Month: February 2012

Systema Israel Natural movement using the legs


In this video we do one simple thing. We walk (move) with the contact. That does not mean we walk passively but we choose our steps with awareness and breath leading. Breath, feel, move and keep human. Remember it is much easier to destroy than to build and move only in the speed you can keep yourself and others safe in.

Steps:

Breath and relax the eyes

feel (direction and pressure)

feel where you are comfortable

Move from the breath letting the breath lead

Keep breathing

Have a partner walk freely and walk calmly behind him. From time to time draw near and use your fist or hand to push or pull him within your movement. Your partner needs to use his breathing to avoid building tension from anticipation and either roll with the pressure or if you feel a change in the tension or movement of your partner roll beforehand. Switch roles so the one walking first needs to push or pull the one walking behind him. In this part of the drill where your partner sees you the movement must be natural and excess tension free so you can contact without your partner rolling out of the way.
Repeat the drill using either legs or arms both ways and then going for a body to body affect. Finish by using rolling through your partner either way and if the number of partners of students permits do the drill using three or more people with choice of targets to work with…

Focus points:
Let the breath lead movement
Avoid change of pace when the work does not demand it
be aware where your eyes are heading
movement can originate from different positions and using different tension maps in the body. The same movement can appear the same but have different affects altogether. Avoid mimicry and be yourself.

Telling tension

Have a partner hold you in some way using both force and intention and in this hold or movement keep breathing and tense and relax each leg in turn and then each shoulder and arms in turn. Feel which of both pairs is more inclined to move during the relax phase of the drill and with the breath start the movement from there. Repeat the drill many times and in each time change but a bit of the drill in movement and in the tension.
Avoid making the mistake in technique people make when they try to rely on this crutch as we change each breath in the map of tension and movement which creates our posture and movement.
Example: Your head and neck is wedged in the armpit of your partner and your spine is somewhat bent downward. his other hand is pressing into your kidney and you want to go home and eat some schnitzel… You tense and relax each limb and connection to the main body in turn spreading your awareness in all of you and releasing the stuck feeling that grows from such contacts. Your feel the arm naturally rising from the elbow gathering and extending his arm pressing on your kidney and in this open door you extend your opposite leg affecting his knee so he feels his mortality and discards frivolous thoughts of controlling others until he gathers his own wits.