A Dark Side Adventure

There was some Intuflow during the week, do it whenever I think about it, but just in short bursts, need to set aside a minimum half hour and do the whole sequence properly.

Sunday  -  Systema. Two-point breaking leading to disruption and take down. Firstly just static with a partner, working on learning how the body moves, options, voids. The person taken down has to move and roll. Then ramps up to responding to an attack, either strikes or kicks, but still at quite slow pace. I’m consciously trying to learn new and different responses instead of falling back on the same old patterns.

Then one person lying on the ground, the other standing next to them exploring the same two-point breaking idea on the partners legs, first with hands and then using legs/feet. Very nice sheering action on the knee joint. Then ramping up dealing with  kicks from this position.

Then a good session of striking to the curved pad. Just slow, heavy, trying to feel the spiral, work out where the energy is getting lost. Lots of different strikes, parts of the arm, elbows. Kinda familiar….

Janet wanted to go to the concert so I said I’d take her Thursday night gkr class for her.

Just seven students. We did some strength stuff and some kata and some striking/receiving partner-work. Then I got out the boxing gloves and got them blocking random round strikes and countering – they could hit sensei as hard as they liked. Good fun for all lol.

Ashihara -  usual warmup – ramping up. Sensei added in a burpee/pushup 15-1 exercise which was horrible lol.

Then group drills to pads – strike/ kick combos. 

Then partner-work – various combos with take downs leading to groundwork. One was block and a duck in under the round strike, one arm over the shoulder tight against the neck, one under the armpit, with takedown, landing so that you trap the carotid and lift your body to apply pressure. Another was a spear with elbow  leading to takedown and armbar. Worked well even for a smaller person but I could have used more practise.

Then kata to finish. The katas completely confuse me, we do different ones each time so I have no idea what I’m doing, hardly any repetition. I just try to keep up.

Systema – was a bit late to training because of work, when i did get there they were sitting on each other. One person sits on the ground, another sits down, slowly, on some part of their body. Idea is to absorb and move and turn while still in inconstant contact with the sitter and finish in a position of advantage.

Then pushup drills (my shoulders not taking a liking to these, need to be careful) including Intuflow versions, an exercise where you have to hold yourself up on the shoulders of two others and a kind of circular group support pushup – one hand on your neighbours back  -  ended in predictable mayhem.

Then pushing, moving through the progressions, ramping up a little. I’m gradually learning to use my whole body not just my arms, and to move more. Then a lengthy session of body conditioning  – striking the partner repeatedly and with increasing intensity all over the torso legs and arms. Good practise for both – one learning places to hit, sweet spots, weighted strikes, the other learning to relax through the onslaught.  The little skinny guys found this hard. Finished with a short drill where two people walk towards each other and hit each other at the same time – one strike up to ten strikes.

Good fun.

Systema – biggest group yet, four newbies including another woman.

Starteed with a jogging/breathing warmup. Then pushups/situps/squats more pushups and a forward pressure exercise involving everyone in a circle on all fours while we take turns to wriggle through frontwards and upside down. Challenging for everyone. Then relaxation/stretching with a partner.

Pushing again, starting soft and slow just absorbing and avoiding, building to include a stick or a strike or a lock with any part of the body. Partners and groups of three. progressing to lots of moving. Sets of pushups inbetween  – three purposes for these – make you stronger, tire you so that the drills are done slowly, and to reset the brain between each segment of training.

Really good to see the group growing, with everyone coming from different backgrounds  – karate, aikido, jkd, kung fu, all sorts – and the Russians who just seem to know about it. Its totally collegial training, just a group of people who get together to learn more. A credit to Loren’s teaching and energy.