AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon.
The Japanese sword, or katana, has long been considered the symbol of a samurai’s soul. In modern times, the katana is central to a number of Japanese martial arts, including Kendo, Aikido, and Iaido.
In fact, the importance of the katana to the martial arts is not confined to the mechanics of sword-wielding. Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido, once likened human development through martial arts to the process of sword-making:
Iron is full of impurities that weaken it; through the forging fire, it becomes steel and is transformed into a razor-sharp sword. Human beings develop in the same fashion.
The creation of a katana requires the skilled application of both heat and cold. The katana is forged in heat, where the iron is folded and shaped, and the impurities hammered out. The blade, partially coated in clay and reheated, is then quenched in cold water to give it its characteristic crystalline edge and a flexible spine.
Forging the body takes place in the heated confines of the training hall and the dojo. Training in the cold, as the katana is quenched in cold water, can provide the martial artist with a hardened edge. Cold-weather training can take the form of running, cycling, cross-country skiing, and any other winter sport.
Sporadic exposure to cold weather has been proven to suppress the immune system. However, regular cold-weather training can actually prevent the downturn in the immune system and provide a few other benefits:
- Increased Fat Burning - Cold weather depletes the muscles' glycogen stores at about 5 to 6 times the normal rate. Because of this, the body soon turns to burning fat as fuel, promoting weight loss, better body composition, and increased levels of "good" or HDL cholesterol.
- Increased Resting Metabolic Rate - Not only does exercising in the cold increase the energy cost of routine movements, this cost continues into resting periods. The resulting negative energy balance will promote weight loss.
With these added benefits, cold weather can be leveraged to boost the postive effects of an off-the-mat training program. Cold weather training toughens both mind and body, by adding just the right amount of adversity.
However, it is important, before embarking on any cold-weather training program, to take the appropriate precautions - proper hydration, layered clothing, and covering the face and extremities as necessary.
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