Study how to use what destroys you, to restore you instead. In this way learn to keep your energy, and to use it wisely. Study to the very best of your ability to make what is your extreme begin to feel like your normal. Don't just become good at suffering.
- From the previous post "Use what destroys you to restore
you" on 8 August 2011
It was a fun class in North Sydney this evening. The above theme or concept is ever present in Systema training. Whatever drill or exercise that is performed keeping this idea in mind is always an interesting way to learn about yourself. Tonight I decided to play with this, with emphasis on restoring yourself whilst you are still under duress.
The Work
1. We walked with our hands in the air and our breaths held (30% remaining in the lungs or diaphram) until we could not take it any more. When we started breathing again we ran with burst breathing until we had returned to our normal state. Breathing and walking was not permitted for the purpose of this exercise. Breathing while running only. After restoring ourselves, we would then exhale all the air in our lungs until only 30% remained, put our arms up in the air and started walking again with our breaths held. This process was repeated several times.
2. We did exactly the same work as above but instead of running to recover, we used a combination of push ups, squats and sit ups. We would alternate between these core exercises when one of them got too tiring, but once again, when we had restored ourselves we would stop and begin to walk with our arms in the air and our breaths held, repeating this process several times.
3. The next drill this evening was a real treat. We would hold our breaths with 30% breath left in our lungs then do 10 push ups slowly and smoothly with no breathing. Upon commencement of breathing again, we would burst breathe to restore ourselves, whilst we went to ground and played some grab escape drill with a partner (who also did the push ups with the breath held). This essentially turned into wrestling for movement, however with the main aim being to restore ourselves to a normal state again whilst we kept wrestling without a rest. Once both partners were restored and still wrestling, we would then stop. This process was repeated again but instead of push ups with no breathing; with squats, then sit ups and then leg raisers.
2. We did exactly the same work as above but instead of running to recover, we used a combination of push ups, squats and sit ups. We would alternate between these core exercises when one of them got too tiring, but once again, when we had restored ourselves we would stop and begin to walk with our arms in the air and our breaths held, repeating this process several times.
3. The next drill this evening was a real treat. We would hold our breaths with 30% breath left in our lungs then do 10 push ups slowly and smoothly with no breathing. Upon commencement of breathing again, we would burst breathe to restore ourselves, whilst we went to ground and played some grab escape drill with a partner (who also did the push ups with the breath held). This essentially turned into wrestling for movement, however with the main aim being to restore ourselves to a normal state again whilst we kept wrestling without a rest. Once both partners were restored and still wrestling, we would then stop. This process was repeated again but instead of push ups with no breathing; with squats, then sit ups and then leg raisers.
Note: Grab Escape Drill - When you and a partner try to grab each other without being grabbed yourself or locking yourselves up in the process.
One of the main aims of this particular work on this particular night was to develop the ability to restore ourselves whilst we continued to operate under duress.
One of the main aims of this particular work on this particular night was to develop the ability to restore ourselves whilst we continued to operate under duress.
To illustrate this point, on occasion stop the work and rest. Breathe and restore yourself using burst breathing to match the heart beat, then slow the breath down to slow the heart beat down. With this particular work aim to be able to perform this same type of restoration while engaging in a task of duress, when under pressure, or when working with another person (in this case wrestling).
Until next time,Justin Ho
Principal Instructor
Systema Sydney Russian Martial Art
www.systemasydney.com
jho_systema@hotmail.com
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