Student Guide

Guidelines for Gokyu

Evaluations consist of the items from the following twelve elements. While specific arts, kata, and exercises are particular at each level a student may also be asked to demonstrate any (or all) of the requirements from a prior level during their test. In this way Aikido is viewed as a cumulative process, not simply a procedure of studying for a single test. The twelve elements are:

1. Specific Aikido arts at each level
2. Instructor selected arts from any of the prior levels
3. Student selected arts
4. Demonstration of Ukemi (safe rolling and falling)
5. Jo and Bokken: Suburi, Kata or Kumi (specific methods required at particular levels)
6. Ryokata Tori Exercise (number of repetitions by level)
7. Rondori Exercise (number of persons and repetitions by level)
8. Blunt Object, Tanto, Jo, and Tachi Tori (number and type by level)
9. Teaching Skit (Ikkyu and above only)
10. Ki Tests (including Aiki Taisos and Kokyu Dosa Exercise)
11. Selected arts from Swari Waza (both attacker and defender kneeling) and Hanmi Handachi (attacker standing, defender kneeling)
12. Appreciation of Aikido Philosophy

Specific guidelines for each level are given on the following pages. The numbers next to each set of items on these pages correspond to the twelve categories listed above. Students should be aware that these lists are for practice and training purposes only. Since each individual's abilities, personality, and desires from training vary it is only natural that each individual's evaluation may likewise vary. These pages are only intended to provide a listing of what abilities and knowledge are typically mastered at each level. It is between each individual student and Sensei to determine what that student's particular evaluation for any given rank will consist of and how (and when) it will be conducted.

Note: All arts are to be demonstrated (if possible) both Irimi and Tenkan. All Kata are to be demonstrated (if possible) from both left and right sides.