Each month I meet with the members of the Shunsokai (Quantum Leap), and we study various aspects of the Entrepreneurs Creative Edge.
One thing which any entrepreneur needs to succeed is Energy, and no amount of motivation will help you if you don't have a strong physical energy base to work from. Nanba running is a superb way to develop physical finesse, energy and stamina, as well as confidence that you can go the extra mile over and over again.
Although we started the Shusokai group with student members from my Alma Mater (1972~73), Waseda University, it is open to participation by students from other universities, as well as adults who want to participate. We meet each month, there is no charge for participation other than use of facilities when needed, and the momentum we build will be Quantum in Quality!
On 22 November 2008, we held our group training session on Nanba running, and ran a course around and in the park at the Nippon Budokan in Kudanshita in central Tokyo. We had 9 participants, and perfect weather. We met first at the Runners Station, a facility in central Tokyo that serves urban runners by providing showers and coin lockers, so that you can make running a part of your daily routine, as well as enjoy some of the beautiful parks in Tokyo.
Though most of the participants are not regular runners, and most are also learning Nanba running for the first time, after about 30 minutes of introductory training in how to do Nanba running, we ran just over 5 km (just over 3 miles) in 39 minutes, at a pace of about 7.3 min/km, burning 460 calories. I know this, because I tracked it on my iPod, using the iPod+Nike application, a brilliant collaboration between Apple and Nike that enables you to select running courses with Google maps anywhere in the world, download running music and training programs, set goals, track your performance, and post the results online! Here is a screenshot of today's run.
It is surprisingly easy and comfortable to run this distance with Nanba running, and you only get better with practice. Because Nanba emphasizes awareness, enjoyment, and internal coordination, it is the opposite of the traditional ''no pain, no gain'' philosophy.
One of the things that Nanba helps you understand is how your body and environment are always changing, and how much more comfortable it is to ride the changes, rather than oppose them.
In Nanba the arm and leg movements are coordinated in a same side rhythm, so that when you step on the right foot, your right palm matches that movement with a vertical downward motion. This is quite different from the traditional horizontal arm pumping which you see many runners doing.
There are many subtle aspects to the training which are easier to demonstrate in person than to describe in print, but the result is a stressless running style that exercises the whole body and does not strain any particular part. Even people who have not run or exercised in a while are able to run with relative ease, without feeling fatigued or out of breath. It seemed to us that we were running as fast or faster than many of the non-Nanba joggers who were out running in the fine weather, and judging by their faces, certainly a lot more comfortably.
Moreover, Nanba running can be very fast for short sprints. Simply by leaning forward to accelerate, you not only pull way ahead of the others, but experience the effects of a turbo charger on your running legs! You reach your top speed so fast, that you almost want to put the breaks on shortly after you start. Incidentally, this is a technique that can be used in Nanba self-defence, where after you break free you simply break away and remove yourself from danger as fast as possible! A nice survival technique for any number of situations.
Waseda students are planning a 2-day 100 km walk (62 miles) in May 2009, and my students are already keen to do it in Nanba style. After all, this was the standard form of transportation in the Edo Period in Japan, and people both walked and ran distances that are almost unthinkable for modern people accustomed to riding in vehicles and sitting down most of the time.
In our future monthly Shunsokai sessions, we are planning to do more urban orienteering with Nanba walking and running, exploring some of the history and beautiful scenery in Tokyo. We will keep you posted on our Nanba Run at the Creative Edge!
I have posted a number of photos from our Nanba Run with captions, under Photo Albums at the left hand column.
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