Our May 2009 Systema Workshop has been bumped back to September due to Vladimir's hectic schedule.
We are working out the details and hopefully it won't change again.
Don't despair.
We are working on a series of seminars in the coming months to "keep you tuned up"
and "up to speed" come September.
Systema in Colorado will still be happening even if we have to wait awhile longer to bring
Vladimir to our great state.
Brad Scornavacco
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
May 2009 Workshop: Up In The Air!
A quick update for all Systema practitioners:
Our Colorado Weekend Workshop with Vladimir Vasiliev on May 16th and 17th, 2009 has run into a scheduling conflict.
Vladimir will be teaching a Seminar in Toronto that same weekend, so now we are looking for a new date for our Workshop.
We have to find and secure an available space, lodging and banquet hall.
We are trying to reschedule our Workshop to the May 2nd and 3rd weekend.
People have been emailing about the Seminar already and I hope to have the new date and schedule finalized within a week or two.
In addition to Vladimir we will have not 1, but 2 Special Guests that are going to add a TON of value to the weekend.
Keep your eyes peeled for updates.
I will post them the minute I know.
Our Colorado Weekend Workshop with Vladimir Vasiliev on May 16th and 17th, 2009 has run into a scheduling conflict.
Vladimir will be teaching a Seminar in Toronto that same weekend, so now we are looking for a new date for our Workshop.
We have to find and secure an available space, lodging and banquet hall.
We are trying to reschedule our Workshop to the May 2nd and 3rd weekend.
People have been emailing about the Seminar already and I hope to have the new date and schedule finalized within a week or two.
In addition to Vladimir we will have not 1, but 2 Special Guests that are going to add a TON of value to the weekend.
Keep your eyes peeled for updates.
I will post them the minute I know.
Friday, October 10, 2008
My Buddy Al's Confession
My buddy Al McLuckie introduced me to Systema 10 years ago. I knew Al because he was one of the best Filipino Martial Artists in the states who taught at my Kenpo teacher's school (Lee Wedlake). I had just moved to Colorado to open my own martial arts school when I invited Al out to teach a Knife Work seminar.
That first seminar rocked. Everyone loved what Al taught, but I knew something was different. It wasn't until we went out to eat later that Al gave me his confession. I still remember how nervous he was when he was about to tell me.
Here it was: What he taught that day wasn't Filipino, it was (gasp!) Russian.
Most people get hung up on labels--it is Kenpo or Silat or Jiu-Jitsu--I don't care, as long as it works.
And the knife-work Al taught worked like gangbusters!
See, Al had lost some long-time students because what he started teaching them was Russian and not Filipino.
Get this, Even Though They Loved The Work And Saw How Effective It Was?!
Labels. Imagine being stabbed to death when you could have used a move to save your life, But You Didn't, just because it came from another country...
What the heck kind of thinking is that?
I was so pumped by the prospect of a whole new, expanded world of martial arts skill that I went "whole hog" began training in Systema, teaching it to all my students, hopped on a plane to Russia instead of buying a Condo, and becoming a Certified Instructor.
There is more to the story, but here's the point:
Al will be in Colorado on Saturday November 8th to teach a One-Day Only Workshop on knife and stick work taking the best training methods from both Russian and Filipino backgrounds. Now you Systema people, don't get hung up on labels either--Filipino warrior culture has tons of practical and deadly work that fits right into Systema!
See you there.
That first seminar rocked. Everyone loved what Al taught, but I knew something was different. It wasn't until we went out to eat later that Al gave me his confession. I still remember how nervous he was when he was about to tell me.
Here it was: What he taught that day wasn't Filipino, it was (gasp!) Russian.
Most people get hung up on labels--it is Kenpo or Silat or Jiu-Jitsu--I don't care, as long as it works.
And the knife-work Al taught worked like gangbusters!
See, Al had lost some long-time students because what he started teaching them was Russian and not Filipino.
Get this, Even Though They Loved The Work And Saw How Effective It Was?!
Labels. Imagine being stabbed to death when you could have used a move to save your life, But You Didn't, just because it came from another country...
What the heck kind of thinking is that?
I was so pumped by the prospect of a whole new, expanded world of martial arts skill that I went "whole hog" began training in Systema, teaching it to all my students, hopped on a plane to Russia instead of buying a Condo, and becoming a Certified Instructor.
There is more to the story, but here's the point:
Al will be in Colorado on Saturday November 8th to teach a One-Day Only Workshop on knife and stick work taking the best training methods from both Russian and Filipino backgrounds. Now you Systema people, don't get hung up on labels either--Filipino warrior culture has tons of practical and deadly work that fits right into Systema!
See you there.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Assumption of Failure
The Systema teaching methodology makes little or no sense to students of other martial arts who see isolated clips of Systema training. I used to not understand this because I know why I am doing these particular exercises. Now I see why they are confused or dismissive, because of the "assumption of success" in their own training.
Most martial arts teaching begins with a specific situation, such as the attacker is throwing a right punch at your head. The teacher then shows the student what to do after he as avoided and/or blocked the punch. The rest of the technique follows. This is a good model and it does work to create skill but it does rely on one key assumption, that you don't get hit/touched.
This assumption of success is part of the martial arts myth of the untouchable master who never gets hit or knocked out. After all, no one is training in the martial arts to get hit more if someone attacks them. Everyone, Systema students included, would rather not get hit by the opponent.
