I always enjoy reading your posts.
I can also recall a few "interesting" classes myself (I hope I don't bore people here). For example, watching a buddy of mine (we used to run four miles to class and back home afterwards) pass out while in horse stance, the reason was that he was punching the teacher in the stomach, over and over again. It was just too much for him.
That same teacher used to strap on wrist and ankle weights and go running for hours -- in the mountains! Oh, by the way, he was a very nice, humble fellow. He also saved a teenager's life by catching him after he had attemped suicide by jumping out of an apartment window (he [the teacher] ended up in hospital for a few months, as a result).
I also remember anwsering my name during roll call after one very intense class. Problem was that I was out on my feet. I couldn't see a thing, just pitch blackness. I had to get assistance from a friend just to walk out. I was fine in a few minutes and even lived to tell the tale.
I never did the running in the snow, although another teacher talked about doing it often himself.
Even before all this, when I did Kyokushinkai, I can remember a 14 year old black belt who used to do 30 pushups with an adult standing on his back, they called him the "little tiger". Our instructor there used to jump from stomach to stomach while people were doing situps (sounds worse than it was).
The Kyokushinkai was more or less full contact (no protection) and in each class you were pushed to your limits in many ways. HOWEVER, you NEVER questioned your ability to strike or to take (or evade) a strike (you absolutely knew what it was like). Guess what? We all left the dojo rejuvenated, with an almost spiritual feeling (I can't think of a better way of explaing it) and the confidence to take on the world.
I think some people go to train just so they can stop for a beer afterwards. Actually, that doesn't sound so bad.
Jim23