My dad owns the dojo so I've been in the dojo all my life. He lived and studied in Japan for 7 years and from his stories it is different and was incredible. I only remember practicing at 2 years old because we have pictures of it. LOL
I just took my 1st kyu test a week ago which is the level before Sho Dan (black belt). It was an hour and twenty minutes demonstrating almost 100 techniques and ultimately testing my stamina. Here is a video cut down to about 2 minutes.
Elena House - åæ°é (Aikido) test - Singing by Elena House - YouTube
My father studied for 30 years and as I mentioned lived in Japan for 7 years. He run his dojo VERY traditionally. There are no color belts but we are told not to wash our belts as tradition states. If someone works out a lot we can tell by their ragged looking belt.
He also sticks to the tradition that a Sho Dan can not be earned until 15 years old. I hope that next year when I am 15 I can be the first student he has awarded Sho Dan to at that age. Believe me, even though I am his daughter, I will have to earn it. The shortest time someone in his school received a Sho Dan was in four years and that was to his Uchi Deshi (live in student). Others have taken from 6 to 10 years for their first degree black belt.