Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Kan-geiko (mid-winter training)

Hello from Tokyo!

Temperatures in Holland are dropping to all time records and there are even rumors about an 'Elfstedentocht'. Though temperatures are not so low here in Tokyo, we had our fair share of cold during our winter Aikido challenge. Hombu dojo held the Kan-geiko (mid-winter training): a course where participants have to train for ten consecutive days in order to complete it. Meanwhile the dojo windows are open and the heating is off, so if you don't work hard you'll only get colder. It was a very challenging thing to do because you can't miss a single day and with outside temperatures around zero degrees its very tempting to just stay home or find some other excuse to keep warm.

In the end we made it. For completion of the mid-winter training we got our reward: our names displayed on the list in the dojo, a perfect attendance certificate, and a Japanese commemoration towel.








Oh, and by the way: this was the coldest winter training in 26 years, so we got our own temperature record as well :).


2 comments:

  1. Nice! Ben trots op jullie. Ik ben zelf net terug uit Frankrijk. -25 graden boven op de berg...brrrr!

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    1. Nee....!!! -25! Pas goed op hoor, zo koud is gevaarlijk. Ben je aan het trekken of klimmen, of beide?

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