Systema Training with Vali Majd

I had the pleasure of first meeting Vali Majd during my first training trip to Toronto in 2011. Vali is both an awesome and humble individual who has a wealth of knowledge on Systema. My first training encounter with him was during a training session at Emmanuel (Manny) Manolokakis's Systema School Fight Club . We were practicing some knife work, when Vali cam at me with the blade. At the time I made my escape and attempted to control the knife and remove it from him. When my initial action didn't work I resorted to attempting to muscle the knife away from him. After a few moments of this Vali was kind enough to correct me by slamming the ridge of his bald Persian head into my nose (like it needed to get any flatter).

Startled, in pain and with eyes watering I stumbled back, recovered my balance and said the first thing that came to mind... "Yep, Sorry...My fault". At the end of class Vali and I were chatting during which he kindly explained to me that "Using a sudden burst of excess tension to accomplish a task could be just as bad as suddenly speeding up during the use of the slow training tool"

The next time I saw Vali after that trip was during his seminar in Auckland, New Zealand which was hosted by Loren Clements who teaches the Systema Auckland Club. During this 2 day outdoor seminar Vali taught us numerous lessons pertaining to Systema. But for me the one that really stood out was the importance of not only to"Know Yourself" but also to "Know For Yourself".

The following footage was taken of Vali in 2011 guest Instructing at Fight Club in Toronto.

Whenever I am asked about this gentleman I frequently respond with: "If you ever have the chance to train with this gentleman...Take it"


Biography:

Before being named as Founder and Chief Instructor of Roots Dojo, Vali Majd, since 1996 had been, and still is a student of traditional Ryabko – Vasiliev Systema. Vali Majd brings along an army of talent and could be considered honest and dependable; his lengthy exposure to the art, along with his abilities to practice, to teach, to demonstrate and to clearly articulate subtle concepts of Systema makes him and his dojo worth visiting.

2009-Founded JTFCanada
 2002-Formed Comox Valley Systema 
1999-Founded Pacific Coast Systema (now Roots Dojo)
1995-Started at Russian Martial Art HQ, Toronto

Vali is a Medical First Responder and a Firefighter with the Denman Island Volunteer Fire Department.

For more information visit: http://www.pacificcoastsystema.com/



Justin Ho
Principal Instructor
Systema Sydney Russian Martial Art
www.systemasydney.com

Do More with Less

It's not about chasing new information and jumping from one thing to another endlessly and frivolously.

It's not about using fewer things so that you stay within a certain comfort zone.

It's about going very deeply into the fewer things that you have.

This way you can understand them and yourself incredibly well without distraction. Then, although you have fewer things, you use them to do a lot of different things but incredibly well. Like a craftsman who understands his tools, and how to use them to create whatever he wishes.

An interesting thing a friend told me about his old Chi Kung teacher, who also happens to be my Doctor. This teacher said; "In life you learn a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h etc..., But then discover you only ever really need to use a,b and c...But many times in many different ways that yield whatever results you wish"

How well you use these fewer things depends on how closely you study them and yourself.

 ...My Doctor is a cool guy :)


Justin Ho
Principal Instructor
Systema Sydney Russian Martial Art
www.systemasydney.com

Why the Fundamentals?

For a long time now I have considered starting a Systema Fundamentals class at our club in North Sydney. However there is something that I must share.... This is not a beginners class...This is also not an advanced students class....It's a Fundamentals class :)

To put it in a nutshell; 

For anyone who is new to Systema the work covered in this class will ensure that you develop a solid base of understanding and ability upon which to develop your skills. For anyone who has been doing Systema for a while now it will further enhance whatever your understanding and ability already is.

I have already seen the results that this type of training has produced for my current students. On the nights that we have decided to engage in this, we have started throwing around the terms "Fine Tuning" or "Base Training" . Work to ensure that the foundations are correctly developed before we try to build a house on it.  Work to ensure that our primary weapon, ourselves, are functioning optimally and without hindrance.

Let me give you an analogy. Imagine person who has just bought a car second hand which he sourced from an add in the trading post. Some sort of really sick looking piece of machinery. He looks at this new acquisition lovingly. Black paint job, recently polished by the new owner, sick rims, mad sound system, and leather seats.

He gets in the driver's seat, puts the key in the ignition, turns it expecting to hear this thing's engine fire up.... But instead he hears the engine strain, shake and rattle. He tries to turn the key again same sad shuddering followed by the sound of the engine dying.

Confused and dismayed he climbs out of the vehicle, heads to the front, pops the hood and takes a look inside. He see's the that the radiators cracked, and the spark plugs are half torn out. He check's the oil gauge to find out that it's empty. To add insult to injury the engine looks like it's a hundred years old. 

He steps back, takes a deep breath and says to himself...  "You know what I need to get this car working?....More paint.... Yep...More paint, and a bit more polish.... I bet if I lower the suspension too and get this baby just a few millimetres closer to the ground then the it'll work... You know I should get some of those fluffy dice to hang off of the rear view mirror too while I'm at it... Just to be sure.... She should work after that."

