Swim-stema III: Experiment Results

Ok, I’m fixated on this swimming-Systema connection right now.  But trust me, it’s good.

So I had my next swim lesson which focused on my stroke and how my entire core — and thus my body — rotated along my spinal axis in the water with my arm as it extended forward through the water.  This total-body stroke allowed me to move more efficiently through the water and not fatigue so fast.  In addition, we focused on my body rotating my head to get air, as opposed to my head poking out of the water trying to find air.  Basically with good Form and my skull connected to my body.

Awesome lesson in body mechanics.

On to the experiment…

I spent Thursday pondering how to take the lessons from the pool and apply them to my upcoming Systema class that evening.  It wasn’t hard, actually.

When I did Tai Chi I learned that people refer to it as “dry swimming.”  Well, the same could and should be said of Systema, only more so.

We opened class with some ground exercises based on this idea of the arms moving the entire body along with them instead of disconnecting the arms from the body.  That work progressed to taking this swimming movement to escape from grappling/ground hold downs.

Students had successful, amazing results.

We progressed to stand-up work, again with the extending arms rotating the body to evade, escape and position yourself for hidden, effortless strikes.

Again, stupendous results.

All in all, a 100% Successful Experiment.

A last word:  Watch footage of Mikhail Ryabko at work.  Notice how every time he moves, his whole body moves, how he turns his body while breaking structure or striking.  “Dry Swimming” indeed.

In the end, good movement is good movement–in or out of the pool.

So I took students into using these movements into take-downs, teaching them to not “root” and take down attackers from whole-body movement.

A third time?  Smiling students taking each other down with ease.  Success.

Cirque Du Systema

Systema is a martial art that can be practiced safely throughout the entire span of your life.  I know many people who are well-past the age of “cage fighting” who are exceptional at Systema.  The breathing, relaxation, mobility and strength training keep our bodies going for as long as possible.  Within the scope of Systema training is a subset of exercises that I call Cirque Du Systema, after Cirque Du Soleil the acrobat troupe.

Fellow instructor Scott Meredith first put words to what I was thinking when I started seeing exercises that, at first were challenging, then becoming increasingly improbable for the average person to perform.  While impressive, some exercises started to remind me of the circus and got me thinking, “what does this have to do with self-defense” and “do people have to be able to do this to learn Systema”?

Within every art there becomes a point wherein the art becomes more “art” and divorced from outside reality.  Examples of memorizing counters-to-counters-to counters to attacks that are low on the probability scale abound in martial arts.  While of course Systema does none of this there are some head-scratching exercises that leave people wondering how this will help them disarm a knife at their throat.

I once saw a Tae Kwon Do demonstration in which the spry, young performers exhibited jumping, spinning kicks landing in the splits.  “Wow!,” the person next to me commented, “that is amazing…but I could never do that.”  He then moved on.  That is called over-impressing.

Likewise, standing vertically on your shoulders and walking around, hanging from your chin on a pull-up bar, one-arm bridging, etc. definitely are things you see in the Cirque.  Admittedly, these tricks are fun to try, but with limited training time it is more productive to focus on the core exercises that emphasize motions a normal body would go through during natural daily movement.  There are other disciplines, like the aforementioned circus, yoga, parkour enthusiasts, gymnasts and break-dancers that will always exceed Systema on these acrobatic terms.  Where Systema excels is combat and the majority of training should serve these ends.

The good thing about Cirque Du Systema is that it keeps you humble and shows you that there is always some new challenge to overcome if you put your mind and body to it.

The Kettlebell-Systema Controversy Part 2

Considering the response I got from the last article, people have some, shall we say “strong views” on kettlebell training, both for and against.

The Controversy Continues…Should You Use Kettlebells as part of your Systema Training?

You know I hate the word “should” (and its corollary “should NOT”). So my short answer to everyone here is if you like it, do it, along with my slightly less-short answer, whatever gets you moving and exercising is better than reclining in your Lay-Z-Boy.

