Resources
You don't need to spend a lot to get started training. New students often begin by training in some comfortable workout clothing. But soon you will want to get a basic white training uniform.
Uniforms
The training uniform is called a gi. A good source for a gi is e-bogu.com. An aikido or judo gi is most suitable for training. Karate gi's tend to not hold up as well to repeated grappling. Judo gi's and aikido gi's are basically the same thing and a mid-quality aikido or judo gi is most suitable for training. Wear only white gi.
It is also customary in Aikido and Iaido to wear a black (or dark colored) pant called a hakama, however, the hakama is not necessary to wear when you first begin. The hakama is a traditional samurai garment and is commonly worn in many Japanese martial arts. In our school the hakama itself does not signify rank in any way. 
A hakama can run anywhere from $50 for an affordable one to over $100 for good quality. You should wait until you have trained at least a month or two before investing in a hakama. Speak with a more experienced student and possibly try theirs on for fit before you invest in your own. Like a quality gi, a good hakama can serve you for many years, so it's worth it to go for quality if you can. There are quality gi's and hakama available from e-bogu.com. Appropriate colors for hakama are black, dark blue, or other dark, subdued natural colors. Do not wear a white hakama. There are also very nice custom made hakama from The Hakama Lady.
Swords
Iaido is taught as a separate art; however, iaido classes are included in your membership. We practice three different forms of swordsmanship: Aiki Toho Iai which is a form of Iaido specific to Aikido, Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei (ZNKR) Seitei Iai which is the modern popular form of iaido practiced in Japan today, and Muso Shinden Ryu which is a koryu (ancient martial system) with roots dating back many centuries in Japan. You may choose to include Iaido in your training if you like. If you wish to join us for iaido you can get started by using a bokken (wooden sword) from the dojo. However, you will soon need to get a practice sword called an iaito. This is a non-sharp training quality sword. It's important that you get a sword of reasonable quality for safety reasons. A poorly made sword can break and cause damage or injury.
For reasonable quality and price see the swords from tozando.com. The basic models are just fine for practice. You can expect to spend around $350 depending on the exchange rate. If you want to you can spend a little more for special features such as a custom tsuba (hand guard) or custom colored tsukamaki (handle wrapping). Do not use sharpened "live blades" (shinken). Also, do not use "display swords" for iaido.
Bokken and Jo
The bokken (wooden sword) and jo (wooden staff) are a standard part of Aikido training. We have numerous bokken and jo for use at the dojo. However, at some point you will want to have your own personal bokken and jo. There are also good affordable wooden weapons at e-bogu.com.
Rank Requirements
Ranking is awarded through testing which involves a demononstration of specific techniques at each level. There are 10 ranks called kyu starting with 10th kyu and progressing to 9th kyu, 8th kyu and so on. After achieving 1st kyu students begin preparation for shodan which is the rank of 1st degree black belt. With consistent training a first level black belt (shodan) can be accomplished in about 3 years.
Dan Ranking [Black Belt] (pdf).
Handouts
Aikido Technical Outline(pdf).
Aiki Toho Iaido Basic Forms (pdf).
First Level Muso Shinden Ryu Iaido (pdf).
Middle Level Muso Shinden Ryu Iaido (pdf).
