Bradford Tomiki Aikido Club as a member of the British Aikido Association (BAA) follows the BAA Grading syllabus.

Junior Syllabus Aikidoka aged up to and including 10 years of age.
Youth Syllabus Aikidoka aged from 10 and up to 15 years of age
Kyu Grade Syllabus Aikidoka aged from 16 years of age. All grades up to 1st Kyu (Brown Belt).
Dan Grade Syllabus 1st Dan (Black belt) and subsequent Dan grades. There are 8 Dan grades in the BAA syllabus.

The BAA policy is that Aikidoka aged 17 years of age (and under) cannot grade to black belt.

To progress through each syllabus, the Aikidoka has to demonstrate techniques from an increasing number of Kata. For example:

  • 4th Kyu(orange belt) requires 14 techniques from the Randori-no-kata to be demonstrated;
  • 1st Dan requires all 17 techniques from the Randori-no-kata, all 10 techniques from the Randori-no-kata-no-ura-waza, the first 24 techniques from the Koryu dai San and the first 14 techniques from the Koryu dai Yon.
  • 7th Dan requires demonstration of all the 7 kata in the BAA syllabus – approximately 300 techniques.

Additionally, each syllabus places an equal emphasis on Embu (Kata) and the demonstration of the application of the Kata techniques in the form of Kakarigeiko, Hikitategeiko and Toshu.

Link between Kata and Randori
Link between Kata and Randori