I've decided that I'm going to become super fit by the end of my year (or two?) in Japan. This isn't because I set out to become fit or anything like that. This is simply a side effect of my life here. There are two reasons for this: 1) Biking 2) Judo.
1) Biking. I don't particularly have a choice in the matter here. I have to bike everywhere. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I'm quite happy to bike. It sure as hell beats walking, and I don't have a driver's license so even if I was allowed to drive, I wouldn't be able to. However, the majority of my schools are a 20 to 30 minute bike ride away. That means that on a near daily basis, I'll be biking for an hour in semi-hilly terrain. Wind, rain, snow, whatever, I'll be biking through it. I expect that is going to burn off quite a few calories.
2) Judo. About two years ago I decided I was finally going to start a martial art. This was, coincidentally, when I began a study-abroad year in Scotland. I checked out the various clubs and Judo seemed like the coolest. After talking with my sensei over the course of the year, I heard tales from her about what it was like to train in Japan. It made me really, really want to do it myself.
Flash forward to now. Since knowing that I was going to go to Japan, it has been my goal to join a Judo club. Again, this is not because I want to get fit. This is because I love Judo. I'm actually pretty bad at the sport, but that doesn't really matter to me. I do my best and I want to experience the way the Japanese teach it. After all, they invented the sport and they are still the best in the world at it. That's gotta say something. So twice a week I bike to the dojo (another 20 minute bike ride up a hill), train for an hour and a half, and bike back home. And yes, it is exhausting. That DEFINITELY burns a few calories.
A little bit about the Judo club. As I've said, I live in the inaka. Not the super inaka where towns only have a population of like 1000, but still pretty inaka. That means that there's not a lot of people here, so it's hard to have a serious Judo club. The one that is run in my town (and seems to be the only one for quite a wide area) is therefore aimed not at serious Judo practitioners, but at kids. Serious Judo practitioners would move to the serious Judo dojos, which are in the larger cities. The purpose of this club, as far as I can tell, is to instill a love of the sport in the community. As well, it is a way for the community to get together.
The structure of the lesson goes something like this. First, the kids warm up. This begins with a jog around the room. I, being the big ol' gaijin, naturally chase them around the mats while they yell their heads off out of fear at what I'll do when I catch them. Pyohoho. Then they do stretches, push ups, and sit ups. I join them in this. Then they do some floor crawling - pulling yourself across the mats using only your forearms. It sounds easy, but it's actually quite hard after the first 40 feet or so.
Next, thoroughly warmed up, we practice the forms for throwing (this is called uchikomi). At this point I separate from the kids. Makes sense, right? Why would I be practicing how to throw a 10 year old? So I get paired up with one of the sensei and they instruct me while I desperately try to understand what they're saying. It takes a little while, but it works. The good thing is that they can usually show me what they're talking about. Body language, hooray!
Finally, we go into randori. This is where my real weakness shows. Booooo. See, I don't have the stamina built up yet to do constant randori like they do. Yes, even the kids are able to do more randori than I am. I know, shameful. What is randori, you ask? Basically, it's where we go full strength at each other for three minutes straight, then switch partners and do it again. This happens about 5 or 6 times. You want tiring? Try doing ANYTHING at absolutely full strength for 15 to 18 minutes straight. Keep in mind that you also have an opponent who is matching you in strength. In my case, they're matching my strength and WAY surpassing my technique. So yeah, kind of an uphill battle.
And then it's over. Today they brought out a box full of Aquarius after practice. Aquarius is like a sport's drink. Think gatorade, but a little less sweet and with only one flavor, which I have no idea how to describe. It's kind of like... yeah, I have no idea. Sugary water with a dash of lemon, minus the bitterness? Maybe. Anyway, it's good.
So yeah, if this training routine doesn't get me fit within a year, I don't think anything will.
~Jeffles
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