Let's look at what happens when the assumption of success is violated. Training as if you will never be hit has two major consequences the first time you are hit. The obvious consequence is that it hurts and you lose the fight. None of your techniques work if you are hit; they rely on evading/blocking. The second, more damaging consequence is psychological. Your personal myth of being the invincible master has been shattered, possibly by someone with no martial arts training. This realization can devastate you, especially if you are a Black Belt or have some martial arts status. You may doubt your training, yourself or both. I have had people with these shattered egos come in my school and ask me to help them. The effect is very real. While "don't get hit" is everyone's goal, it is not the best teaching method.
Most Systema training begins from physical contact, from the worst-case scenario or from the assumption of failure first. Going back to the punch example, the Systema methodology is to touch, slowly push and then punch the student in the head. The teacher systematically desensitizes the student to being hit, both physically and psychologically. Further, the student's body feels and understands the effect of being struck. The body begins to understand range and the onset of a threat. In a brief time, usually only a few minutes the student begins moving before being struck, naturally. (On a side note: the puncher also learns how to properly strike another body, a further benefit of the Systema training methodology.)
Systema students quickly learn how to avoid being struck by, paradoxically, being struck. Another benefit of this training methodology is that if a Systema student is hit he doesn't freeze. There is much less, if any, psychological shock associated with the strike. The Systemist learns to use the force of the incoming strike--from the contact itself--to feed his defense and thwart his attacker in one smooth motion. Further, the same motions used to dissipate and feed back the force of contact are used even if no contact occurs.
When the stakes are higher, as in knife defense, the differences in training methodologies become clearer. Without training your entire body to protect itself, if a knife gets past your arms you have no further defense. You will be cut as deep as the attacker wants to cut you. Provided that your body is training to move independently of your limbs, if a knife does touch you you can minimize the cut or slash to the skin level and keep it from penetrating to your organs. This alone can mean the difference between life and death.
Teaching with the assumption of failure first versus an assumption of success is more realistic because most people WILL get hit until they get much more skilled. Even then, we all get hit. I have never seen a boxer not get hit in the ring. Training from contact helps to keep students from being knocked out until they develop the skills of the untouchable master. Again, Systema students are NOT trying to get hit first in a real fight and then move. This is a "You Tube misconception."
P.S.
This post is a result of teaching knife defense to a brand-new student on Saturday. Within one class Bob went through this teaching progression and was successfully avoiding most knife attacks at near full-speed.
Most martial arts teaching begins with a specific situation, such as the attacker is throwing a right punch at your head. The teacher then shows the student what to do after he as avoided and/or blocked the punch. The rest of the technique follows. This is a good model and it does work to create skill but it does rely on one key assumption, that you don't get hit/touched.
This assumption of success is part of the martial arts myth of the untouchable master who never gets hit or knocked out. After all, no one is training in the martial arts to get hit more if someone attacks them. Everyone, Systema students included, would rather not get hit by the opponent.
Let's look at what happens when the assumption of success is violated. Training as if you will never be hit has two major consequences the first time you are hit. The obvious consequence is that it hurts and you lose the fight. None of your techniques work if you are hit; they rely on evading/blocking. The second, more damaging consequence is psychological. Your personal myth of being the invincible master has been shattered, possibly by someone with no martial arts training. This realization can devastate you, especially if you are a Black Belt or have some martial arts status. You may doubt your training, yourself or both. I have had people with these shattered egos come in my school and ask me to help them. The effect is very real. While "don't get hit" is everyone's goal, it is not the best teaching method.
Most Systema training begins from physical contact, from the worst-case scenario or from the assumption of failure first. Going back to the punch example, the Systema methodology is to touch, slowly push and then punch the student in the head. The teacher systematically desensitizes the student to being hit, both physically and psychologically. Further, the student's body feels and understands the effect of being struck. The body begins to understand range and the onset of a threat. In a brief time, usually only a few minutes the student begins moving before being struck, naturally. (On a side note: the puncher also learns how to properly strike another body, a further benefit of the Systema training methodology.)
Systema students quickly learn how to avoid being struck by, paradoxically, being struck. Another benefit of this training methodology is that if a Systema student is hit he doesn't freeze. There is much less, if any, psychological shock associated with the strike. The Systemist learns to use the force of the incoming strike--from the contact itself--to feed his defense and thwart his attacker in one smooth motion. Further, the same motions used to dissipate and feed back the force of contact are used even if no contact occurs.
When the stakes are higher, as in knife defense, the differences in training methodologies become clearer. Without training your entire body to protect itself, if a knife gets past your arms you have no further defense. You will be cut as deep as the attacker wants to cut you. Provided that your body is training to move independently of your limbs, if a knife does touch you you can minimize the cut or slash to the skin level and keep it from penetrating to your organs. This alone can mean the difference between life and death.
Teaching with the assumption of failure first versus an assumption of success is more realistic because most people WILL get hit until they get much more skilled. Even then, we all get hit. I have never seen a boxer not get hit in the ring. Training from contact helps to keep students from being knocked out until they develop the skills of the untouchable master. Again, Systema students are NOT trying to get hit first in a real fight and then move. This is a "You Tube misconception."
P.S.
This post is a result of teaching knife defense to a brand-new student on Saturday. Within one class Bob went through this teaching progression and was successfully avoiding most knife attacks at near full-speed.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Nitrous Oxide For Your Martial Arts
On Tuesday I had a conversation with Jason Kierstein about Systema and previous martial arts training/other martial arts. I got to talking about various martial artists I know, including myself, that came to Systema after years of practicing other arts. What all of us noticed was that after training in Systema then going back to practice our previous arts, we were leaps and bounds ahead of the people we had been training with who didn't train in Systema. This has proven itself again and again.
