Dear friends,
Welcome to this Junomichi Scotland New Year ceremony, let us take a moment to reflect on the values that guide us and the path we walk together. Jigoro Kano created judo as a way to understand ourselves—a practice that allows us to grow through friendship, collaboration, and mutual help. Today, as we look towards the year ahead, we honour these principles and recommit to making them alive in our practice.
Through Junomichi, we learn that growth is not an individual pursuit but a shared experience. On the tatami, our partner reflects our inner state—their movements, tensions, and responses reveal areas where we must grow. Together, we explore and uncover the inner tensions, hesitations, and contradictions that shape our actions.
Friendship is at the heart of this journey. In Junomichi, friendship means making a shared commitment to cultivate what matters. This commitment carries sincerity and depth, where every movement, word, and action hold significance. Through this shared effort, we help each other, supporting one another as we grow.
This shared journey is guided by the principles of Junomichi:
No Opposition: Finding harmony within ourselves and with others, allowing movement to flow naturally.
Decision: Acting with clarity, commitment, and unity of body and mind.
Self-Control: Cultivating balance through awareness and thoughtful action.
Hara Mobility: Finding freedom of movement through our centre, connecting to gravity and to others.
Encompassing: Facing challenges fully and embracing opportunities for self-understanding.
Each moment on the tatami is an opportunity to develop—not just in strength, but in understanding, resilience, and connection. Strength in Junomichi is not measured by physical power, material wealth, or any external measure. It is the strength of character that arises from self-awareness, honesty, and courage.
This strength is the ability to embrace vulnerability, to work through tensions and contradictions, and to remain open to learning. It is the strength to act with sincerity, to stay balanced in both movement and intention, and to approach every practice with purpose.
Through Junomichi, we also develop relational strength—the trust and collaboration that come from practicing with our partners. This is not about control or dominance but about the shared effort to help one another grow. It is through these connections that we embody Jigoro Kano’s principle of “mutual help for mutual prosperity.”
As we begin this New Year, let us honour the friendships we have built, the lessons we have learnt, and the growth we have shared. Let us practice with sincerity and gratitude, remembering that every step we take together strengthens not only ourselves but also our community.
Thank you for your dedication, your presence, and your commitment to this path. Let us move forward into the year ahead with open hearts, guided by the values that unite us.