"Honestly, I feel as usual. I have done so many different things in my life that leaving the general secretariat to start a new phase, I take it as a new adventure. After my career as an athlete, I have worked in the sports, education, projects and administration sectors. Everything has always been fascinating and it is moreover this passion for judo and what it represents that has guided me.
Beyond the sporting dimension of judo, there is much more to discover. All the positions I have held have allowed me to discover a different dimension of our sport."
From now on, Jean-Luc Rougé, while remaining on the IJF Executive Committee, will focus on issues that he is particularly fond of, such as aid for developing countries. "We are going to carry out surveys to determine how to help countries that really want to develop judo. I will also probably conduct some projects with the IJF Academy, while continuing to follow more technical issues, such as equipment (tatami and judogi). I am far from being idle and I remain fundamentally passionate about what I do. I was born a judoka and I remain a judoka."
This philosophy of life is totally integrated into Jean-Luc Rougé’s mindset, "Being a judoka is having certain behaviour, it's a way of being and a way of thinking. When I was a competitor we sometimes had some tensions with the Japanese judoka, we were competitors, but I got to know Japan and its culture and I can say today that I love them. I love Japan and the way the Japanese people pose a global reflection on the world.”
A judoka's life is a succession of moments and Jean-Luc Rougé lived each of them to the full, "At every moment of my life, I lived to the full in whatever I experienced. Everything is always like a judo competition. You have to take each fight one after the other and focus on the present moment.
I started judo quite young. Where I lived I had the choice between football, dance and judo. I naturally went to judo and I liked it right away. I was the only child in an adult class but that's really where I built myself as a judoka and I took my older brother there too.
Very quickly I said that I wanted to be world champion but I didn't really believe it. On the other hand, I did everything to get there. As this dream seemed so far away to me, when I finally got there, I was almost disappointed because I really didn't think I would do it.
What interested me and still interests me is finding solutions to problems. I applied this to my sporting career and later to my administrative career."
If Jean-Luc Rougé has been able to achieve high goals in recent years, it is above all because he felt supported, "I work in perfect confidence with President Vizer. It is very important. We have the same goals and we put 100% of our energy at the service of judo but I never felt that I had to make any sacrifices. I did everything out of passion and love for this sport."
Decades in the service of judo allow Jean-Luc Rougé to have an overview, “Judo is very special. My grandmother said that you always had to watch things like milk on the fire. This is also the case with judo. We must always monitor it, protect it like milk on the fire and we must remain faithful to the founding principles laid down by Jigoro Kano. Among the most important are education, the search for ippon and its symbolism, the imperative not to hurt the opponent and there is also the optimal use of energy and mutual aid and prosperity.
Judo is not a simple wrestling style and we must take care of that. We must not give in to the sirens of evolution at all costs. The only thing we have, the product in a way, is judo. Of course the form has evolved over time and judo must be modernised but the principles do not age. The culture remains and endures. A philosopher said, it's like the colour of the pine trees, which is neither old nor modern, it is just what it is and it's the same for judo."
Moments of excitement and exaltation, Jean-Luc Rougé experienced so many, "I had the chance to be part of an incredible French team, in the 70s. We were united by friendship, solidarity, the fact we didn’t take ourselves seriously, progressing together. We are still very united.
Having been at the head of the IJF General Secretariat for all these years has also brought me a lot of satisfaction, in another way. I really wanted to organise the system to make it sustainable. I consider that a department like ours must be at the service of the development of judo. We do everything to disseminate as much information as possible to everyone. I think we really did everything we could."
Jean-Luc Rougé can be proud of the work accomplished and we can be happy to know that he will continue to work for the development of judo. We can also be sure that under the leadership of Dr. Lisa Allan, the General Secretariat will keep helping and supporting every sector of judo.