...Guys... I'm assuming at this stage you can see there's something horribly wrong with this picture. All lost working on the exterior things that people see on the outside. When a piece of machinery like that is functioning as it should people only see the flashy paint job, the sick rims, the roar of the engine as this things just powers on by at speeds that would make your eyeballs fall into the back of your head if you were in the drivers seat. But it's what people don't see, the inner workings of the vehicle that make all of it work. And in the case of our friend here the priorities on which he is focussing on are probably not likely to result in a functional vehicle. 

The things is popping that hood, replacing the spark plugs, replacing the radiator, putting the oil into the engine...Hell probably replacing the whole engine. This all isn't as flashy as the idea of working on the external features. It also takes a lot more time, understanding and patience to do the work that needs to be done.  Certainly a more frustrating prospect to most people. But to focus on the previously described list of "external" priorities in the hopes of getting the car working I think we can agree is not likely to yield a good outcome for our friend here.

However the funny thing is... People treat their martial arts like this... Focusing on the cool looking heavy hit that makes the other guys body tremble (even if he was going a third of the speed you were...but whatever), the fancy looking acrobatic roll (without any proper breathing which may explain why you're starting to bruise so much), the forced take down (which results in a 5 minute wrestling match completely negating your ability to deal with more than one attacker which is probably not a great thing since you're surrounded by a bunch of them). 

Correct breathing, the appropriate level of relaxation, an understanding of when to utilise the right movement, and proper use of structure. Not to mention understanding of and ability to adapt the principles of the System and their variants. The unseen things admittedly are just a little bit more boring but will allow all of the above mentioned applications to occur as a by product. And yet again a majority of the time priority is given to only what can be seen to look flashy: The heavy hit, the fancy roll, the mad take down or pretty looking knife disarm....

People like to do things which look cool, which are flashy and impressive to the eye. It's human nature. But it's the simple things, the unseen things, the things which are often perceived as too basic or boring. The things that make people say "Yeah Yeah I know all that already, now show me something cool"...These are the simple "boring" things that make it all work.

This is why I have started the fundamentals class. To do the work that needs to be done. As such I have decided that this class....IS NOT MANDATORY... And for those who are already on the casual pass or monthly memberships...IT IS FREE.

This class is for anyone who wishes to take the time to do the work that needs to be done.  It was not designed to be popular or to make money. It is there for those who want it and are willing to do the work. 

As I've explained before:

The work will not be complicated but it will be deep. 

The work will be simple, but not always easy.

No tricks, no promises, no sugar coating,  just hard work.

Oh but I will say this...If you take the time to study yourself and learn how to learn... It is actually fun too.

Details are as follows:

http://systemasydney.com/2013/02/an-additional-saturday-systema-class-in-north-sydney-this-weekend/

Regards,

Justin Ho 

Principal Instructor 

Systema Sydney Russian Martial Art 

www.systemasydney.com

Preparation for Daniil Ryabko Teaching Systema in Sydney

With the arrival of Daniil Ryabko in Sydney and his gracious agreement to teach Systema Classes at the North Sydney PCYC, I wanted to share some advice to help people who are already students of Systema and anyone else who wanted to come along and share in this amazing experience with us.

The following is collection of things people have told me over the years that I think may help if you decide to come join us for classes or at Daniil's workshop later this March:

• Remember, THE SYSTEM IS YOU, so study yourself. You are what will make all of this work. KNOW YOURSELF. 

• To know yourself is good, but now you need to KNOW FOR YOURSELF.

• Know for yourself. YOU MUST LEARN TO SEE. Not what you remember was there, not what you think should be there, not what somebody else tells you is there....Learn to see what is actually there. Know for yourself.

• Be a Scientist. Conduct experiments and when you discover something don't just say "Ah hah! That's it!!!". Instead just say "Hmmmmm, That's interesting" and then continue experimenting.

• "Keep Digging", Vlad said it himself.

• Remember an important principle of the System;"Nobody will teach you anything ever. This is up to you."

• In Systema you are not given set rules. You are given ideas, principles and concepts. You are to use them when, if and how you need them. Don't take them as gospel. Every time someone teaches you something there will be a time when the exact opposite will be true and just as relevant. Don't create dogma. This is the gift of common sense...Use it.

• Try to be honest with yourself. To the best of your ability100% honest. 99% is no good. You might as well not bother.

• A little bit of pride and ego will hold you up. But too much and these things will destroy you.

• This isn't for your brain. It's for your body. Your body is what must protect you. Your brain can figure the rest out later. Just do it.

• Explanations and analogies are only good in that place and time, in that moment. In the next moment they may be completely irrelevant. 

• Remember the feeling. Even if you don't grasp things intellectually, remember the feeling. You can work from there.

• The only way to describe what chicken tastes like is to share it with someone. 

• Play. Allow your body to explore. Don't worry about looking stupid or funny.

• Don't forget, all people are beautiful...Even the ones who piss you off. 