I have seen knife-fighters blow past their peers, Judo players easily countering throws while knocking their partners down almost at will, grapplers suddenly not being tapped out by anyone except the highest-level fighters, boxers moving, slipping and hitting harder than ever--all after training in Systema. The movie The Matrix illustrated this dynamic when Neo began fighting Agents with one hand whereas previously he could barely hold his own. That knowledge and skill he gained is akin to what happens when people train in Systema.
What Systema does to your previous training is like adding nitrous oxide to a race car; it turbo-charges your skill level. Apparently when NOS is heated it splits into oxygen and nitrogen. Your engine can inject more gasoline because of the increased oxygen levels yielding more power and speed. I like that fact that it adds more oxygen because this simple analogy extends to Systema's emphasis on proper breathing to increase your skill level.
I believe that top-level martial artists all figure out--through their own exploration and practice--how to control their breathing, how to relax, how to move with the attacker instead of against him and how to be sensitive to every movement. They also surpass their peers, who are just memorizing techniques, because they just somehow stumbled across these principles or they actually applied the written martial arts philosophy. Jiu-Jitsu Master Rickson Gracie is a prime example of this. These are the principles that Systema teaches from the first class. Because these applying these principles gets students to the highest levels of performance I half-jokingly tell my students that Systema really is a PhD art.
Back to the nitrous analogy. How could being more relaxed, keeping control of your body, not struggling and being able to read a situation before it becomes too dangerous NOT super-charge your martial arts?
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Ryan Bertrand Reviews Seminar with Martin Wheeler
March 21st and 22nd
Longmont Colorado Seminar
Hosted by Brad Scornavacco- Russian Martial Art of the Rockies
Martin Wheeler- Instructor
Training started off with only a 10 hour drive to Colorado for the seminar. I say “only” because last trip was 26 hours drive to Phoenix for Konstantin’s Gun Fighting Seminar! I also say that the “Training” began with the drive because spending that much time in a vehicle can surely be thought of as work on humility and being long-suffering if nothing else!
First off, a couple of quick comments… If you haven’t had a chance to train with Martin, you are missing out. He is certainly of the same mold as other respected Systema instructors in that he has incredible abilities coupled with incredible humility, (like Jim King, Sonny Puzikas, Kwan Lee to name a few…) just don’t confuse being their being “nice” with being “soft”!!! Brad Scornavacco is great instructor in his own right. Brad is very knowledgeable and always gives great feedback and useful suggestions to improve your study of Systema. Many thanks to both!
Friday night session was geared to law enforcement and Saturday open to all. I am in law enforcement myself, so I was particularly interested in learning new things that would help me in my own work and also picking up some things that would help me prepare others at my department in my role as a trainer there.
So much information was covered that I find myself in the same spot that so many others are in after good seminars. Simply, I will be digesting the whole experience of it for some time to come, with some of the lessons turning into “lightbulb moments” sometime down the road in the future. I’ll speak from my experience and I’ll (brutally in some cases!) paraphrase some of what was taught.
To begin the Friday night session, Martin spoke from his background as a former bouncer, discussing the not just physical but also psychological aspect of doing the work.
Some of the ideas shared by Martin...
•When attempting to move someone don't neglect the simplest and easier method of all. Ask them to move! Martin gave a demonstration of some "no contact" work, simply gesturing for someone to “stand over here please”… Of course, they moved… Everyone watching was laughing at the simplicity…
•There is no need to “force” people into compliance with your will. Each person will have a type of “will” of their own. Allow their movement, move in and with them and “let them” go where they want to go, oftentimes they will do the work for you. This led into the next area…
•Continue to strive to become more and more comfortable in “every” position. The places where you are reluctant to go or be, when you are inevitably find yourself there, will cause you all sorts of problems (fear, aggression, tension, etc…) Martin found us all to have several “sticking” points in our movement, particularly during pushups, squatting, rolling and falling. During these points, self-awareness drops dramatically and a great degree of control is lost. There is also a tendency to quickly move through those ranges or completely out of those “places” instead of submitting to the experience and the lessons to be learned. Think of that “certain” range in your pushups or squats that is the most challenging, where your count becomes a “little faster” as your mind tries to avoid it. Stay there, and overcome with breathing.
•Be responsible for your own movement. Using the example of standing up and laying down, Martin explained that there are an infinite number of positions in between. Instead of standing one moment, falling in the next moment, and in some crude manner finding yourself on the ground (only then to “look around” and reassess), Martin had us work on being in control and aware throughout that entire sequence. In doing so, Martin was explaining how we could change our own perception of time to our advantage. I found several times in my own movement where I was “going blind”, not allowing myself to “see”. This type of work is best explored slowly, while staying relaxed and in control of your movements, cutting out the adrenaline “kick” that unnecessarily excites your psyche.
•Being in control buys you time. Conversely, movement that is out of control can quickly lead to becoming overloaded and “missing” things. During some drilling on this matter, Brad mentioned to look for “freebies” in the movement. When you are out of control, you will be in no position to recognize these “freebies” when they do present themselves, and even if you are able to recognize them, you will be in no position to act on them.
•In regard to timing and moving with an opponent, Martin said to “let the opponent think their technique has neither failed nor finished”. Match their speed. Moving away from them too fast will signal to them that that particular movement has failed, and they will then adjust accordingly. In other words, keep them thinking they are what they are attempting to do is actively succeeding. In doing so, you will “keep them with you” until it is too late for them.
There was of course much more covered! Numerous techniques (born of sound principle) that could be used to escort or control an unruly person, different aspects of striking and several ways to handle the handcuffing of resistive subjects.
