avoiding overheating in summer

[Confound]

I'm like an old car, I overheat in summer. Anyone have good suggestions (other than opening the windows and buying air conditioning) for staying a bit cooler during summer keiko? Wetting your tenegui with cold water before using it has proved useful for me, but that only covers the head.

c

[Hongsermeier]

If you don't ring out the tenegui when you wet it, the cold water will run down your back and helps a little. There are also some sports clothing that pull the sweat from your body to help keep you cool. I'm not familiar with them, but you can pm amatsuda and ask him. He had lots of advice for us when practicing for the US championships during the summer.

[nodachi]

I would recommend drinking a good deal of water the couple hours before practice and then easing off when you are close to the practice time to avoid stomach aches. You still feel super overheated at practice, but you don't risk the dehydration/heat exhaustion issues.

Good marathon advice, maybe it will help in kendo, too.

[aru-ma]

Here's some ideas:

-The best and most obvious advice is really keep yourself hydrated, drink lots of water

-Your damp tenugui idea also helps (not just for kendo)

-splash your face with cold water before training starts

-Slightly damp, not soak, parts of your gi (usualy the back and armpit).

-Dont overwork yourself when you know it's not possible, take your men off if you really need to, keep the air circulation going.

so keep it cool, literaly.

I managed to live through summer in Australia with these advice after I learnt it the hard way.

[slidercrank]

First, there are summer weight gi's. I'm sure a local bogu shop in Sendai would have them. They are made of thinner fabric. I have also seen ads in old issues of Kendo Nippon that sold special summer weight gi's. Those gi's were not only of lighter weight, but were also made of a special weave that promoted ventilation (or something to that effect).

I haven't bought Kendo Nippon for over a year now (thanks to Kendo World!). But maybe the latest issue of it would have such ad's.

[StylophonePet]

Confound, maybe a hot/cold pack or two might help? maybe holding it to the lower end of your back....

I hate heat

[iwatekenshi]

Yup the Japanese heat is creaping its way up Tohoku. I just tank up every hour, a 1/2 liter is usually good for me. I notice I'm not drinking enough water when my bogu starts showing salt stains. Anyway drink as much as you can, even if you start going to the bathroom every 10 minutes. Also be sure to rehydrate after practice. That's sometimes more important then drinking a lot before. It will certainly cool you down.

[KENSHIN]

I actually just thought up of a really cool invention, maybe we could have mini fans inside the men, which could keep us cool. :D
Anyway, where I am it never really get hot anyway, so I am probably not the best for advice. I just try to tough it out I suppose, only because I have no idea of a way to help me stay cool in the hot periods. :D

[Ares2907]

I can see the headlines after the first men cut on your invention jars the fan blade loose.

[Kendoka]

Originally posted by Confound
I'm like an old car, I overheat in summer. Anyone have good suggestions (other than opening the windows and buying air conditioning) for staying a bit cooler during summer keiko? Wetting your tenegui with cold water before using it has proved useful for me, but that only covers the head.

c

Hydration, before, during and after kendo.

Drink lots of water, like at least 2 - 3 L per day if possible.

Show moderation in training on hot days. Stop for a break and cool down.

Women have more of a tendency to overheat than males, to do with body structure and plumbing etc,

I'll see if I can find something to send you.

R

[Hai_hai]

Originally posted by Confound
I'm like an old car, I overheat in summer. Anyone have good suggestions (other than opening the windows and buying air conditioning) for staying a bit cooler during summer keiko? Wetting your tenegui with cold water before using it has proved useful for me, but that only covers the head.

c

You are an old car.

[Neil Gendzwill]

Step 1: pack up kendo gear
Step 2: place in basement
Step 3: open cold beer
Step 4: sit on deck

[Confound]

I don't drink. Beer looks too much like urine. However, if another drink could be substituted, and the step of sitting on the patio could be eliminated (natural sunlight makes my eyes ache), it might work...

c

[Hongsermeier]

(natural sunlight makes my eyes ache),....I knew it!!! Your a vampire!!

As for the drink, some good shochu goes down well on ice.

[Neil Gendzwill]

Originally posted by Hongsermeier
(natural sunlight makes my eyes ache),....I knew it!!! Your a vampire!!
Seems to have a talent for sucking the fun out of anything anyways...

[Hongsermeier]

I won't even comment on that train of thought.

[m_french]

Since when does the great Hongsermeier not attack an open Do?!?!?!?!?!:beard:

[Paburo]

besides, her favourite (alcoholic?) drink is SUPER-O or something. it makes you attractive! on a summer night, in yukata perhaps?

anyway, back to topic.

in our dojo we open the windows/doors and take a 2 min break to drink water and cool down before doing jigeiko.

eventually, after keiko in summer, some like to get seminude and sink in the pool right next to the dojo. lemon beer is also a must. too bad these latter cooling techniques are post-keiko.

other alternatives could be sliding ice cubes inside your mates/own gi, or hiring an army of girls in yukata previously armed with uchiwas to fan you thru the dojo.

[m_french]

Originally posted by Paburo
or hiring an army of girls in yukata previously armed with uchiwas to fan you thru the dojo.

I am kindly requesting a transfer to this Dojo:beard:

[slidercrank]

Originally posted by iwatekenshi
I notice I'm not drinking enough water when my bogu starts showing salt stains.

What does salt stain have to do with hydration? Bogu sucks up sweat and becomes wet. When it dries, the salt in the sweat is left behind on the surface of bogu. At least that's my understanding.

[Inouye02]

the girl has issues nobody can help her with

[kendomushi]

Originally posted by slidercrank


What does salt stain have to do with hydration? Bogu sucks up sweat and becomes wet. When it dries, the salt in the sweat is left behind on the surface of bogu. At least that's my understanding.

If you're already a bit low on fluids, your sweat tends to have a higher concentration of salt in it. That would result in greater staining.