Month: October 2012

Systema Israel Learning to hit deep

In this video we go over the base of the work which is awareness and put it to work with strikes. We build our awareness up the arm from the fingers to the eyes and breath and the student on the receiving end learns to keep breathing avoid excess tension and build mental solidness. Exactly as the striker but from the other angle.

Perception of Time

We tend to all evaluate  time passage and speed according to all our systems put together. Our mood influences it, Our involvement and the experience itself influences it.

Here are three drills of taking in order to receive. We take away from what we take for granted to become aware of more facets of ourselves.

  1. Avoid time pieces and place yourself in the static push up position. Choose a time interval as 10-more minutes and see when you think time is up where you are in relation to a stop watch or any other objective measure.
  2. Find something disturbing to watch (An opening of a new ladies clothes Shoppe, violence against the weak or the Israeli soccer team..) and again pre choose a time interval and see how your evaluation rests in accordance to reality.
  3. This drill requires you stand close enough to read an analog or digital clock with seconds. Note the time and turn away from the clock and start making a move from a step to raising a hand in a salute in one minute. Once you are done turn again and compare how your movement timing fared. Change time frame and movement. Repeat and remember there is always work to be done.

Learning to use the legs

A series of drills to aid the student in learning to use the lower limbs. Remember we are all the same. We all walk crawl sit and get up. nothing needs inventing.

1. Place your hands relaxed on your lower back to feel when you are over tensing it and start sitting down and getting up with the breath leading movement. If you have a partner have him hug you and fall to the ground when he sees a lack of attention in you and you continue to breathe and move.

2. Have your partner hug you and stand still and stiff as you try to sit down and get up. As you try to sit down he tries to stay up and in reverse on the way up. Keep breathing and see how your movements can affect all of his movement and not only where there is contact.

3. Close your eyes and stand still. Have your partner come to hug you and as you feel the contact coming move to avoid the closing of the arms around you with your body movement placing and leg movement.

4. Walk freely as one or more try to close their arms around you. Use your body movement first and your legs second in avoiding and when the arms close around you continue to move. Place the importance in the lessons from the drill and not in the drill itself. A key is nothing without a door to open. < Yes I do sound like a fortune cookie

5.  Lie on the ground and move with your body and legs to bring to the ground a standing partner. Avoid pressing and pulling with the legs and start the movement from the body.

6. Have a partner walk around as you move on the ground with the intention to roll under him and to bring him down to the ground. Take care to avoid harming yourself in the process.

7. Have a partner come and grab you in some way as you stand with your eyes closed. Start moving with the direction of his contact and bring him to the ground using only body movement and your legs.

Keep breathing and avoid the snakes in the grass. Sometimes your eyes are the crutch you depend on. Open yourself to all your senses.

Systema Israel Your eyes and movement

http://systemablog.blog.com/welcome-to-systema-israel/ In this video we show a few practical examples of whole body movement created simply by looking around and remembering all the parts of the body. It may sound obvious but simple does not equal easy. Another idea in this video is to remove parts of ourselves that are in the way and to keep the eyes and awareness active instead of diving into a roll and letting go of reality within a fixed movement you are executing. Everyone has blind spots and I thank my students for showing my what I take for granted in their movement and in their words. Keep moving.