Brendon Zettler Systema Seminars in Australia

Senior Instructor Brendon Zettler from Systema Headquarters in Toronto will be heading Down Under (aka Home Sweet Home) for two Systema seminars in both Sydney and Melbourne. Having had the opportunity to meet and train with Brendon (and his brother Adam) at Systema Headquarters, I can say that what we have here is a fantastic bloke and excellent Intructor coming down to Australia to share his knowledge of Systema with the people.

When I asked Brendon if he had anything he wished to convey to seminar participants he indicated the following; It's a real honour to be able to come down to Australia and teach Systema. Everone of varying skill levels are welcome to come and learn.

The first seminar will be hosted in Melbourne, Victoria, on 4 & 5 June 2011, by Dougall Robenn of Inner City Systema (http://www.systema.com.au/). Dougall Robenn is the Principal Instructor at Inner City Systema having trained extensively with, and been Certified by Vladimir Vasiliev at Russian Martial Art Headquarters in Toronto Canada.  While in Toronto he also trained regularly with Emmanuel Manolakakis at FightClub in Toronto.  

                                          

The second will be hosted in Sydney, New South Wales, on 11 & 12 June 2011 by Kalvin Smith of Warriors Path Systema (http://www.warriorspathsystema.com/). Kalvin Smith is the Principal Instructor and founder of Warriors Path Systema in Sydney. A unique and positive individual, veteran of the martial arts, and all round top bloke, Kalvin is a truly brave soul who jumped in head first with next to no hesitation to live the Systema dream and share it in my home town of Sydney.

                                           

Good luck Brendon and have a great time teaching the seminars in Australia, and Thankyou for taking the time to come down and share your knowledge and experience. Dougall and Kalvin, thanks very much guys for putting in the effort to arrange these seminar for the Systema communities in both cities.

Just Be Yourself

I have been in Toronto now for just under a month now, and an obvious but important thing has just occurred to me.... I'm not Mikhail. I'm not Vlad. I'm not any of my training partners. I'm me, Justin. As such things that the previous parties are going to be capable of doing aren't necessarily going to work for me all the time. Seems simple, but easy to forget sometimes.


In the first day of the seminar (Escape from Holds Seminar - Short Staff and Knife Seminar) systema Headquarters today, I was working with one of my training partners. I was amazed at his ability to draw me in when I would attempt to grab his arms and keep total control of my motion as I was taken down. This particular partner also had an uncanny ability to tie me up with my own arms in order to take me to the ground. However when I attempted to replicate this, by "copy catting" him, my work kind of crumbled and was not very effective. I found myself getting anxious and frustrated. Fourtunately my partner was quite a good natured fellow who did his best to help me out. What I found was when I stopped trying to replicate his movements, and simply appreciated them as things that he was capable of, then continued to work in my own way, things flowed and and worked much better for me. I would walk around one side then to another in order to find the take down, and work with the limbs as I saw fit. It wasn't perfect (it never is), but it was mine, my movement, me as a person in that situation. And me adapting as the situation demanded.


A few days ago another training partner also pointed out to me that when we work, it's not going to be like Vlad or Mikhail where we will be able to find something 100% of the time. Sometimes we will just have to move and preserve ourselves, and wait until the right moment presents itself. But that is ok because that is where we are at at this point in time of our training and our lives.


Remember; Never try to imitate someone else. Your experience and physical expression of Systema is your own and no one else's. Study the principles and study yourself. Use the drills to learn how your body will move, and don't rely on preconceptions. Don't become disheartened when you are unable to do things your teachers or partners can. Just do what YOU can do. Just be present in that moment and that situation.




                                    The options will present themselves if you just be you. 

                                                  "Friday night!I'm getting drunk!!!!!!!!!"

Systema at Full Range - From Soft to Devastating on June 25th and 26th 2011

Wooooohhooooooooooooooo, I'm going to this one:

Systema at Full Range - From Soft to Devastating.
by Vladimir Vasiliev and Systema HQ instructors.

DATES: June 25th and 26th 2011
LOCATION: Russian Martial Art School
39 Glen Cameron Rd. Unit 2, Thornhill, ON Canada
directions to Toronto School

TRAINING TIMES: Saturday June 25th and Sunday June 26th
11:15 am to 12:45 pm - Systema in-class training
1:30 pm to 4:30 pm - Seminar

Learn the all-encompassing spectrum of Systema, from soft work to devastating action.
Control your power, intensity and speed in all situations.

FEES: by May 1st, 2011
2-day Seminar, no in-class training: $160
2-day Seminar with in-class training (Saturday and Sunday): $185

FEES: after May 1st, 2011 (if any spots remain)
2-day Seminar, no in-class training: $195
2-day Seminar with in-class training (Saturday and Sunday): $225

Ages: adults 16 and up.
No previous experience needed.

Required equipment:
Short Staff and Training Knife
If you are not able to bring these please indicate in comments section when submitting your order.

Recommended preparation - instructional DVDs:
Systema Breathing Package, DVD and Book.
Systema Hand to Hand
Dynamic Joint Breaks
Contact, Impact and Control
Knife: Unconditional Mastery
Russian Stick Combat
Stick Seminars

Out of town visitors who wish to come a few days before and/or stay a few days after the seminar are welcome to join the regular group classes. Additional visitors training sessions with the Systema HQ instructors, Max, Adam and Brendon can be arranged.

Instructorship evaluation and renewal can be arranged with Vladimir Vasiliev.
http://www.russianmartialart.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=32&products_id=183