• Remember to be kind to the people who frustrate you. At some time in the past you frustrated somebody else however they didn't crush you although they probably could have. They chose to be kind to you. This why you are where you are now (wherever that may be).

• Remember to be kind to yourself as well.

• Always have your training partner's best intentions at heart. We all need to look after each other.

• Just because you can't do something today, doesn't mean you'll never be able to do it.

• BE ALIVE. Even when things suck don't disappear inside yourself and wait for it to be over. People live their whole lives like this saying "I'll be happy when...I'll be happy if....I'll be happy later..." No. BE ALIVE and choose to be happy now, even when things suck.

• Just remember when you go to learn from these men (referring to Mikhail Ryabko and Vladimir Vasiliev) it is not so much their job to teach you but your job to learn from them. 

• Acquisition of skill, should precede and take priority over the acquisition of intellectual knowledge. That can come later. Skill can morph into knowledge, but knowledge seldom becomes skill. Knowledge doesn't win fights. Skill wins fights. 

• In the Western world people obsess over HOW THINGS WORK. In Russia people care more about WHAT THINGS ARE SUPPOSE TO BE DOING.

• Achievement breeds pride, which then leads to arrogance. Failure is where you will learn the most. Figure out what went wrong, why it went wrong and how to fix it. Be humble. 

• Don't judge your failures. They're not bad things and do not mean that you are bad. Actually they're gift. What you do with them is up to you.

• Encountering failure is the only way for you to be sure you are truly learning. Don't hide from it. Again, figure out what when wrong, why it went wrong, and how to fix it.  More often than not fixing your failure will involve going back to the beginning (basics). YOU HAVE TO DO THIS. So be humble. After you fix it, modify things so that you fail again. Then repeat the process again, and again, and again. 

• If you don't experience failure and frustration at times then you are not training properly.

• Laugh at yourself...Trust me it's important.

• You are ALWAYS training. Whether you realise it or not somebody, somewhere, somehow is trying to tell you something. So make sure you pay attention. 

• Don't worry about "Trying to get it". There is no "It" to get. JUST BE.

• Be Normal. For God sakes just be Normal.

• Brain is good, brain is important, but don't forget your heart. Listen to it.

• Do not underestimate the importance of the spiritual aspect of things. It is at the heart of the System. Nothing functions properly without it.

• Feeling is a higher level of thought.

• I don't necessarily  know how the electrical wiring in my house is set up. But I do know that if I flick that switch the lights come on.

• People obsess over brutality and destruction. To love, build and create. These are things which people often dismiss...But they are far more important. 

• If you don't have any problems God's probably just forgotten about you...Don't worry. He'll get back to you soon enough.

• If you don't understand drinking, you don't understand Systema. 

• Simple Things. Forget about complicated and flashy. Simple things. That's where it's at.

• Consider boxing. There is no "Advanced Boxing". People just become very good at the basics, then apply them incredibly well. It is the same with Systema.

• Always go back to the beginning (basics). No matter how good you think you are. It's the only way you will be able to continue to progress.

• You are not here to look cool. Nobody learns anything by showing off. Just do the work. 

• You need to protect yourself, but a majority of your time won't be spent fighting....Seriously think about it. Use what you know to live well.

• Don't feel sorry for yourself.

• Slow is fast. Fast is REALLY slow..... DO NOT IGNORE THIS....SERIOUSLY DO NOT IGNORE THIS.

• Hard Work....Hard Work.

• Breathe. It's as simple as that.

• There is alway so much that we don't know or understand....And that's ok.

• Everything is perfect...Believe it or not it really is.

• The most important thing is to be a good person. Everything else comes from this.

• ....Have Faith. You must have faith....

Thankyou again to everyone who guided me and helped me along the journey. 

It's not over yet.

I hope you are all well,

Justin Ho

Principal Instructor

Systema Sydney Russian Martial Art

www.systemasydney.com

Danill Ryabko Teaching Classes at the North Sydney PCYC this March 2013!!!!!!!!!!!!

Daniil Ryabko, son of the Legendary Colonel and Systema founder Mikhail Ryabko will be arriving in Sydney a little earlier than we expected. Upon his arrival in Sydney Daniil will be:

• Teaching Systema classes at our club at the North Sydney PCYC (click here for location) during the remainder of March 2013.
• Conducting a 5 hour workshop currently scheduled for Sunday, 24 March 2013. The cost will be $120AU for the whole day (click here for more info)

We would also like to advise you about the following Special Offer:



Again for the sum of $250AU you will receive:

• A place at a 5 hour Systema workshop in Sydney with Daniil Ryabko, son of the Legendary Colonel Mikhail Ryabko. 
• A place at a 2 x 6 hour days weekend seminar with David Quaile, Combat Veteran and Australia's longest serving Systema Instructor under Vladimir Vasiliev and Mikhail Ryabko. 

That's 3 days worth of training with 2 highly skilled Systema Instructors for only $250AU!

Places are limited so if you are interested contact Justin ASAP via e-mail or call        

0433 219 761 to secure your place.

