About 5 1/2 hours I think. Visiting instructor Dave Quaile from Australia and 26 others, just two of us women.
Well so much stuff to remember. Started with slow pushing, as always. Then moved to evading/absorbing strikes, still slow. Several very light tactile drills. Each section is punctuated by sloooowwww pushups (even only one) to reset the brain. Much discussion of the Systema principles of breathing, moving, structure, feeling, minimalism, pre-emption, intuitiveness.
After lunch more of the same, sophisticating the action. Spent the last hour or so working on response to hook and straight strikes. This was hard…but I certainly wasnt the only one struggling with it. We have to completely give up the “block”. And it did improve.
Many awesome demonstrations by Dave, some sad meat puppets. Dave says – ” Not a good day out for him! “ Very very impressive. A really enjoyable day, looking forward to tomorrow, Part 2.
Awesome!
What’s a block?
mwuhahahahahaha
Rick you ask what’s a block… please dont think I practise this action like I used to. A block is a conflicting, barrier-like action. The flinch is a barrier between yourself and the incoming. Even though i’ve evolved, hugely, some remnants of the old confrontational systems remain. This is what i mean by block. Its a mental thing too.
In Systema I have to completely absorb/pre-empt everything. The incoming is used and amplified or nullified.
Originally I had to learn to put up a barrier – not putting up a barrier is equally hard to learn. COMPLETELY accepting – in fact, openly welcoming – incoming crap is hard to learn.