Tonight I left the gym we practice aikido in with about 15 extra pounds on my gi from sweat. Summer is in full swing here in Toyama, and I've never sweat so much in my life. I brought three under-shirts to work today which I switched whenever a funny smell came on, and I've taken three showers today. According to what my brother said about a weather report, it's about 95 degrees, but feels like 105 with the humidity.As far as training goes, I have it as easy as it gets in Japanese martial arts, wearing just a white gi. The senior students in aikido who wear hakama must be hotter than me. And then ... there's the kendo people across the way; with a whole lot more going on with their outfits. I've never tried on a kendo outfit before, but the mask alone in this heat must be killer. Moreover, their workout seems like it could generate a bit more sweat as well.
Tonight I have learned to give props to the kendo peeps, clad in my body's-weight worth of sweat on their gi, hakama, armor, and mask, during these unbelievably hot Toyama summer months.
I did the summer sessions with my middle schools students. It was terrible. Hot beyond belief. Those kids rarely wash their uniforms. 4 hours a day in the summer. Screaming and repetitious motion.
ReplyDeleteI want to love kendo, I just hate it so much.
Unless you've seen it, I don't think you can really understand what that "screaming" really sounds like. I'd say, blood-thirsty infant goblin demons...stinky ones.
ReplyDelete