Yesterday, after 3 years of training, I graded for shodan or first black belt in Aikido at the Aikido Yoshinkan Southside Dojo. It is great to have achieved a milestone such as this. I know there is still so much to learn but this belt will most likely be the most memorable. When I think back over the last three years of training and the other gradings, I realise how far I have travelled on this journey.