The grading System in Aikido
In Aikido, there is no obligation to take examinations. Yet anyone who chooses to document their development through grading will find that this choice encourages a closer engagement with Aikido’s basic techniques. The seemingly unruly “material” of techniques suddenly gains structure, and the connections and recurring principles of movement become visible.
With the Black Belt, You Become a Beginner Again
Aikido’s examination system is divided into kyu (級, grade) and dan (段, rank) levels. The 5th kyu marks the entry point into the grading system. From the 2nd kyu on, students wear the hakama (袴, the traditional wide-legged Japanese trousers), and from Shodan, 1st dan, on, the black belt as well. Shodan, 1st dan, however, is not — as is often assumed — a sign of mastery in Aikido. It simply means that the student has completed the stage of learning the techniques themselves and can now focus increasingly on the principles of Aikido that lie beyond technique.
However helpful examinations are for understanding the system, reaching the next “grade” should not be the sole motivation for training. Training in order to pass examinations leads nowhere.
With every examination, we confirm the degree of our understanding at our respective level. The teacher can judge whether the student’s development is in accord with the principles of Aikido — in accord with the teaching, with the “Do” (道, the way).
Requirements for the Dan Examination
Anyone who wants to register for a dan examination first needs the signature of a more senior-graded AiFD instructor on the application form — at our dojo, that is Ulrike Serak and Max Eriksson Ohlwein. Our signature confirms not only that preparation has been sufficient, but that the required level of training has been reached.
The AiFD sets minimum requirements for each dan grade that increase with rank: a minimum number of training days, the number of years of practice since the previous grade, and participation in seminars, including at least one regional seminar in the year before the examination. For Shodan, 1st dan, for example, this means at least 70 training days along with at least one year of practice after the 1st kyu; for Yondan, 4th dan, it is already at least 400 training days over four years. The AiFD publishes the complete, grade-by-grade overview, along with the official application form, for download.
Since these are minimum requirements, we apply somewhat stricter standards at the Dojo am Gleisdreieck before signing off on an application. It matters to us that our students go into the examination confident and well prepared.
WHere gradings take place
Kyu examinations always take place at our own dojo. We usually hold dan examinations as part of our annual winter seminar; alternatively, they can also be taken at one of the federation’s other official examination dates. For dan examinations, an additional guest examiner is usually invited, and students from other dojos may test on the same date. Registration goes through the federation’s examination office; to help with preparation, we also offer our own examination preparation seminars.
Yondan, 4th dan, is the last grade examined before a jury. Higher ranks are no longer tested but awarded for exemplary conduct, technical competence, and service to the spread of Aikido; under the guidelines of the Hombu Dojo, this presupposes sustained, long-term commitment to training and teaching.
The Aikido Federation Germany
The Aikido Dojo am Gleisdreieck is a member of the Aikido-Föderation Deutschland e. V. (Aikido Federation Germany), which Ulrike Serak co-founded. The federation was established in 1999 on the initiative of committed Aikido teachers to create an association in Germany that was not bound exclusively to a single shihan (師範, senior instructor), yet still held recognition from the Aikikai Hombu in Tokyo.
Ulrike Serak has since become a shihan and has been a member of the Technical Committee since the federation’s founding; Max Eriksson Ohlwein has been the federation’s president since 2021. Both also serve on the Aikido Federation’s Grading Committee and are authorized examiners up to and including Yondan, 4th dan. All examinations take place during a dedicated grading seminar at the dojo. All dan grades are recognized by the Aikikai Hombu Dojo in Tokyo.