For me, however, the seminar was not about learning several new moves, but really going back to the basics of Systema, breathing, relaxation, movement, and posture.
So often the tendency (especially in Law Enforcement circles) is to look for the “advanced” training… As I have heard it said before, so cliché, but true, true, true…
“Advanced is merely the basics mastered”
That’s what this seminar ended up being for me. Thank Brad for hosting and thanks to Martin for sharing a lot of great information…
Respectfully,
Ryan Bertrand
______________
Longmont Colorado Seminar
Hosted by Brad Scornavacco- Russian Martial Art of the Rockies
Martin Wheeler- Instructor
Training started off with only a 10 hour drive to Colorado for the seminar. I say “only” because last trip was 26 hours drive to Phoenix for Konstantin’s Gun Fighting Seminar! I also say that the “Training” began with the drive because spending that much time in a vehicle can surely be thought of as work on humility and being long-suffering if nothing else!
First off, a couple of quick comments… If you haven’t had a chance to train with Martin, you are missing out. He is certainly of the same mold as other respected Systema instructors in that he has incredible abilities coupled with incredible humility, (like Jim King, Sonny Puzikas, Kwan Lee to name a few…) just don’t confuse being their being “nice” with being “soft”!!! Brad Scornavacco is great instructor in his own right. Brad is very knowledgeable and always gives great feedback and useful suggestions to improve your study of Systema. Many thanks to both!
Friday night session was geared to law enforcement and Saturday open to all. I am in law enforcement myself, so I was particularly interested in learning new things that would help me in my own work and also picking up some things that would help me prepare others at my department in my role as a trainer there.
So much information was covered that I find myself in the same spot that so many others are in after good seminars. Simply, I will be digesting the whole experience of it for some time to come, with some of the lessons turning into “lightbulb moments” sometime down the road in the future. I’ll speak from my experience and I’ll (brutally in some cases!) paraphrase some of what was taught.
To begin the Friday night session, Martin spoke from his background as a former bouncer, discussing the not just physical but also psychological aspect of doing the work.
Some of the ideas shared by Martin...
•When attempting to move someone don't neglect the simplest and easier method of all. Ask them to move! Martin gave a demonstration of some "no contact" work, simply gesturing for someone to “stand over here please”… Of course, they moved… Everyone watching was laughing at the simplicity…
•There is no need to “force” people into compliance with your will. Each person will have a type of “will” of their own. Allow their movement, move in and with them and “let them” go where they want to go, oftentimes they will do the work for you. This led into the next area…
•Continue to strive to become more and more comfortable in “every” position. The places where you are reluctant to go or be, when you are inevitably find yourself there, will cause you all sorts of problems (fear, aggression, tension, etc…) Martin found us all to have several “sticking” points in our movement, particularly during pushups, squatting, rolling and falling. During these points, self-awareness drops dramatically and a great degree of control is lost. There is also a tendency to quickly move through those ranges or completely out of those “places” instead of submitting to the experience and the lessons to be learned. Think of that “certain” range in your pushups or squats that is the most challenging, where your count becomes a “little faster” as your mind tries to avoid it. Stay there, and overcome with breathing.
•Be responsible for your own movement. Using the example of standing up and laying down, Martin explained that there are an infinite number of positions in between. Instead of standing one moment, falling in the next moment, and in some crude manner finding yourself on the ground (only then to “look around” and reassess), Martin had us work on being in control and aware throughout that entire sequence. In doing so, Martin was explaining how we could change our own perception of time to our advantage. I found several times in my own movement where I was “going blind”, not allowing myself to “see”. This type of work is best explored slowly, while staying relaxed and in control of your movements, cutting out the adrenaline “kick” that unnecessarily excites your psyche.
•Being in control buys you time. Conversely, movement that is out of control can quickly lead to becoming overloaded and “missing” things. During some drilling on this matter, Brad mentioned to look for “freebies” in the movement. When you are out of control, you will be in no position to recognize these “freebies” when they do present themselves, and even if you are able to recognize them, you will be in no position to act on them.
•In regard to timing and moving with an opponent, Martin said to “let the opponent think their technique has neither failed nor finished”. Match their speed. Moving away from them too fast will signal to them that that particular movement has failed, and they will then adjust accordingly. In other words, keep them thinking they are what they are attempting to do is actively succeeding. In doing so, you will “keep them with you” until it is too late for them.
There was of course much more covered! Numerous techniques (born of sound principle) that could be used to escort or control an unruly person, different aspects of striking and several ways to handle the handcuffing of resistive subjects.
For me, however, the seminar was not about learning several new moves, but really going back to the basics of Systema, breathing, relaxation, movement, and posture.
So often the tendency (especially in Law Enforcement circles) is to look for the “advanced” training… As I have heard it said before, so cliché, but true, true, true…
“Advanced is merely the basics mastered”
That’s what this seminar ended up being for me. Thank Brad for hosting and thanks to Martin for sharing a lot of great information…
Respectfully,
Ryan Bertrand
______________
Is it Still Russian Martial Art Even If The Teacher Isn't?
Here is a link to an interesting article from the New York Times about non-Italians cooking Italian food.
Many people have asked if you have to be Russian to be good at Russian Martial Art. Obviously you don't but for whatever reason people associate combat skill with nation of origin. I point to people like Martin Wheeler who is not Russian, never been to Russia, doesn't speak Russian and is one of the best practitioners around. I personally was among a group of non-Russians demonstrating the native Russian Martial Art for Russians in Moscow to expose the Russian people to this art in 2003.
