How Long does it take to become a black belt in Aikido?

Like many Japanese martial arts, it didn’t take long until Aikido adopted the use of the colored belt system to signify rank and status within each dojo. Although the belt system originated from Judo, its popularity has since grown throughout the world of martial arts and is today a common practice. Aikido is no different in this sense and also uses a belt system that finishes at black belt. In Aikido, the first rank of the black belt is called the Shodan.

According to many Aikido practitioners, this marks the beginning of your progress as only at black belt do you truly start to understand what the martial art is truly about. Interestingly, many other martial arts such as Judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu hold similar values and philosophies when looking at the black belt. The term Shodan translates to ‘the beginning’, so in Aikido it quite literally means starting the art again. Of course, your average Shodan black belt is far from a beginner compared to lower belts, but you get the point that Aikido is a lifelong journey of constant progress.

What is the average time it takes to achieve an Aikido black belt?

On average, it takes roughly 5 years to become an Aikido black belt. Remember, this is merely an average and the question is fairly subjective. The reason being is that everyone has a different pace of learning and that has to be taken into account. For instance, a 40 year old practitioner with a family and demanding job may only be able to train once per week.

This means they may take closer to 10 years to achieve Shodan. Similarly, if you have a 20 year old with lots of free time and is super enthusiastic, they could possibly train 5 times a week or more. If this was the case, it wouldn’t be unusual to achieve Shodan in 2 years or so.

However, if we’re looking at the average practitioner who trains 2-3 times a week and learns at a typical speed, then 5-6 years is normal. Like all martial arts, you will always get extremes and outliers who are different from the norm. The point is that if we’re talking about standard training then in most cases 5-6 years is typical.

It should also be pointed out that sometimes dojos will have a different perspective and this sets the tone for promotions. Some more traditional Aikido gyms may take longer to promote and have different requirements. One factor could be your growth in spirituality which is deeply embedded into the art. Elsewhere, a dojo with a more modern outlook may promote quicker in general. Once again, it’s important to repeat that no school is ever the same which is why the question is massively subjective.

How do you actually get your Aikido black belt?

Usually, most Aikido dojos will perform a test to analyze your skillset. For example, you will often have to perform a set of moves in front of your teacher who is eagerly watching and looking at your technique. Usually, these tests will last around 10 minutes in length and will be based on how you can perform certain moves. Typically these moves will be the likes of wrist locks, blocks and dodging, foot trips and general movement and awareness. Of course, the detail of the test depends on the perspective of the sensei.

It should also be noted that usually the test isn’t meant to trick you or be terribly difficult. Usually, those who partake in tests will pass and are only considered in the first place when they are worthy. With this said, an Aikido black belt test is as much a formality as it is a genuine test.

Whilst it’s true that some people can and do fail if nerves get to them or it’s too early – generally speaking most people will be fine. Due to this, you should enjoy your test rather than worry about it. It’s a chance to show what you’ve learned over the years and prove yourself. Not only this but it also highlights the teaching skills of your sensei and is also a guide to how good they are as a teacher.

What happens after getting your black belt?

Once you’ve achieved Shodan, you are meant to continue training. Like all martial arts, the black belt is symbolic of your progress and means you’re advanced. However, by no means does it mean your technique is perfect or untouchable. Because of this, there are still moves to learn and brush upon. Further, if you decided to take an extended break, then upon return your technique may be rusty. This is proof that the learning never ends and you should always be looking to enhance your skills and be open-minded to improvement.

Not only is your progress at black belt a spiritual journey, but it also does have ranks and status within the belt. For example, the final rank in Aikido is the 7th dan. This means master status and is the ultimate sign of respect within the martial art. For most that practice Aikido, they will never achieve the 7th dan which means it holds great honor. Usually, those who are awarded the 7th dan are given so as homage to the art and have dedicated many years of their life to Aikido and promoting it in a positive way. With this said, the black belt is the last rank in Aikido, but after that, there is still status within the rank.

Is the time it takes to get a black belt any different from other martial arts?

For those wondering about whether Aikido is a quick or slow route to black belt, the answer is that it’s fairly average when compared to other martial arts. For example, achieving a Judo black belt takes roughly the same amount of time, as does Karate. In most cases, you can achieve a Taekwondo black belt a few years earlier, whilst a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu takes close to 10 years for the average person. With this in mind, there’s no fast track to getting an Aikido black belt.

If you were thinking about cynically training for the status of the belt, there are probably other martial arts to go after instead. As mentioned earlier, the idea of the black belt is that it’s the beginning of your training and that it should take years after Shodan to truly master.

Are there other belts along the way?

In most martial arts, there are a number of colored belts to achieve which show progress and keep people interested. However, in many Aikido dojos there’s usually just a white and black belt with nothing in between. This is looking at it from a traditional, historic viewpoint, where there were only ever two belts in the art.

Having said this, in modern-day Aikido many gyms have broken convention. Sometimes there are 7 belts from white to black with the usual colors such as yellow, blue, green, purple, and brown in between. This is completely down to the owner of the dojo and their interpretation. One way of looking at this is the stripe system in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Historically, BJJ didn’t use stripes on belts. However, the stripes were introduced to keep up retention rates and students active in the art. These days most BJJ gyms do use stripes, but more traditional ones don’t. Effectively, it’s the same in Aikido with the belt system. Dojo’s honoring the past will use the two belt system whereas more modern dojos will use a variety of belts. In brief, it’s completely down to each dojo owner and their personal take on the art.