Vocabulary Techniques - 1 First Words

First Words
Junomichi — Gentle way — 柔の道 Softness, suppleness / of / path Borrowing the form of combat, and putting into practice the formula “Maximum efficiency, minimum energy”, junomichi opens a gentle way. To carry out this exploration, whose main materials are the body and sensations, junomichi adopts five principles (mobility, non-opposition, encompass, control, decision), stated by Igor Correa, and implements them through different exercises (uchi komi, kata, randori and shiai), inherited from the judo of Jigorô Kanô. Junomichi was founded in 1981 in France by Igor Correa. Today it continues through the International Autonomous Federation of Junomichi (FIAJ).
Junomichika — Practitioner of junomichi — 柔の道家 Softness, suppleness / of / path / house, person, profession As a practitioner of the gentle way, the junomichika strives to educate their body through the sensations shared with partners. The junomichika is guided by the charter established by Igor Correa. Thus, they commit to: 1. Practise junomichi diligently and regularly, without interruption, and not abandon its practice except in cases of force majeure or for a reason justified in the practitioner’s conscience; 2. Abandon any practice that is dangerous for oneself or for partners, in both the form and the substance of techniques; 3. Replace, in randori or combat, any tendency towards aggression with a sincere desire to achieve efficiency for oneself, not in relation to the partner; 4. Make junomichi known and promote it, disseminate its form and its deeper purpose, the original idea of Master Jigorô Kanô; 5. Accept the form proposed by teachers, with a spirit of personal research shared with other practitioners, in a desire for mutual progress; 6. Practise with pleasure and joy, with the satisfaction of improving, considering this practice as an art, an educational game and a means of physical and moral health; 7. This charter must be an honour commitment in one’s soul and conscience towards the organisation, the individuals and the practice of junomichi.
Kokorozashi — The aim of life in the intelligence of the heart and the will — 志 Intention, aspiration, purpose, benevolence The kanji kokorozashi is the emblem of junomichi. Its interpretation expresses the goal towards which practitioners tend. It carries what is not said on the tatami, a message that goes beyond the particular practice of junomichi. The expression through which kokorozashi is translated points to two notions: intelligence of the heart and intelligence of the will. These two poles provide the method. They guide the junomichika on the path of kokorozashi. The intelligence of the heart allows junomichi to exclude any search for strength, power or elitism. It leads to adopting a humble attitude, both in relation to others and in practice. The intelligence of the will is the backbone, a support for the practitioner and their practice. It allows perseverance, which is essential for improvement.
Tori — The one who takes mastery of the practice — 取り The one who takes “Tori” is a proper term used to designate, during an exercise, one of the two partners — the other being called “Uke”. Tori and Uke represent interchangeable situations for the partners. Tori is the one who takes mastery of the practice. They are the more present of the two to what is happening: it is said that they are “before” Uke, whose decision they take. Through this advance, Tori allows Uke to receive, experience and register accurate sensations.
Uke — The one who receives mastery of the practice — 受け The one who receives “Uke” is the name given to the partner who receives the mastery of Tori. Through full engagement and total sincerity in action — particularly through the capacity to receive and accept rather than defend and avoid — Uke seeks to acquire mastery of the practice in order to in turn become Tori. In doing so, Uke allows Tori to correct and refine their work towards maximum efficiency.
Kyû — Beginner levels of value — 級 Degree, rank, grade Kyû are the levels of value attributed to beginners. They allow the distinction and understanding of the stages of progression towards the first dan. Unlike dan levels, kyû are awarded by the teacher to their students in the normal course of training, according to criteria determined solely by the teacher. They therefore have an essentially internal use within each dojo, contributing to the organisation of collective practice. Kyû are represented by coloured belts and are numbered in descending order: rokkyû (sixth kyû) white belt, gokyû (fifth kyû) yellow belt, yonkyû (fourth kyû) orange belt, sankyû (third kyû) green belt, nikyû (second kyû) blue belt, and ikkyû (first kyû) brown belt.
Dan — Levels of value — 段 Degree, rank, grade During practice, the junomichika evolves in their interpretation of principles, techniques, exercises and the requirements of junomichi. Levels of value distinguish stages in this evolution. They express the progression of a practitioner in the eyes of the whole community. They are awarded by members of the technical commission, gathered as a jury during an examination. The black belt marks the passage to first dan: ichidan (first level of value), also called shodan (initial level). This is followed by nidan (second), sandan (third), yodan (fourth), godan (fifth), rokudan (sixth), shichidan (seventh), hachidan (eighth), kudan (ninth) and jûdan (tenth level). It should be noted that dan, like kyû, are not exclusive to martial disciplines. They are used in many Japanese arts (ikebana, tea ceremony, calligraphy). However, other terms exist which more precisely characterise the values they represent: gakusei, deshi, hon deshi, renshi, hon renshi, kyôshi, hon kyôshi, hanshi, shihan, hontô no shihan — these are the titles used in junomichi.