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The Aikido Rank Structure
The hierarchical structure of Aikido follows substantially the ranking system adopted by almost all the other major martial arts. The students of the art are divided into two categories: one including students of kyu rank, and the other including students of dan rank.
The category of kyu rank embraces students of Aikido who have not yet attained the status of dan, and thus have not yet received their black belt. Collectively they are known as mudansha, or undergraduates.
The category of dan rank embraces those students of Aikido who have been awarded their black belts. Collectively they are known as yudansha (black belt holders).
Categories and Ranks of The Aikido Hierarchy
| The kyu category & its ranks | rank of 6th
kyu (rokkyu) rank of 5th kyu (gokyu) |
white belt |
| rank of 4th
kyu (yonkyu) rank of 3rd kyu (sankyu) |
white belt | |
| rank of 2nd
kyu (nikyu) rank of 1st kyu (ikkyu) |
white with hakama | |
| The dan category & its ranks | rank of 1st
dan (shodan) rank of 2nd dan (nidan) rank of 3rd dan (sandan) |
Fuku-Shidoin (assistant instructor) |
| rank of 4th
dan (yondan) rank of 5th dan (godan) |
Shidoin (instructor) | |
| rank of 6th
dan (rokudan) rank of 7th dan (shichidan) rank of 8th dan (hachidan) higher |
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