Ok, so you’ve decided to “Kettlebell It.” The question now becomes, WHAT exercises should you do and HOW should you do them?

Let’s look at a common Kettlebell exercise:

The Swing/Snatch. As you know these exercises entail you to hinge at your hips and bend forward–in Systema what we refer to as “breaking your structure.”

The Danger? Through hundreds of repetitions, ingraining the habit of bending over, breaking your own structure.

NOTE: the AKC vs. RKC Methods.

The RKC method bends your knees and hips while keeping your head looking straight ahead as you swing. The AKC method only hip-hinges, keeping your entire spine straight and aligned, with your head following the bell during the swing. (there are other differences that are not pertinent here)

For Systema, I recommend the AKC style because you can think of it as a vertical Systema Sit-Up.

The Solution? Perform Systema-type squats with the kettlebells to ingrain Proper Form for combat. Over the years I routinely have had students hold a weight out in front of them to help their squat form, especially if they can’t put their heels on the floor. Who knew someone would come along and give it a super-cool name? So do this Goblet Squat or Front Squats with the Bells in the Clean Position.

THERE IT IS: Your Training Quick Tip. Video soon to follow?

Chicago Seminar Recap

Chicago Seminar Recap

Whew! I just returned from teaching a whirlwind weekend martial arts seminar in Chicago with long-time friends, mentors and fellow instructors Martin Wheeler and Al McLuckie. We taught a large group of Cops, Joliet Prison Guards, MMA Fighters as well as the Civilian Self-Defense Students.

The venue was Too Cool. The workshops were held at a place called Showtime, a nightclub that also holds Fight Nights. The lighting was DIM and was actually much better than fighting with all the lights on. It made it that much harder to notice weapon work. (I need Dimmer Switches at our school).

Here are just a few highlights:

I started the weekend off with an eye toward teaching Systema Principles that the students would then apply to everything they would do for the rest of the weekend. I taught “Structure and De-Structure”(yeah, I know it’s not a word) and working in teams to take people down. All from movement.

Al fed off that to working some crazy knife-use. The nightclub people almost kicked us out because Al started using the benches and walls for some confined space work. THAT was funny! Al also worked how to effectively use distractions to set up knife attacks and counter-attacks.

Al warned students to “attack realistically with knives” so I took that idea and went on to teach how to deal with a knife attack as the attacker uses Both hands, not just a solitary knife thrust. Mainly, I showed how to avoid the knife and work against the other arm to control the attacker. Al then finished the day with some striking work.

Martin took over on Sunday, again teaching knife defense in ways that few others can. He stressed moving and using your limbs as you move, instead of first as most people are inclined to, keeping your tension down while using the attacker’s tension, how to deal with your tension as it rises in your body, among other things.

He ended the day with some Superlative ground fighting demonstrations against both one and multiple attackers–bridging “traditional grappling” to Systema. Just brilliant work!

One student, in the end circle, commented that of the 4 Main Principles (breathe, relax, form and movement) the whole weekend was about MOVEMENT. Good observation.

Paul Trout said it would be cool to see Martin, Al and me all teach the same topic to see our unique perspectives, how it all looks different but is really the same. Well Paul, we did it, it was enlightening for me too…and…you missed it.

It’s too soon for video, but keep your eyes open, I’ll post some highlights soon–mostly of Martin probably because I was manning the camera during his sessions. Who knows what other footage came out…until I sort through it.

Jeff Waldrom, host and owner of Academy of Self-Defense on the South Side, somehow squeezed in a night of MMA fights on Saturday. The ASD Team went a Stellar 4 wins, 0 loses, including Winning the Women’s Title Fight. If you are anywhere near Chicago at least Stop By Jeff’s School. They have a great group of students and teachers there. I highly recommend them.

Thanks guys for putting it all together. See you in April for Part 2.

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