Please note the following:

• For the duration of Daniil's stay in Sydney our offer of a free trial class will be temporarily suspended and all classes will be $20AU per class (which we do not feel is unreasonable).
• Confirmation of your position for the above mentioned seminars and workshops will occur only upon payment of the full event fee or package fee.
• All payments for seminars and workshops are non refundable.

Click here more information on Daniil Ryabko 

Click here for more information on Systema - Russian Martial Art

We are thrilled to have Daniil share his knowledge with us for the first time in the Australia, and welcome you all to what will be an amazing month of training in North Sydney.

Justin Ho
Principal Instructor
Systema Sydney Russian Martial Art
www.systemasydney.com

David Quaile's Systema Seminar in Sydney, July of 2012

On the 14 and 15 July 2012 we were lucky enough to have a truly amazing Systema Instructor come to Sydney and share with us his understanding and love of Systema. David Quaile from Bundaburg Queensland. A former Australian Military Operative and a highly skilled teacher of Systema, David has always acted as a pioneer of the System in Australia and New Zealand.

It was an interesting weekend with many different types of people coming together to train and learn. We spent those 2 days together studying;

• Systema Fundamentals,
• Effective Moving and Breathing in Combat,
• and Mastering the Psyche during Violent Confrontation.

The tone of the weekend was set by Dave's lovely wife Bronwyn, who gave a thorough introduction about Dave and his history with Systema, but one thing she said stuck out in my mind. She explained that although we would be covering the above mentioned topics during the seminar, they would not be studied independently of each other. These topics were to be learned not as separate components, but to be experienced as part of an integrative whole. These things are so inextricably linked that to try to separate them them from each other would not do them justice. As both Dave and Bronwyn were kind enough to remind all of us, Systema must be experienced as a whole, integrated and complete. Training must be wholistic.

It's one thing to see Vladimir, Mikhail and many other amazing Senior Systema Instructors who possess such a high level of knowledge and skill operate. However to see an elderly gentleman from a small country town in Queensland work with such awareness, sensitivity and control, and wield these attributes with such lethal precision.... And all with an Australian Accent, and a calm yet friendly demeanour... It inspires a combination of respect, humility, amusement and at other times terror. 

There was nothing very complicated about the work. It just required our attention, patience and honesty. One of the great things about Dave is his ability to take simple things, but go into them incredibly deeply, and from this develop an understanding that enables the simplest of things to have amazing ramifications to how you understand yourself and how you use your body in a manner which results in the preservation of your being and the “Handling” of your opponent. Through a series of simple exercises such as breathing with awareness, moving around on the ground with each other, walking, use of the knife, moving each others limbs and pushing to free the body, an amazing 2 days of Systema unfolded for us. As David is fond of saying “The System is you,” and it is yourself that you must understand, overcome, accept and continue to develop. Everything else occurs as a by product of this. With this focus and using these simple things, we taught our bodies to work, to respond to stimulus spontaneously and to protect ourselves.

The following is a list of things which stood our for me from the seminar. Simple things that we've all heard a million times, but are still very important:

• Find Freedom. Freedom of the physical body, of the psyche, and the spirit. All movement comes from the body, and body moves for itself with minimal interference from your mind. The body must be able to move for you. The body must do this in response to stimulus. This can only happen when your very being is free of excess fear, tension, or preconceived ideas
• The mind and body must be able to work independently of each other. The body must know how to, and be able to protect you whilst the mind is free to think about other matters (i.e. other opponents, your surroundings). This takes time, awareness, consistent hard work and honesty with yourself.
• Study how fear begins to enter your body creating excess tension and inhibits this freedom.
• Remember, a bit of fear will keep you alive, but too much fear will kill you.
• Allow your body to explore.
• Be aware of how a person or situation affects your being (i.e. breathing, tension, posture, thoughts amongst other things...) even before physical conflict commences. In doing this and learning how to keep fear from affecting your being, by way of breathing, you study how to be professional...Not emotionally involved.
• Do not allow your adversary inside your head. This often occurs sooner than we realise.
• Be mindful of the benefits of diaphragmatic breathing, how it connects your breath to your body and helps to keep you calm.
• Use breathing to ensure that your body is soft and relaxed (not floppy), and free to move as required. In studying to do this whilst under stress you are already starting to work on your psyche.
• Study Movement. Your own movement and that of your partner.
• Never stay in the same place. Utilise continuous movement. But move with purpose. Eliminate superfluous and unnecessary movement. To the best of your ability allow your work to occur in one movement, defence and attack are simultaneous.
• Again, allow your body to explore.
• Sensitivity and awareness of your self, your partner and how you both interact is incredibly important. Rely on these things as opposed to brute force.
• Sensitivity is more than just learning to work with constant contact (although this is part of it). Learn to feel something or someone before they reach you, or to feel something before it happens.
• Do not give support to your opponent, whilst at the same time work from the support your opponent gives you (Sensitivity and Awareness).
• Work with Intent. Whatever speed your work with, use committed intent. Otherwise the training is incomplete.
• Remember: Slow is fast, fast is slow.
• The study of combat needs to be simple. Complications in this process will get you killed.
• Understand the way of the Soldier vs the way of the King.
• Study the principles. Although they may at times be referred to in isolation, no one principle can function on it's own. In application they all work together and occur simultaneously as required depending on circumstance or situation. Remember Systema must be wholistic.
• You can have many drills of value, or you can have many drills of no value. How valuable a drill is depends on you.
• Utilise the Floating (Flying) Centre of Gravity.
• When working remember to study how to attack points of pain and vulnerable areas of the body. It makes things much easier.
• You are not there to play sport. You are not even necessarily there to fight. “Close and Finish”. There is no need to draw things out. But keep in mind “Finish” does not necessarily mean destroy. It may simply mean control.