This article is timely because people sometimes ask me if I am Russian or if I speak Russian. When I say I don't speak Russian and my dad's mom is Ukrainian they get this look like how can I teach a Russian martial art then. I usually draw the analogy that you don't have to be Italian to cook Italian food. This article then shows the same biases in the culinary world. Perhaps the chefs can tell people that you don't have to be Russian to excel at Russian Martial Arts...
Monday, March 31, 2008
Lessons from an Insect
I had the strangest experience ever at the Dallas seminar this past weekend. I was in the gymnasium lying down as I watched Vladimir perform a punching demonstration. I stood up and went over to help a few guys with the work when I felt something on my leg. At first I thought I just caught a leg hair on my pants or something. I kept teaching but I felt it again, worse this time. I scratched my leg but it felt like it was spreading. I had not idea what it was so I pulled up my pant leg and out came a wasp. The wasp then flew onto the back of my shirt. I remained still while Jack, a friend of mine, calmly walked up scooped up the wasp and released it outside.
After repeated stings I opted to sit out the afternoon session and just watch. Jack and I got to talking about wasps and how to deal with them without getting stung. Having a wasp in my pants was a fluke but there was a guy in the seminar actively swatting at another wasp flying around. Jack and I agreed that that guy was asking to get stung. If he would have left the wasp alone it would have left him alone in turn.
Jack told me that wasps can sense your fear and agitation which gets them ready to defend themselves and more likely to sting you. He went on to say that if you are calm you can pick up a wasp or bee in your hand without being stung because it doesn't feel threatened by you. As Jack was explaining "Wasp-Fu" I was looking around the room at all the different people training and how dealing with a wasp is exactly like dealing with attackers in Systema.
This was the first time in my life that I have been stung by a wasp and about 2 years ago was the first time I was stung by a bee. As a child I have always froze when bees or wasps flew around and the eventually flew off without stinging me. Early on I learned that they don't want to sting you--in fact this costs the bee its life--so if you don't give them a reason to sting you then they won't.
Likewise there are dangerous people you might run into, ready to fight if you give them a reason to. If you move on and don't agitate them they move on peacefully. They attack because they are afraid and attacking is the best defense. By staying calm yourself you can calm down the other person, either preventing them from attacking in the first place or in the middle of their attack keeping them from tensing and being able to work and subdue them easier.
The same people I saw swatting at the wasps in the seminar were the same people I watched reacting to attackers with excess tension making the attacker more aggressive and harder to handle. (Like the wasp the attackers responded differently to the fear of the defender). These students were increasing their own trouble because they were afraid.
The simple lesson from I learned again from the wasp incident is that if you stay calm and keep your cool you can negotiate around dealing creatures, human or not.
After repeated stings I opted to sit out the afternoon session and just watch. Jack and I got to talking about wasps and how to deal with them without getting stung. Having a wasp in my pants was a fluke but there was a guy in the seminar actively swatting at another wasp flying around. Jack and I agreed that that guy was asking to get stung. If he would have left the wasp alone it would have left him alone in turn.
Jack told me that wasps can sense your fear and agitation which gets them ready to defend themselves and more likely to sting you. He went on to say that if you are calm you can pick up a wasp or bee in your hand without being stung because it doesn't feel threatened by you. As Jack was explaining "Wasp-Fu" I was looking around the room at all the different people training and how dealing with a wasp is exactly like dealing with attackers in Systema.
This was the first time in my life that I have been stung by a wasp and about 2 years ago was the first time I was stung by a bee. As a child I have always froze when bees or wasps flew around and the eventually flew off without stinging me. Early on I learned that they don't want to sting you--in fact this costs the bee its life--so if you don't give them a reason to sting you then they won't.
Likewise there are dangerous people you might run into, ready to fight if you give them a reason to. If you move on and don't agitate them they move on peacefully. They attack because they are afraid and attacking is the best defense. By staying calm yourself you can calm down the other person, either preventing them from attacking in the first place or in the middle of their attack keeping them from tensing and being able to work and subdue them easier.
The same people I saw swatting at the wasps in the seminar were the same people I watched reacting to attackers with excess tension making the attacker more aggressive and harder to handle. (Like the wasp the attackers responded differently to the fear of the defender). These students were increasing their own trouble because they were afraid.
The simple lesson from I learned again from the wasp incident is that if you stay calm and keep your cool you can negotiate around dealing creatures, human or not.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
What Are You Trying To Achieve?
NOTE: My computer hard drive crashed and I lost a good bit of work, including my blogs. I have not posted a blog until I have copied the archives of the old material. I am working on getting them back up--and backing up in general more often.
All too many times I have been on the floor with a high-level Systema instructor (Mikhail, Vladimir, Martin Wheeler), watched them demonstrate beautiful movement and then stood there scratching my head as I observed students not only using far too much tension, but deliberately doing so. Were they seeing the same thing I was? Where they even listening to the explanation? Either way, they just weren’t getting it, which brings me to my initial question, “what are you trying to achieve?”
There are a few reasons people are so tense and aggressive. Here are a few. One is that most people are overly tense and it just comes out in training. They don’t realize how tense they are. Two is that they are trying to fight in what their minds is “realistically.” Three is they don’t believe that you can get more results with less effort. They make up with strength what they lack in skill. Four is they like to bully and overpower people with their strength.
Mikhail was asked once what is the first thing he would teach a new person and his answer was to teach him how to relax. Most people come in to class tense, inflexible and not very mobile. There is also an element of fear new students have which adds to their tension. My long-time students always comment on how much easier it is to work against people with so much tension. This typical new-student tension is forgivable. With practice they work it out.
