Kinomichi is a budō created in Paris in 1979 by Masamichi Noro, drawing on aikido. This non-competitive practice explores movement, spirals and the relationship with a partner, empty-handed or with wooden weapons.
Kinomichi is a Japanese budō created in Paris in 1979 by Masamichi Noro. Emerging from aikido, it draws on aikido techniques through a teaching approach focused on dynamic movement, the relationship with a partner and non-competitive practice.
Exercises may be practised alone, with one partner or with several partners, empty-handed or with wooden weapons such as the jō and bokken. Forms of contact and techniques vary according to the initiation levels.
Kinomichi is more than a combat discipline: practice seeks a fluid, controlled relationship through movement. The format varies by class and instructor.
Masamichi Noro studied with Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of aikido, before moving to Paris in 1964 to develop the discipline in Europe.
In 1979, he created Kinomichi in Paris to continue his research within the budō tradition. The discipline retains aikido techniques and principles while offering its own teaching approach and forms of practice. In France, it is presented by organizations including the FFAAA, the French Karate Federation and the Institut Français du Kinomichi.
Practice places the relationship with a partner, fluidity, spiralling and the expansion of movement at its centre. Attention to contact aims to build a supple, precise relationship without trying to dominate through force.
Bodywork, breathing, posture and attentive listening accompany the techniques. Kinomichi is presented as a non-competitive practice, open to different rhythms and levels of involvement.
Kinomichi may appeal to people looking for a dynamic, non-competitive partner practice that focuses on quality of movement.
Exercises may include gentle contact and techniques drawn from aikido; some classes also use wooden weapons. Ask the club how introductory sessions work and what level of contact to expect.
