Aikido checkpoint 1: clear

Two weeks ago, I took my first aikido grading test. Last Thursday, I got my certificate of acknowledgement.

Looking back, I guess I've made quite a lot of progress. I still remember practising safely falling in April, and struggling with forward rolls in May. Half a year later, I'm still far from polished but the Aikido federation has acknowledged my grasp of the basics. 

Aikido grading is split into two levels, the lower "kyu" grading (級) and the higher "dan" grading (段). The "kyu" level is split further into five tiers, with 5 being the lowest and 1 being the highest. The "dan" numbering is reversed, with 1 being the lowest. To obtain first dan, you need to not only be proficient in all the skills required for first kyu, but also demonstrate proficiency in teaching them to others. From there on, it's a matter of refinement. The grand master and founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, was regarded as eighth dan.

The expectations for fifth kyu, which I obtained, however, are not very high. The four techniques regarded as the foundations upon which many other are grounded are assessed, and we are to be able to execute the relevant technique upon request. Upon popular demand, I recorded a video of me doing three of those techniques. Special mention goes to my friend in the video who took the grading test at the same time as me.

Clearly we are far from perfect. This is just the tip of the iceberg - looking forward to progressing from here!