Kyu and dan
Ranks divide into two groups. The kyū grades are the student ranks, counted downward toward black belt — a beginner might start at fifth or sixth kyū and progress toward first kyū, the grade just below black belt. The dan grades are the black-belt degrees, counted upward: first dan (shodan), second dan (nidan), and so on. Practitioners below black belt are called mudansha; black-belt holders are yudansha.
Belts and their colors
Belt colors in aikido are simpler than in many arts. Traditionally aikido used only a white belt for students and a black belt for dan grades, and many schools still do. Others have adopted a range of colored belts for the kyū grades to mark progress more finely, especially for younger students. There is no universal standard, and colors that mean one rank in one school may mean another elsewhere — the belt is a local signpost, not a global certificate.
The hakama tradition
In many schools the pleated hakama is worn from black-belt rank onward, though customs vary widely: some dojos have all students wear it, some reserve it for dan grades, and some ask women to wear it earlier. Whatever the local rule, the hakama is treated as a mark of seriousness and tradition rather than a prize — which is why students are taught to fold and care for it properly.
Testing
Advancement is usually by examination. A grading test asks the student to demonstrate the techniques required for the next rank, often against several named attacks and sometimes against more than one partner at once (randori) at higher levels. Requirements are set by each school or federation, so what a test contains depends on where you train. What every test shares is the expectation of clean basics: posture, distance, and control matter more than flashy throws.
Keeping rank in perspective
It is worth remembering that in a non-competitive art, rank is not a ranking. It records that a student has absorbed a body of material and can pass it on, nothing more. Seniority in the dojo brings responsibility — chiefly, the responsibility to keep junior students safe — more than privilege. New students should focus on getting started and let grades take care of themselves. Governing bodies such as the International Aikido Federation publish general information on how member organizations structure their grades.
Grading standards differ between schools and federations. Independent educational resource; not affiliated with any organization or individual.