Friday, September 26, 2008

Find a corridor or two trees that are close enough that you cannot turn on the spot with both hands to the sides without bumping them and place your back on one side of the wall. Place one CLEAN leg on the other side. Find the support with your back and lift the other leg. Play with your back to find the easier point of support and use the hands and legs to move either up and down or to the sides as you keep yourself off the ground and learn to create support for yourself.

This is a fun drill for kids as well and can be usuful in gaining a different perspective or if you need to reach something higher or over rough surfaces. Work on this to free your movement and you can also do this using a door and climb over it. This too is a way to look and hide or get to a hiding spot which requires nothing but you and some breathing.

Tension is not a dirty word. It is one of the tools you are born with. Just use it and avoid trying to become something not natural. If you are tense, breathe and it will come out in a natural way. Forcing relaxation simply pushes it under the carpet and it will come out in another way.

Posted by ransuru at 11:17:17 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Stand in a comfortable distance from your partner and place one fist on him and lean on the fist. Your partner will move in place to remove the pressure and both learn how to move so the strike slides off you if you cannot move away or have to stop the hit. Next do the same drill when the partner moves slowly to hit and you move to slide him off upon contact. Slowly increase the hits and remember to keep breathing. Work from all angles and sides and later on try to work with eyes closed and using the ends of a stick.

If you cannot or must not move from where you are, you can still gain some relaxation and alignment in movement by lifting one leg off the ground by a little or walking in place.
Posted by ransuru at 22:17:52 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Monday, September 08, 2008

If your arm is hurt and you cannot do a static push up you can find a small box or a chair and rest your stomach on it. Now lift your body suspended from your stomach and stay aligned as you breath and relax as much as possible without losing your form and comfort. If you can add to this by placing your hands at the back of the neck to add tell tail signs to your form (if you tense up or collapse your hands will press on your neck)
Posted by ransuru at 10:44:44 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Saturday, September 06, 2008

Sunshine gives our body a way to coordinate with different time zones. If you are flying from one to another you can help yourself adjust by being outside more and going to sleep with the sun set. If you can arrange the rising sun will fall on your face when you sleep you will further tell your body to adjust quickly to this unnatural change. Remember the body reads signs off the environment on its own. Work to make this autonomic system work for you.
Posted by ransuru at 10:19:30 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Stand comfortably and lace your fingers behind your neck but without them touching the back of the neck. relax your knees and hips and walk around a bit as you keep avoiding this contact and keeping the shoulders and neck as relaxed as possible. Now squat as much as you can down while keeping this condition and to make sure both hips and shoulders are relaxed lift one foot off the ground from time to time. If you are relaxed and each part can move freely you will do this well. Make sure the breath is continuous and that you start breathing before you start moving your body.

Have a partner hold one of your hands and twist it so the shoulder becomes tense. Keep breathing and feel where his direction is heading and align your body with it so you can escape without trying to overpower him. Fore example if he turns your hand so your palm faces you and bends your fingers toward you, you can take one step and and place your entire body in the same direction. It is a matter of joining his movement and adding to it so there is no tensing up or resisting but you have to keep moving otherwise it becomes a drill or counter action which is reaction rather than action. Keep moving and you will stay alive.

I am writing a starter base program for solo and starting group for Systema students which I will post in a few weeks. If you have any questions, suggestions or requests please mail me at ransuru@yahoo.com

Thanks, Sharon
Systema Israel.
Posted by ransuru at 21:32:13 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Monday, August 04, 2008

Start with your partner prone on the ground and you along side him with the stick. Place one end on him and see where he is relaxed and where he is tense or easy to control and also where his body has a lot of room to move and where it is restricted (for example how far can the hip move without the body following). Now start to move him toward a goal and when you reach the goal (10-15 meters or more) reverse yourself so you are facing up and repeat the drill. Take note to the angle of your neck from your body and the direction of your eyes when you work so you learn to move with alignment even in these movements and to pay attention to the signs that you are in danger or in poor alignment (the same for example if you are crooked necked and looking down)
The next drill is squatting with the feet fully relaxed on the ground and again you push and pull your partner toward some target and back as you learn to move the stick less and less by using the already existing tension and lack of alignment in the body from the first movement and keeping yourself relaxed so you can feel and move well.

Posted by ransuru at 21:29:32 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Another way to relax the spine and body after long hours with a heavy vest or back pack is to hang from a branch or a bar and breath in and out. As you breath move your legs as if you are walking in the air and your hips spine and shoulders will unwind from it.
Posted by ransuru at 21:17:02 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Monday, July 28, 2008

Work in teams of three or more with all of you cupping your hands over the back of your necks. Two or more work using their bodies and legs to fell the one and he has to stay upright and mobile. This is good to teach you to work with the body even if the arms are in a bad position or if you suffer from shock and cover your face and ears and if you tense up against the others you will fall or get hit and learn from their tension to relax and keep moving and to avoid fighting for land. This is sometimes a must in bodyguard work but the approach is different. Work and change jobs from time to time and you will learn to move better and to stay relaxed under tension.

Keep breathing and note that this position also narrows your field of sight. You will find that moving and turning serves you well to create a better field of sight and learn to do so even if the arms are free. practice this.
Posted by ransuru at 21:04:20 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Place your hands at the back of your neck and lace your fingers together. Now have a partner move you about. Pull your head back from behind, lift one of your legs and and shove your hips down. This is a drill to teach you to relax in hard positions and keep moving and relaxing in it. Move slowly at first and remember it is a person you are working with and move from there. Think of the smallest movement you can make to align yourself or to effect your partner. Move on your knees and than standing up and change all the time.

Other positions:
1 Arms tied behind your back
2 Legs tied together
3 Hands tied in front of you
4 Elbows tied behind the back
5 Hands in pockets
6 One hand tied behind the back to the other over the shoulder

Posted by ransuru at 16:52:38 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Friday, July 25, 2008

This is a simple practice for relaxing and releasing tension in the spine and hips. Have your partner lie on his back with arms to his sides and lift one of his legs. Now pull the leg a little (it's ok to move him but don't forget the purpose of the drill) and using the foot turn him on his chest. Pull and turn back and return this drill for both legs a few times. Take care if you work with children whose hips are not yet closed or young mothers.

Relax and breathe.
Posted by ransuru at 20:38:48 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |
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