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Dan test requirments (Black belts)
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See note 2 at the bottom for the Japanese the meaning of Sho Dan (Black Belt).
The requirements for Shodan:
More than 70 days of practice (after getting 1st kyu) are needed.
You must show all the hand - using techniques (shoumen-uchi, yokomen-uchi and tuki; katate-,
ryoute-, kata-, hiji-, mune(a)- and ushiro-ryoute-dori) (tachi-, suwari- and
hanmi-handachi-waza).
Notice that he or she has to be more than 15 years old in order to get Shodan.
The requirements for Nidan:
More than 200 days of practice (after getting Shodan) are needed.
In addition to all techniques on the Shodan test:
All the techniques of tanto-dori and ninin-gake.
An essay about Aikido has to be handed in.
Notice you cannot take the exam until one year after getting
Shodan.
Note 1: Ukemi skill and performance in class are taken into consideration.
Note 2: In Japan people are exposed to martial arts all their lives much like we are exposed to western sports all our lives. Many will try 2, 3 or more martial arts during their school years to see which one they like the most. Again that is similar to our trying many sports (for example: baseball, track and soccer) to have fun and choose our favorite. The meaning of "Sho Dan" is "First Level". It means a student has studied enough to be able to make a good choice that this is the martial art for them.
Somehow the meaning of Sho Dan (Black Belt) in America has changed to mean more along the lines of teacher or master. In Japan a student would not become an assistant instructor untill San Dan (third degree black belt or third level) which is about 800 to 1000 classes (300 additional days are needed for the San Dan test). By Sho Dan a student should be able to show they know all the basic moves and should be able to perform quality Ukimi (the skill of recieving a technique without being injured).
A breif note on colored belts. During my years in Japan I found that historically there were no color belts for distinguishing rank in martial art. There was an unwritten rule to not wash ones belt. This way you could get the feeling of someone's rank from how dirty their belt became. The dirty belts would go through changes of color - white, yellow, green, brown, black. When a formal rank distinction came about it incorporated the same scheme in the cleaner color belts we see today. In Aikido, as we do not use the color belt scheme, it should be mentioned for students to take note of personal hygiene and wash their belt. You do not have to make your belt become black. You will get a black one soon enough.
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