I had a student named Ralph who was very tense when he attacked and was having a hard time relaxing when he defended. I finally asked him what was going on and replied that he was trying to give a realistic attack. While that made sense in his mind I told him that he couldn’t simultaneously train to be tense and relaxed (it is possible but he couldn’t do it and it was hindering his progress). In the end he wasn’t really giving realistic attacks because no one throws a punch as tense as he was trying to do. Again, this type of tension is forgivable and we straightened him out.
A common situation I see in students is the “Aha Moment.” This occurs when a student begins to move smoothly and escapes an attack. He then sees an opening, a chance to knock down his attacker. At this “Aha Moment” he suddenly tenses. The realization and the thought of doing a technique makes him over-eager and use far too much muscle. This is a common mistake and can be corrected with practice.
I had a student who was fairly skilled at Systema, enough to be better than beginners. He would toss them around but never let them work on him or improve. He always wanted to prove how good he was and would fight them all the way. I experienced this type of student myself in Toronto about 5 years back.
I paired up with a rather large Russian student who spoke very little English. I was doing some disarms that under normal circumstances would have worked, however, he just kept using all of his strength to hold on to the knife. As we were alternating being the attacker I just refused to let him do anything to me. I just kept moving, kept Form and frustrated his every effort to put me down. He finally got the point and changed his tune when he realized I knew what I was doing. We did some nice work after that.
This type of tension is not excusable as it comes from ego and pride. I am blessed with very nice students, really, they are nice people. It is hard to get them to hit people who need it as they don’t want to hurt anyone. They get frustrated when they work with someone with this type of tension. Sometimes even striking to relax the person just makes them more aggressive and tense. It is an unfortunate scenario as this type of person usually winds up getting hurt working with more advanced students due to his own tension.
I tell my students that they can learn to be tense, fight and struggle in most other martial arts schools. “You can learn that anywhere.” Why would you even try to learn Systema and deliberately try to be tense and muscle everything.
If you are trying to improve at Systema you should be training to be more relaxed, more fluid and use tension judiciously. I tell my students (and myself) if you find yourself getting tense unconsciously then back off because you are not learning anything. When you are training just ask yourself, “is this getting me closer to moving like Mikhail or Vladimir?” If so, then great, you are on the right track. If not, why are you doing it that way.
So, what are you trying to achieve in your training?
All too many times I have been on the floor with a high-level Systema instructor (Mikhail, Vladimir, Martin Wheeler), watched them demonstrate beautiful movement and then stood there scratching my head as I observed students not only using far too much tension, but deliberately doing so. Were they seeing the same thing I was? Where they even listening to the explanation? Either way, they just weren’t getting it, which brings me to my initial question, “what are you trying to achieve?”
There are a few reasons people are so tense and aggressive. Here are a few. One is that most people are overly tense and it just comes out in training. They don’t realize how tense they are. Two is that they are trying to fight in what their minds is “realistically.” Three is they don’t believe that you can get more results with less effort. They make up with strength what they lack in skill. Four is they like to bully and overpower people with their strength.
Mikhail was asked once what is the first thing he would teach a new person and his answer was to teach him how to relax. Most people come in to class tense, inflexible and not very mobile. There is also an element of fear new students have which adds to their tension. My long-time students always comment on how much easier it is to work against people with so much tension. This typical new-student tension is forgivable. With practice they work it out.
I had a student named Ralph who was very tense when he attacked and was having a hard time relaxing when he defended. I finally asked him what was going on and replied that he was trying to give a realistic attack. While that made sense in his mind I told him that he couldn’t simultaneously train to be tense and relaxed (it is possible but he couldn’t do it and it was hindering his progress). In the end he wasn’t really giving realistic attacks because no one throws a punch as tense as he was trying to do. Again, this type of tension is forgivable and we straightened him out.
A common situation I see in students is the “Aha Moment.” This occurs when a student begins to move smoothly and escapes an attack. He then sees an opening, a chance to knock down his attacker. At this “Aha Moment” he suddenly tenses. The realization and the thought of doing a technique makes him over-eager and use far too much muscle. This is a common mistake and can be corrected with practice.
I had a student who was fairly skilled at Systema, enough to be better than beginners. He would toss them around but never let them work on him or improve. He always wanted to prove how good he was and would fight them all the way. I experienced this type of student myself in Toronto about 5 years back.
I paired up with a rather large Russian student who spoke very little English. I was doing some disarms that under normal circumstances would have worked, however, he just kept using all of his strength to hold on to the knife. As we were alternating being the attacker I just refused to let him do anything to me. I just kept moving, kept Form and frustrated his every effort to put me down. He finally got the point and changed his tune when he realized I knew what I was doing. We did some nice work after that.
This type of tension is not excusable as it comes from ego and pride. I am blessed with very nice students, really, they are nice people. It is hard to get them to hit people who need it as they don’t want to hurt anyone. They get frustrated when they work with someone with this type of tension. Sometimes even striking to relax the person just makes them more aggressive and tense. It is an unfortunate scenario as this type of person usually winds up getting hurt working with more advanced students due to his own tension.
I tell my students that they can learn to be tense, fight and struggle in most other martial arts schools. “You can learn that anywhere.” Why would you even try to learn Systema and deliberately try to be tense and muscle everything.
If you are trying to improve at Systema you should be training to be more relaxed, more fluid and use tension judiciously. I tell my students (and myself) if you find yourself getting tense unconsciously then back off because you are not learning anything. When you are training just ask yourself, “is this getting me closer to moving like Mikhail or Vladimir?” If so, then great, you are on the right track. If not, why are you doing it that way.
