Herbert Aikido Syllabus

Aikido is a journey of learning about the relationships of mind, body and energy. To help with this study aikido has many martial art techniques and these techniques are grouped to form a syllabus.
As proficiency is obtained in these techniques, students are graded. However it is important to stress that each grade should not be viewed as a goal. Understanding that “aikido is a journey of learning” is far more important and it is in that journey we progress our aikido. Aiming for a grade can actually hinder the process of learning Aikido.
As a student makes progress, an instructor will give recognition through gradings. The time it takes a student to progress through the grades will be different for each person.
For each grade there is a minimum number of training days that is needed and the higher the grade the higher the number of training days are required. Dan Grades (grades that are black belt or higher) also have a minimum number of years before the grade can be given. At this stage it becomes even more important to realise the reward is in the learning of aikido, rather than being graded.

Grades below black belt start from 6th Kyu and go through to 1st kyu. The black belt gradings start at shodan (1st black belt) and then sequentially increase.