As your aikido develops, you’ll have the opportunity to check your skills and understanding through rank testing. You’ll start as an unranked white belt, progress through the kyu ranks and then graduate from the kyu ranks when you pass your black belt test and become a Shodan (entering rank).
Depending on your training goals and focus, you can move through the ranking system diligently, take a slow path of exploration through the ranks, or disregard testing entirely and simply practice the art at your own pace. To be sure, the process of preparing for tests through a guided and focused mentorship with a more advanced practitioner provides a unique and transformational learning experience. The journey of testing will make you a stronger person in a way that can positively shape your life off the mat.