So, what are you trying to achieve in your training?
Brad's Book Club: March Selection
MARCH’S BOOK SELECTION
“Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” This simple advice, by his own admission sums up Michael Pollan’s new book In Defense of Food. So why read it? Because although this is common-sense advice, it is important to understand the history of why such a self-evident statement need be made at all. In Defense of Food relates that history.
I first ran across Pollan’s previous book The Omnivore’s Dilemma at the Tattered Cover bookstore. I flipped through it, was mildly interested, got the point about where food literally comes from and how it gets to your table and then forgot about the author. Some time later Pollan wrote an excellent article for the New York Times magazine about the rise of “Nutritionism.” I enjoyed this article so much I emailed it to anyone I thought might learn from it. Pollan then expanded upon that article into his latest book In Defense of Food.
In Defense of Food is broken down into three sections: The Rise of Nutritionism, The Western Diet and the Diseases of Civilization, and Getting Over Nutritionism. First, a quick definition of “nutritionism.” Nutritionism is the reductionist ideology that food is just the sum of its nutrients, i.e. a banana isn’t a banana but just some potassium and other nutrients thrown together.
The Rise of Nutritionism is a history of how scientists began to break down food into its nutrient parts to find the active ingredients, and then synthesize them. Pollan uses margarine as a prime example of “imitation food” that was supposed to be better than the food, in this case butter, it replaced. People originally wanted margarine to be colored pink so it would not be mistaken for butter. They failed. As years went by lobbyists got the government to redefine food as the sum of its nutrients. This meant that as long as margarine could boast the same nutrient-content as butter it would not have to advertise itself as “imitation.” The same goes with any other imitation food or food-like ingestible. The margarine industry recently took out the trans fats in margarine that have been seen as contributing to heart disease so that it can continue to be marketed as a healthy butter substitute. I never did like margarine.
As far as imitation food goes, why not just eat the butter? For that matter why do people eat aspartame and sugar substitutes that are far worse than eating empty sugar calories or just eating raw sugar? Or how about Olestra? Would you suffer the possibility of “anal-leakage” just to eat a bag of chips? I have always been leery of “fake-food” and as more research is done into them the conclusions are the same. Eat the real thing, but in moderation, with other healthy food.
It was this history from food to food-like items and from whole food to the sum of its parts that hooked me in. I remember growing up being bombarded with nutritionist health-claims along with the idea that this one super-nutrient would make me healthy for the rest of my life. (It can never be one nutrient) Omega-3 fatty acids are the latest Nutritionism gambit. Everything you pick up says Omega-3’s on it, it used to be fiber. I can always tell what the Nutritionism industry is pushing next by what my sister calls me and says she is feeding my parents. Her kick seems to be “probiotics” right now. What’s next? Whatever they can get a health claim for. By the way stay away from any food-like item that has to make a health claim.
The bottom line in the Nutritionism ideology is that if you could create a fake-food with all the same nutrients (at least the ones we currently recognize) as real food, say an apple, than you have the same nutritional value as the actual apple. Taken one step further if you could put more nutrients in your fake apple then you would have a fake apple that is healthier than a real apple?! Or you could just take a whole bunch of pills with each nutrient; you could pop fish oil pills instead of eating an actual fish.
The middle section of In Defense of Food chronicles the Western Diet--lots of processed foods and meat, lots of added sugar and fat, lots of everything except fruits, vegetables, and whole grains—and the diseases it causes such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Pollan relates a story about aboriginal Australians who ate the Western Diet and were developing the above diseases. As part of an experiment they went back to their traditional lifestyle, back “into the bush.” Symptoms of these diseases vanished within weeks of abandoning their Western Diet. I saw the exact same story years ago about native Hawaiians. Same results as the Aborigines, including huge weight loss.
Pollan’s answer to nutritionism and the Western Diet is as simple as that first sentence. Eat a traditional diet. Pollan goes on to show the variety in traditional diets from around the world and how they all have withstood the test of time by keeping their communities nourished and healthy.
In the final section of In Defense of Food Pollan gives a simple list of suggestions on how to eat. Here they are.
• Avoid Food Products containing ingredients that are A) unfamiliar, b) Unpronounceable, c) more than 5 in number, or that include D) high-fructose corn syrup.
• Avoid food products that make health claims
• Shop the peripheries of the supermarket and stay out of the middle
• Get out of the supermarket whenever you can
• Eat mostly plants, especially leaves
• You are what you eat eats too
• If you have space buy a freezer
• Eat like an omnivore
• Eat well-grown food from healthy soils.
• Eat wild foods when you can.
• Be the kind of person who takes supplements
• Eat more like the French, the Italians, or the Japanese or the Indians, or the Greeks.
• Regard non-traditional foods with skepticism.
• Don’t look for the magic bullet in the traditional diet.
• Have a glass of wine with dinner
How not to eat too much..
• Pay More, Eat Less. Go for quality of food, especially meat, i.e. grass-fed.
• Eat Meals
• Do all your eating at a table
• Don’t get your fuel from the same place as your car does
• Try not to eat alone
• Consult your gut
• Eat Slowly
• Cook, and if you can, plant a garden
Each of these bullet-points is expanded upon and explained in the book.
In Defense of Food is currently top ten on the New York Times non-fiction bestseller list. One goal of Brad’s Book Club is to point you toward books that are worth reading that you may never have heard of, another goal is to point you toward books that are worth reading period. In Defense of Food is such a book that, along with Volumetrics by Barbara Rolls, I consider an essential textbook on how approach eating.