Above all use what you learn to live well. During one of our lengthy discussions Dave pointed me towards this gem:

Many thanks again to Dave, Bron, and everyone who accompanied us that weekend and contributed to an amazing learning experience for us all. And a special thanks to our guests from New Zealand and Queensland. Thanks for coming all the way to Sydney to share the love guys.

Justin Ho
Principal Instructor
Systema Sydney Russian Martial Art
www.systemasydney.com

High Tension, Building Strength, Managing Fatigue and Related Questions for Systema

The following Q&A dialogue is between myself and Nathaneal Morrison, Martial Arts/Military Combatives Instructor and Founder of The Morrison System of Physical Training.

Justin Ho:
I have something I am working on which I am asking numerous people about, whom I think may be able to shed light on the matter for me. Like many Systema practitioners I am working on creating a body that is incredibly strong with minimal excess tension, and as adaptable and as free from fear reactivity possible. In order to do this I have been employing a number of strategies; running, swimming, the 4 core exercises, tissue annealing, ground flow, breath work and the full scope of my Systema training.   

I have have been planning to incorporate the work off of Sonny Puzikas's DVD the Forge. I was very impressed with the work and explanations; unconventional 3D movement, strengthening of the connective tissues, creating a strong and adaptable core to serve as a platform to the primary and secondary movers etc.... But most of all the description of “creating a body that is incredibly strong with minimal excess tension”. I wanted to get the most out of the work that I would be doing so I started to consider how frequently I would perform the exercises, and when to alternate between them. A friend of mine mentioned Pavel Tsatsouline's explanation regarding “Greasing the groove, low reps, high intensity, high sets, staying fresh". Given your background I assumed that you were familiar with this gentleman's work. Then when reading the Naked Warrior I came across a photo of you doing a one legged pistol squat holding a kettlebell....Ahhhhhh sooooooo.....   

Anyhow, I acquired some of Pavel's books (Power to the people, Naked Warrior, Relax into Stretching) and began reading. Originally I just wanted to get a bit more information on “Greasing the Groove”, but I continued reading on and was fascinated by his work on developing Strength through “whole body tension” and getting the surrounding muscles to send neuro impulses to the main contracting muscle causing it to contract harder (cheering not cheating) thus developing more strength in less time. By the way correct me if I'm wrong about any of this, as the information at least in this format and description is new to me.   

The information and tools Pavel provided seem like an amazing way to increase functional strength at an incredibly rapid rate. To me Pavel's work and the work I have learned in Systema are 2 different sides of the same coin. Tension/Relaxation for strength i.e. The deepest relaxation can only be achieved in contrast to the greatest tension. However there were a few things I was curious/concerned about regarding integrating this kind of work with my general Systema Training and also the work that Sonny presented in the Forge. I was hoping you might be able to help me out here, as I am not as well versed in such areas:

Nate Morrison: 

a) In response to this: “The deepest relaxation can only be achieved in contrast to the greatest tension.” While this may be technically true at some level, it is not compatible with life and function. The highest tension yields unconsciousness. In a practical setting high tension is very difficult to turn off. Consistent high-tension training resets the resting tonus of the muscle so that it remains shorter (partially contracted). A highly trained athlete is able to functionally contract and relax the muscles further to both ends of the spectrum and up to 900% faster than the average person. This describes the efficiency of the nervous system.
b) Remember that a muscle recovers best when maximally relaxed. So carrying excess tension interferes with acute and chronic recovery. Recovery is required for the best possible second or 102nd rep. Relaxation in actual performance is a state of being in the entire organism.
c) Tension is only needed when you need it. Most of the time you don’t need it but when you do, be able to use it effectively.

Justin Ho:
1. With Pavel's advice using whole body tension such as in the pistol, one armed push up, deadlift or side press. Will this focus on developing predominantly muscle strength, and as a result neglect or reduce development of the strength of the joints, tendons ligaments and connective tissues? What triggered this question for me was work with the static holds, i.e. push up. It seems to me that staying there will result in the muscles fatiguing leaving no choice but for the connective tissues to take the load and eventually grow stronger. This lead me to consider this process in the rest of the material presented in the forge and the rest of my training. Conversely is strengthening of the connective tissues faster achieved by relaxation in the form of fatiguing the musculature?

