyo Tenkan
- Katate-dori Kokyu-nage, 1 variation
- Morote-dori Kokyu-nage, 1 variation
- Mune-tsuki Kotegaeshi
- Kokyu-dosa
7th kyu (Shichikyu) - Green Belt - 35 days as 8th kyu
- Katate-dori Kokyu-nage - 2 variations
- Morote-dori Kokyu-nage - 2 variations
- Mune-tsuki Kotegaeshi with pin
- Shomen-uchi Irimi-nage
- Kata-dori Ikkyo Irimi
- Kata-dori Nikyo Irimi
- Kokyu-dosa
6th kyu (Rokkyu) - Purple Belt - 40 days as 7th kyu
- Katate-dori Kokyu-nage - 3 variations
- Ryote-dori Kokyu-nage - 3 variations
- Ushiro Kata-dori Kokyu-nage - 3 variations
- Mune-tsuki Irimi-nage
- Kata-dori Ikkyo Irimi
- Kata-dori Ikkyo Tenkan
- Kata-dori Nikyo Irimi
- Kata-dori Nikyo Tenkan
- Kokyu-dosa
Adults and Children
Adults begin training as 6th kyu (Rokkyu) - White Belt
Test material for 5th kyu and higher comes from the California Aikido Association.
5th kyu (Gokyu) - Red Belt (for children) - 50 days as 6th kyu
5th kyu (Gokyu) - White Belt (for adults) - 50 days as 6th kyu
- Tachi Waza
- Katate-dori: Tai no henko (irimi and tenkan)
- Katate-dori: Shihonage (irimi and tenkan)
- Shomen-uchi: Ikkyo (irimi and tenkan)
- Shomen-uchi: Irimi nage
- Suwari Waza
- Ryote-dori: Kokyu ho
- Ukemi
- Forward and backward rolls
4th kyu (Yonkyu) - Blue Belt - 60 days as 5th kyu
- Tachi Waza
- Shomen-uchi: Ikkyo (irimi and tenkan)
- Shomen-uchi: Nikyo (irimi and tenkan)
- Shomen-uchi: Irimi nage
- Kata-dori: Nikyo (irimi and tenkan)
- Ryote-dori: Tenchi nage
- Tsuki: Kote gaeshi
- Katate-dori: Shihonage (irimi and tenkan)
- Yokomen-uchi: Shihonage (irimi and tenkan)
- Suwari Waza
- Ryote-dori: Kokyu ho
- Ukemi
- At a level appropriate for the rank
3rd kyu (Sankyu) - Blue Belt - 80 days as 4th kyu
- Suwari Waza
- Shomen-uchi: Ikkyo through yonkyo
- Tachi Waza
- Morote-dori: Kokyu ho
- Shomen-uchi: Ikkyo through yonkyo
- Shomen-uchi: Irimi nage
- Shomen-uchi: Kote gaeshi
- Tsuki: Irimi nage
- Tsuki: Kote gaeshi
- Katate-dori: Shihonage (irimi and tenkan)
- Ryote-dori: Shihonage (irimi and tenkan)
- Yokomen-uchi: Shihonage (irimi and tenkan)
- Ukemi
- At a level appropriate for the rank
2nd kyu (Nikkyu) - Brown Belt - 100 days as 3rd kyu
- Suwari Waza
- Shomen-uchi: Ikkyo through yonkyo
- Tachi Waza
- Morote-dori: Kokyu ho
- Shomen-uchi: Ikkyo through yonkyo
- Shomen-uchi: Irimi nage
- Shomen-uchi: Kote gaeshi
- Shomen-uchi: Kaiten nage
- Tsuki: Irimi nage
- Tsuki: Kote gaeshi
- Tsuki: Kaiten nage
- Ushiro ryote-dori: Shihonage
- Ushiro ryote-dori: Kote gaeshi
- Katate-dori: Irimi nage
- Katate-dori: Kote gaeshi
- Katate-dori: Kaiten nage
- Hanmi Handachi
- Katate-dori: Shihonage
- Ryote-dori: Shihonage
- Variations - 3 techniques each
- Katate-dori
- Hiji-dori
- Morote-dori
- Ryote-dori
- Jiyu Waza
- One person flowing freestyle, any attack
1st kyu (Ikkyu) - Brown Belt - 150 days as 2nd kyu
- Suwari Waza
- Shomen-uchi: Ikkyo through yonkyo
- Yokomen-uchi: Ikkyo through yonkyo
- Kata-dori: Ikkyo through yonkyo
- Tachi Waza
- Shomen-uchi: Ikkyo through yonkyo
- Yokomen-uchi: Ikkyo through yonkyo
- Kata-dori: Ikkyo through yonkyo
- Ushiro ryote-dori: Ikkyo through yonkyo
- Shomen-uchi: Irimi nage
- Shomen-uchi: Kote gaeshi
- Shomen-uchi: Kaiten nage
- Tsuki: Irimi nage
- Tsuki: Kote gaeshi
- Tsuki: Kaiten nage
- Yokomen-uchi: Irimi nage
- Yokomen-uchi: Kote gaeshi
- Yokomen-uchi: Kaiten nage
- Yokomen-uchi: gokyo
- Variations - 3 techniques each
- Katate-dori
- Ryote-dori
- Morote-dori
- Kata-dori-menuchi
- Ushiro ryokata-dori
- Koshi-nage
- Hanmi Handachi
- Katate-dori: Shihonage
- Ryote-dori: Shihonage
- Shomen-uchi: Irimi nage
- Shomen-uchi: Kote gaeshi
- Shomen-uchi: Kaiten nage
- Tsuki: Irimi nage
- Tsuki: Kote gaeshi
- Tsuki: Kaiten nage
- Ushiro-waza: Five techniques
- Jiyu Waza
- Two person flowing freestyle, any attack
1st dan (Shodan) - Black Belt - 200 days as 1st kyu (minimum one year from ikkyu); must be 15 years old
- Suwari Waza
- Same as 1st kyu
- Tachi Waza
- Same as 1st kyu
- Variations - 5 techniques each
- Katate-dori
- Ryote-dori
- Morote-dori
- Kata-dori-menuchi
- Ushiro ryote-dori
- Ushiro ryokata-dori
- Koshi-nage
- Hanmi Handachi
- Same as 1st kyu
- Tanto Dori
- Tsuki
- Shomen-uchi
- Yokomen-uchi
- Slash
- Knife at throat from the front
- Knife at throat from the back
- Jiyu Waza
- One person flowing freestyle, any attack
- Randori - Three person attack: Examiners may choose one of the following:
- Begin with one uke flowing jiuwaza. Add uke #2, then uke #3
- Begin with two ukes each holding na arm. Add a third uke coming in
- Three ukes attack simultaneously
2nd dan (Nidan) - 360 days as shodan (minimum two years)
3rd dan (Sandan) - 540 days as nidan (minimum three years)
4th dan (Yondan) - Higher ranks are awarded upon recommendation by senior instructor
5th dan (Godan) -
6th dan (Rokudan) -
7th dan (Nanadan) -
8th dan (Hachidan) -
9th dan (Kyudan) -
10th dan (Judan) -
Waka Sensei - Mitsuteru Ueshiba (b. 1980), great-grandson of O Sensei
Sandai Doshu - Moriteru Ueshiba (b. 1951), leader of the art, grandson of O Sensei
Nidai Doshu - Kisshomaru Ueshiba (1921-1999), son of O Sensei
Founder - Morihei Ueshiba O Sensei (1883-1969)