I am not a black belt
The author reflects on their journey in Aikido, starting from a white belt to achieving a second dan black belt. They emphasize the learning process involved in mastering the numerous techniques and developing a personal style. Additionally, the author shares their experience of writing a book, drawing parallels between their martial arts practice and writing.
- ▪The author is a second dan Aikido black belt who began practicing in 1997.
- ▪Aikido students progress through a colored-belt ranking system before reaching black belt status.
- ▪There are between 2500 and 3500 different techniques in Aikido, which students learn and memorize over time.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
I am Not a Black Belt May 2026 I am a black belt. I am a second dan (nidan 二段) Aikido black belt with the original school of Aikido, the Aikikai foundation. I started Aikido practice in early 1997 after a holiday trip to the US. When Aikido was introduced in Brazil, it had inherited local rules from the Judo federation back then, so pre-black belt students (mudansha 無段者) have colored-belt ranking system from yellow to brown. Everyone starts with a white belt, which usually comes in the same package with the dogi, the practice uniform, when you buy it. It took me some time to learn that the white belt is a kind of “self assigned” symbol. To get one, you just need to buy the uniform. One you go through you first evaluation or “exam”, you may or may not advance to 5th rank (gokyū 五級:ごきゅう).
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Rodolpho Arruda.
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