Nate Morrison:

a) You cannot strengthen a joint. There is nothing to strengthen. 

b) You cannot strengthen connective tissue such as myofascia. While it has a contractile property, it is a chronic capability, not acute and it exerts no force on the structure. The tensile breaking strength actually reduces the more it contracts. 

c) Tendons and ligaments will increase their size, and thus their tensile breaking strength if properly loaded over a long period of time (years). This loading is most effective when it is passive. Active loading (high tension) has some effect but it is limited to the force under time of the muscle contractions. Passive loading such as that occurring during manual labor is the most effective. During manual labor the body is as relaxed as possible to be as efficient as possible. One does not unload a truck or a ship with maximum tension. 

d) It is not wise to attempt to load the tendons and ligaments by exhausting the muscles first. Exhaustion of the muscles will cause overloading of the tendons and ligaments and compromise the safety of the joint. You need muscular contraction, but just enough. A skeleton cannot stand without muscular contraction.

Justin Ho:

2. Through acquiring great gains in strength using whole body tension and the principle of irradiation (contracting the surrounding muscles so their neural impulses cause the main muscle to contract harder) is there a risk of acquiring excess/residual/habitual muscle tension through contraction of the whole body to perform the exercises? If so I figured I would counter this by performing various relaxation exercises between sets i.e. tension/relaxation exercises, gentle ground flow, walking, and even at the completion of a work out performing the 4 core exercises slowly with breath and relaxation to regulate the levels of tension/relaxation in the body. What do you reckon? Is there a risk of acquiring excess/residual/habitual muscle tension through contraction of the whole body to perform the exercises? i.e. Excess tension that lingers and thus impedes freedom?

Nate Morrison:

a) Yes. It is a very poor way to train for life in general. 

b) There is a Russian concept that does not recognize the difference between physical training and physical therapy. Top Russian coaches and athletes do not train into dysfunction and injury, then fix it and then do it again. The very idea is dysfunctional. Don’t do it. 

c) If you want to get brutally strong AND fluid, perform that ground work with a weight vest and ankle/wrist weights. In a short period of time you will literally have to throttle back for fear of tearing door handles off. 

d) Tension is important and should not be neglected. But it is better to know when and how to turn it on and off. One should not train in tension inappropriately. Tension is required when the loads are maximal, above 85-90% 1RM. That is when you need it and that is when you should use it. 

e) Always remember that you become what you do consistently. Period.

Justin Ho:

3. Through utilizing the principle of irradiation and tensing the whole body during the exercises is there the likelihood of developing an inability to selectively isolate muscles to get them to work independently (tensing or relaxing) when needed? i.e. using only what is necessary in a given action allowing the muscles not directly required a chance to rest? If so I thought this could be countered by using selective tension methods between sets. But what's your take on this?

Nate Morrison:

a) Yes
b) See #2

Justin Ho:

4. Would the strength developed by using whole body tension be only available by repeating and thus reinforcing whole body tension as a pattern? It's just that to my mind, to be constantly tense all the time would be incredibly tiring, and also would not allow for free and relaxed movement.

Nate Morrison:

a) Yes

Justin Ho:

5. Having so many awesome tools to use for strength development and only having so many hours in the day to use them. (i.e. The 4 Systema core exercises, Pavel's one arm push up and squat, the Work with and without kettle bells which Sonny presents in the forge, also my own groundflow work, not to mention swimming and running) it's like being a kid in a candy store. I know that generally less is more, and it's better to do a few things well than many poorly, but I can't give up any one of them without feeling like I've been robbed. Yes, I know it's incredibly immature, but I'm sure I'm not the first nor last Systema practitioner to have this dilemma. Any advice?

Nate Morrison:
a) You can do all of these activities but do them as relaxed and efficiently as possible. For example, kettlebell training should be performed in the manner it is taught in Russia. Relaxed, lots of breathing, etc… If you are going to do heavy weight lifting (bench, squat, deadlift) you need high tension for sets where the weight is in excess of 85-90% 1RM. Otherwise it is identical in the quest to do more with less and breath properly. Push-ups of all kinds and pistols are also exercises that should be done with relaxation and breathing.

Nate’s Final Thought: 

High tension is incompatible with anything less than maximal lifts, period. In some cases, especially in high fatigue states it is actually worse and will cause immediate failure or unconsciousness. This can be experienced in a max set of push-ups or 100 rep squats. So use high tension only when you are doing sets of 1-5 reps using weight above 85% 1RM.