In Defense of Food
Michael Pollan
Michael Pollan
“Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” This simple advice, by his own admission sums up Michael Pollan’s new book In Defense of Food. So why read it? Because although this is common-sense advice, it is important to understand the history of why such a self-evident statement need be made at all. In Defense of Food relates that history.
I first ran across Pollan’s previous book The Omnivore’s Dilemma at the Tattered Cover bookstore. I flipped through it, was mildly interested, got the point about where food literally comes from and how it gets to your table and then forgot about the author. Some time later Pollan wrote an excellent article for the New York Times magazine about the rise of “Nutritionism.” I enjoyed this article so much I emailed it to anyone I thought might learn from it. Pollan then expanded upon that article into his latest book In Defense of Food.
In Defense of Food is broken down into three sections: The Rise of Nutritionism, The Western Diet and the Diseases of Civilization, and Getting Over Nutritionism. First, a quick definition of “nutritionism.” Nutritionism is the reductionist ideology that food is just the sum of its nutrients, i.e. a banana isn’t a banana but just some potassium and other nutrients thrown together.
The Rise of Nutritionism is a history of how scientists began to break down food into its nutrient parts to find the active ingredients, and then synthesize them. Pollan uses margarine as a prime example of “imitation food” that was supposed to be better than the food, in this case butter, it replaced. People originally wanted margarine to be colored pink so it would not be mistaken for butter. They failed. As years went by lobbyists got the government to redefine food as the sum of its nutrients. This meant that as long as margarine could boast the same nutrient-content as butter it would not have to advertise itself as “imitation.” The same goes with any other imitation food or food-like ingestible. The margarine industry recently took out the trans fats in margarine that have been seen as contributing to heart disease so that it can continue to be marketed as a healthy butter substitute. I never did like margarine.
As far as imitation food goes, why not just eat the butter? For that matter why do people eat aspartame and sugar substitutes that are far worse than eating empty sugar calories or just eating raw sugar? Or how about Olestra? Would you suffer the possibility of “anal-leakage” just to eat a bag of chips? I have always been leery of “fake-food” and as more research is done into them the conclusions are the same. Eat the real thing, but in moderation, with other healthy food.
It was this history from food to food-like items and from whole food to the sum of its parts that hooked me in. I remember growing up being bombarded with nutritionist health-claims along with the idea that this one super-nutrient would make me healthy for the rest of my life. (It can never be one nutrient) Omega-3 fatty acids are the latest Nutritionism gambit. Everything you pick up says Omega-3’s on it, it used to be fiber. I can always tell what the Nutritionism industry is pushing next by what my sister calls me and says she is feeding my parents. Her kick seems to be “probiotics” right now. What’s next? Whatever they can get a health claim for. By the way stay away from any food-like item that has to make a health claim.
The bottom line in the Nutritionism ideology is that if you could create a fake-food with all the same nutrients (at least the ones we currently recognize) as real food, say an apple, than you have the same nutritional value as the actual apple. Taken one step further if you could put more nutrients in your fake apple then you would have a fake apple that is healthier than a real apple?! Or you could just take a whole bunch of pills with each nutrient; you could pop fish oil pills instead of eating an actual fish.
The middle section of In Defense of Food chronicles the Western Diet--lots of processed foods and meat, lots of added sugar and fat, lots of everything except fruits, vegetables, and whole grains—and the diseases it causes such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Pollan relates a story about aboriginal Australians who ate the Western Diet and were developing the above diseases. As part of an experiment they went back to their traditional lifestyle, back “into the bush.” Symptoms of these diseases vanished within weeks of abandoning their Western Diet. I saw the exact same story years ago about native Hawaiians. Same results as the Aborigines, including huge weight loss.
Pollan’s answer to nutritionism and the Western Diet is as simple as that first sentence. Eat a traditional diet. Pollan goes on to show the variety in traditional diets from around the world and how they all have withstood the test of time by keeping their communities nourished and healthy.
In the final section of In Defense of Food Pollan gives a simple list of suggestions on how to eat. Here they are.
• Avoid Food Products containing ingredients that are A) unfamiliar, b) Unpronounceable, c) more than 5 in number, or that include D) high-fructose corn syrup.
• Avoid food products that make health claims
• Shop the peripheries of the supermarket and stay out of the middle
• Get out of the supermarket whenever you can
• Eat mostly plants, especially leaves
• You are what you eat eats too
• If you have space buy a freezer
• Eat like an omnivore
• Eat well-grown food from healthy soils.
• Eat wild foods when you can.
• Be the kind of person who takes supplements
• Eat more like the French, the Italians, or the Japanese or the Indians, or the Greeks.
• Regard non-traditional foods with skepticism.
• Don’t look for the magic bullet in the traditional diet.
• Have a glass of wine with dinner
How not to eat too much..
• Pay More, Eat Less. Go for quality of food, especially meat, i.e. grass-fed.
• Eat Meals
• Do all your eating at a table
• Don’t get your fuel from the same place as your car does
• Try not to eat alone
• Consult your gut
• Eat Slowly
• Cook, and if you can, plant a garden
Each of these bullet-points is expanded upon and explained in the book.
In Defense of Food is currently top ten on the New York Times non-fiction bestseller list. One goal of Brad’s Book Club is to point you toward books that are worth reading that you may never have heard of, another goal is to point you toward books that are worth reading period. In Defense of Food is such a book that, along with Volumetrics by Barbara Rolls, I consider an essential textbook on how approach eating.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)