Updated by Board Resolution March 31 2017.

Policy on Kyu Promotion

Kyu (white belt) tests are to be conducted by the candidate’s personal instructor or another ASU instructor in good standing as follows:

  • Tests for Rokyu through Sankyu may be conducted by an instructor ranked Shodan or above;
  • Tests for Rokyu through Nikyu may be conducted by an instructor ranked Nidan or above;
  • Tests for Rokyu through Ikkyu may be conducted by an instructor ranked Sandan or above

Policy on Dan Promotion

Testing Venue: 

Dan testing is to take place before a testing board: either at an ASU seminar, intensive or camp lead by one or more ASU instructors or at a “testing-only” event at an ASU dojo, at which other ASU Dojos are invited to participate.It is recommended that the student submit a Candidate Biography to the testing board prior to the test. It is the responsibility of the candidate’s instructor to verify that all requirements are met and to notify the testing board of this in advance.

Yudansha Testing Boards: 

These will consist of senior ASU instructors (5th dan or above) in good standing. At a minimum, the testing board will include:

  • For Shodan ranking, one 6th dan; or two 5th dans, one of whom is the candidate’s personal instructor.
  • For Nidan ranking, a 6th dan and one other of at least 5th dan rank.
  • For Sandan ranking, two 6th dans.
  • For any of these ranks, the candidate may test before a single 7th  dan.

Signing of Yudansha Passport Books:

Students must attend at least two-thirds (2/3) of a seminar, intensive or camp to have it recorded in the yudansha passport.

Qualifying Camps and Seminars/Intensives

Only ASU approved camps qualify for promotion. Currently these are Summer Camp in Washington, D.C., Fall Camp in Redlands, CA and Winter Camp in St. Petersburg, FL.

In order to qualify, seminars/Intensives must have eight hours or more of training time (i.e., aside from time taken for testing) and are to be ASU seminars/intensives (i.e., those taught solely by ASU instructors), except that one seminar for each promotion may be taught by a non-ASU instructor or be a “friendship” seminar with various teachers from different organizations. The majority of instructors at all such seminars/intensives must have a sixth dan or above issued by the Hombu Aikikai.

Materials to be Submitted: 

ASU dues must be up-do-date for the requisite minimum number of years for testing to take place.

The ASU Dan Application Form (Shodan Application, Nidan-Sandan-Yondan Application) for the appropriate rank is to be filled online and the printed pages (Candidate Biography, Application for Replacement Passbook if applicable) duly filled in and signed, and must be submitted to the ASU office along with the testing fees as soon as possible after the examination, in order to validate qualifications and to send on to Aikikai Hombu in a timely manner.

Waivers to Attendance Requirements

These may be requested for a student via e-mail from the dojo-cho to the Board Secretary who will forward them to the Waiver Committee. Waivers are for family, work, or health issues, not for financial problems. A scholarship program is in place to help those students with financial constraints.