Nathaneal Morrison

• 18-year veteran of USAF & US Army Special Operations 
• USAF & US Army Instructor in the following areas: Pararescue Instructor/Evaluator; Military Freefall Instructor; Mountain Warfare Instructor; Tactical Medicine Instructor; Physical Training Instructor 
• Strength & Conditioning Coach 
• Movement & Mobility Coach 
• Martial Arts/Military Combatives Instructor 
• Mountain Guide 
• Founder of The Morrison System of Physical Training 
• One of the initial cadre to introduce kettlebells into the United States. 
• The first to introduce kettle bells to the US Military 
• Internationally published fitness expert 
• The leading expert on military fitness training 
• Extensive work with wounded veterans in the area of mentoring and exercise based corrective physical training 
• Currently works exclusively with wounded soldiers, world-class professional athletes and military/police recruits

For More information from Nathaneal Morrison visit:

http://www.morrisonsystem.com/

http://morrisonindustries.com/

Thankyou for your time and well thought out answers Nate. It is very much appreciated and has truly helped make things clearer for me :)

Justin Ho
Principal Instructor
Systema Sydney Russian Martial Art
www.systemasydney.com

Benevolent Fists

We have been playing with cleaning the body and psyche of excess fear and tension using striking. Something I took away from my time in Toronto was the quality of the strikes that were delivered amongst teachers, students and training partners. Whilst at times the strikes were both heavy and deep, they were always delivered in a way that were calming to the nervous system, to help cleanse the person of fear and agitation. It was also an awesome bonding experience, which fostered a great sense of community :)

For those of us that study Systema we have all heard that there are strikes with different qualities. Two such qualities which I am thinking of now are strikes which calm versus strikes which irritate the nervous system. I remember hearing a great explanation from Emmanuel Manolakakis of Fight Club in Toronto; Often people will come to a Systema class, and will often take many hits from many different training partners. When strikes are delivered that have an irritating quality or effect on the person over the period of the class it has a cumulative affect. At first it could be just a slight irritation which is unnoticed by the person who has been hit. However then he cops another strike with an irritating quality a few minutes later, followed by another and another. Over a period of the time often without the person realising it the level of agitation in the psyche increases and increases and then begins to effect how they maintain themselves, how they perceive situations and in turn then affects the work that they produce. 

There are times when it may be appropriate to deliver strikes which agitate or incapacitate a person, however within the realms of training, practitioners need to consider longevity and sustainability. If we are going to be hitting each other everyday regularly, it needs to be done in a way that does not destroy each other, but in a way that makes each other stronger and more relaxed, helping to clean the body of fear. In this way we are able to train and strike on a regular basis and do so in a way where we are able to do this today, tomorrow and hopefully well into our old age (some sooner that others....just joking).

What has helped me work on this for myself and convey this idea to people who I train with is to consider a few things  which will Irritate the nervous system vs Calm the nervous system. Some possible ideas are as follows:

Things which irritate the nervous system 

• Surface impact with sharp but light pressure (likened to getting flicked in the ear)
• Sharp, jerky and erratic movements
• Impact involving bone on bone
• Uncertainty or nervousness in the movement
• An erratic or unpredictable rhythm (which will not allow the person to adapt and become comfortable with the strikes)
• Strikes which cause jolting movements locking the person's body
• Trying to dominate or coerce your partner
• Trying to hit harder
• Thinking of striking as competition
• Striking or working with no awareness or care of the other person

Things which calm the nervous system

• Deep pressure, a deep level of touch (likened to getting a deep comforting massage)
• Smooth, not necessarily slow, but smooth movements
• Impact involving flesh on bone, or flesh on flesh
• Certainty and confidence in the movement
• A constant rhythm (to allow the person to first adapt and become comfortable with the strikes)
• Strikes which unlock tension and teach movements which give a person "somewhere to go"
• Trying to relax or help your partner
• Allowing yourself to learn how to hit well
• Thinking of striking as massage
• Striking or working in such a way that you are aware of the other person, considering there needs at any given moment

In this way a practitioner can learn to hit in a way that is conducive to sustainable training for everyone involved. As funny as it sounds it is a good thing to learn to have Benevolent Fists. 

Or perhaps to be able to "Hit with love", a more familiar saying amongst Systema folk :)

Somebody from across the seas recently told me: You can put the guy down and actually lower the level of fear and anger in this world rather than just shift it. It's a very nice skill.


Thanks Gene.

Justin Ho
Principal Instructor
Systema Sydney Russian Martial Art
www.systemasydney.com

Degrees of Good Form

The idea or principle of Form truly is an amazing thing when used naturally and explored as an idea or principle. However when the IDEA of the thing is taken and turned into a dogma or law adhered to without consideration, this can really cause problems for the Systema practitioner stunting natural movement. 

Form is so much more than inflexibly walking around, and transitioning from standing to the ground and up again with a rigid straight back all the time.

Good posture can certainly be the start of good form. But it's not all there is to it. 

Good form also allows you to distribute whatever natural level of tension that resides in your physical being evenly and proportionately throughout your physical being. This combined with the integration of continuous movement and use of correct breath allows you to function in the most efficient and least tiring manner, thus giving you the appropriate level of relaxation, using just the right amount of tension necessary to perform a task without resorting to excess tension.

With good form  you are way you are able to move naturally never occupying the same space and constantly changing shape (form) whilst still being able to maintain your structural integrity. Sensitivity and awareness of the body is key

As there are many different people with different body types, levels of tension and movement, perhaps a better way at looking at form rather than simply as "absolutely good or bad", would be to see the idea of form as a CONTINUUM, to be constantly observed in fluctuation and worked on by the individual on a daily basis.

