VARIOUS SYSTEMS OF GRADING USED IN REIKI OVER THE YEARS
Copyright © 2003 James Deacon

Originally, so we are told, Usui-Sensei did not employ a formal system of grading in his Spiritual Development and Healing Method.

However, it is said that in 1923 he introduced a grading system which was being used by Jigoro Kano (creator of Judo).

Thus, the levels (with 'Rokkyu' being the lowest) in the original Usui system became:

..6th Class - Rokkyu
..5th Class - Gokyu
..4th Class - Yonkyu
..3rd Class - Sankyu
.2nd Class - Nikkyu (CKR symbol taught at this level)
..1st Class - Ikkyu (SHK symbol )
..1st Degree - Shodan (HSZSN symbol)
.2nd Degree - Nidan (DKM symbol)
..3rd Degree - Sandan
..4th Degree - Yodan
..5th Degree - Godan
..6th Degree - Rokudan
..7th Degree - Shichidan (/Nanadan)

[No mention is made however of Usui -Sensei using the final three levels from the Kano system:
..8th Degree - Hachidan
..9th Degree - Kudan
10th Degree - Judan ]

[Note: also in Kano's grading system, the practitioners at the level of Godan and higher are considered 'Masters' ]

(The Ryoku-to-Shichidan grading was also apparently used by Tatsumi-san who taught Dave King in the mid 1990's)

This Kano-inspired format was apparently in use up until November 1925, when, under the influence of Juusaburo Gyuda (also known as Ushida) and Kanichi Taketomi, a new grading system came into use.
The grades above Nidan were dropped - and the remaining grades re-formatted into four new levels, called:

V4th Class - Shoden (first grade)
. 3rd Class - Chuden (middle grade)
.2nd Class - Okuden (inner grade)
..1st Class - Kaiden (grade of explanation)

Weeks later, in Jan 1926, the grading levels were changed once more to:

V4th Class - Shoden (which now included Chuden, and had four sub-levels)
. 3rd Class - Okuden zenki ('first term' of the Okuden grade)
.2nd Class - Okuden kuki ('second term' of the Okuden grade)
..1st Class - Shinpiden ('mystery teaching' grade)

Between them, Okuden kuki and Shinpiden now covered what had formerly been taught as Kaiden, with the Shinpiden level having almost the same content as the Sandan level in the grading system originally used by Usui-Sensei.

Fumio Ogawa tells us that he learnt Reiki from his (step?)father, Keizo ( a student of Kanichi Taketomi, and also a good friend of Usui-Sensei), and that in Keiso's day the system was comprised of six grades/ levels.

These were called:

..6th Class - Dai Rokutu
..5th Class - Dai Gotu
..4th Class - Dai Yontu
..3rd Class - Dai Santu
.2nd Class - Okuden zenki
..1st Class - Okuden kuki

About 1930-31 Hayashi-Sensei apparently began teaching four levels:

VShoden (which incorporated: rokyu, gokyu, yonkyu and sankyu teachings)
VChuden: (which incorporated: nikyu, ikkyu and shodan)
VOkuden: (equivalent to nidan)
VShinpiden: (equivalent to sandan)

And later of course, moving into the 'Takata-Sensei Era', we in the West have the familiar three-level:

VFirst Degree
VSecond Degree
VThird (Master) Degree

system of' Usui Shiki Ryoho'.

After Takata-Sensei's death, in some of the newly evolving, 'western' styles of Reiki - often referred to as 'independent' styles of Reiki - a four-level grading system came into use. The Takata-style First and Second Degrees remained essentially the same, however, the Third Degree became divided into two parts, often referred to as 3 and 3a - with the student receiving the full Master Level attunement/initiation in the first part, but not being taught the attunement/initiation process itself until the second part.

The four-part grading system: Shoden, Okuden, Shinpiden, & Goiku Kaiden ('highest level') used in the modern-day Japanese Reiki system, Gendai Reiki Ho, divides up the various elements of Reiki training in a very similar way to the 'independent', western style grading mentioned above.

The gradings: Shoden, Chuden, Okuden & Shinpiden used in another recently developed Japanese Reiki style - Komyo Reiki - also bear strong similarities to the 'independent' western system; while Jikiden Reiki, which professes to be based on the system of Reiki treatment taught by Hayashi-Sensei in the late 1930's, employs the following gradings: Shoden, Okuden, Shihan-kaku (Assistant Teacher), Shihan (Teacher), & Dai-Shihan.