Kyoto (III)

I'm on my way to the imperial palace. The first stop on what I hope to be a long day of sightseeing and hiking.
They are on the sidewalk, practicing gymnastics. Movements to the side, extension. A group of about 10 men, in circle following the lead of a short and quite stocky guy. One man (with his back to the bus), is clearly showing off: he holds the position longer, his movements are perfectly smooth, his body seemingly obeying all the orders it receives. He is now squatting and his legs make a perfect rectangle with his body completely straight. None of his comrades even comes close. This is a rather strange assortment of people practicing gymnastic a bit before 9 AM. The bus passes them and I see that they are all standing in front of what appears to be a fire station.