There are degrees of good form and bad form. It's really amazing how we fluctuate along this scale from day to day.

The Work? Move baby. And pay attention to yourself

Justin Ho

Principal Instructor

Systema Sydney Russian Martial Art

www.systemasydney.com

Poem by Guro Dan Inosanto

We are all climbing different paths through the mountain of life,

and we have all experienced much hardship and strife.

There are many paths through the mountain of life,

and some climbs can be felt like the point of a knife.

Some paths are short and others are long,

who can say which path is right or wrong?

The beauty of truth is that each path has its own song,

and if you listen closely you will find where you belong.

So climb your own path true and strong,

but respect all other truths for your way for them could be wrong.

- Dan Inosanto

Justin Ho

Principal Instructor

Systema Sydney Russian Martial Art

www.systemasydney.com

Experiencing and Explaining Systema

Let me start by making it clear what this post is NOT about:

• I am not saying that there is never a time and place to analyse and try to articulate your experience using your words and intellect.
• I am also not saying that technical and scientific information should totally be dispensed with.
• I am also not saying that explanations to students on how to do things are the devil. I am quite a fan of methodical and explanatory training (if they're the right type of explanations).

With the above in mind, let's proceed.

It has occurred to me that any description in words of Systema, at least the type of Systema which I study, is wrong. Not so much wrong but an imperfect representation (i.e. verbal or intellectual) of a phenomena which must be experienced to be truly understood. Much in the same way that a sign that you see on the road that points to a particular town is not the actual town itself, explanantions and

analogies about Systema... are not themselves Systema. Just as a sign is just a guide to get you to the town it points to, explanations and analogies in Systema are just a guide to get you to the point where you can learn Systema my experiencing it. They are important stepping stones and foot holds, but they are only there to take you somewhere. To be able to learn and work by just being.

Another example that I like to use is that of Chicken. I'll be hard pressed to find somebody who doesn't like chicken (although I am certain these sick weirdos are out there), however I don't really know anyone who thinks that they can verbally describe what chicken tastes like.

Try it, really. How do you describe what chicken tastes like?

Continuing on this train of thought, a word that one person may use to describe the phenomena of what chicken tastes like, although making sense to them, may mean something completely different to another person. For example the word that comes to my mind when I think of chicken is "meaty"... And I don't even think that's a real word. What is that supposed to mean to someone else? Some people may know what that means, however it is also likely that misunderstandings and arguments will ensue;

"No beef is meaty, chicken is more dry"

"What? Dry's not a taste, it's a texture, chicken is more spicy"

"Maybe if you go to KFC and get hot and spicy, what if it's cold

chicken on a salad?"

Sounds pretty stupid right? Yeah it is stupid. Will any of these above arguments bring anyone closer to understanding what chicken tastes like? Probably not. The funny thing is that although none of the above statements are really right, they're also not really wrong. It may be a better idea rather than arguing about the description or representation of the thing they are trying to describe to just experience it. Or perhaps even; "Hey try eating this, it's chicken"

Learning Systema is a very similar experience. An interesting experience I have had is training with people who could not speak English. There obviously were some disadvantages, however there were also many advantages as well. We couldn't get confused about each other definitions of things that were better experienced, all we could do to communicate was to do the work, and pass the information onto each other by feeling, experiencing and simply being with each other in that time and place.

Once again I am not saying there isn't a time and place to analyse and try to articulate your experience using your words and intellect. I am also not saying that technical and scientific information should

totally be dispensed with, or that explanations to students on how to do things are the devil. However at least for me I have found it is best to have an experience to analyse before I try to analyse it. Otherwise what I am then analysing and trying to break down and make sense of isn't the thing itself, just the idea of it in my head. And as close as I may be able get to the experience using all cognitive faculties at my disposal: It ain't the actual thing.

Systema is one of the most effective fighting and survival Systems in the world today. However it is also one of the greatest tools that are out there to study the phenomena of being human. This is something much more amazing and complex than simply describing what chicken tastes like. All the words, explanations and analogies that are out there could not truly do this phenomena justice. When learning Systema, one of the major attributes and qualities to acquire is the ability to learn simply by Being, Feeling and Experiencing. And then being able to take this attribute even further by being able to draw your skills, abilities and knowledge from here. Once again I'm not saying dispense with technical and scientific information or even methodical and explanatory training and teaching. However remember that to be able to learn and work by simply being is incredibly important aspect of Systema.

A good Systema teacher doesn't simply try to teach you what they know. A Good Systema teacher will try to teach you how to become capable of learning how to learn what they know on your own.

Also:

Even this entire post I have written, as a description or explanation... Is Wrong ;)

Seriously, try to describe what chicken tastes like.

Justin Ho

Principal Instructor

Systema Sydney Russian Martial Art

www.systemasydney.com

"Using What Destroys You to Restore You" - More Exploration of this Theme in Class

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. 

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. 

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