A Dark Side Adventure

Systema

Mummy drill, one person in the centre, 5-6 people walking through, just have to keep moving to avoid. Then ramping up the speed, outsiders jogging. Inside person maintains the same calm constant movement. Then leaving a gift – a strike or a slap or a tap. Then slowing down again but the inside person is predatory not reactive – pre-empting, striking, jamming.  Then the same drill but the centre person is on their knees, moving, flowing. Well, kind of lol.

Clear the brain-  situp variations – normal, slow, low, against the wall. One verrryy long slow pushup.

Then groups of four standing a close circle  – have to strike or contact the others in a continous movement. Nice variations – heavy hand systema downward and sideways strikes, backfists, slaps, elbows. Multi-level – head, body, legs. Elbow flow application worked beautifully.

Then putting this together with the first part of the session – the mummy drill with the centre person working multiple connected attacks, avoiding, pre-empting where possible, jamming, etc.

Excellent stuff. Enjoyed this hugely.

Still having some trouble with the shoulder, physio was a bit rough on it yesterday, but it actually  felt better after the training.

Systema

Loren presented us with lengths of rope, we had to tie one arm against our stomachs, then do pushing to the ground with this handicap. Falling, rolling and recovery. Progressed to destruction of structure, takedowns, need to use the hip, shoulder, knee etc more creatively to compensate for the lack of one arm. Then changed to the hand tied behind the back. Then the mummy drill on the ground trying to avoid multiple attackers, moving and gaining position if possible. Exhausting, hard, groundwork hard on my shoulder. Beautiful, hot day.

Then pushup drills to reset the brain, Intuflow-like.

Then the belt-against-knife drill again. I found this work best with the belt doubled up short, using -aha!- sinking and sheering to take down. Movement crucial. Awesome control of the attacking arm and weapon using the belt. Many variations to investigate here (handbag, sweatshirt etc). Got pretty physical. 

Finished with  4-on-one pushing. Idea is just to flow and relax, maintain structure, gain postion if you can. Nice way to warm down.

Went to physio yesterday and now have a special experimental black tape over my shoulder and arm, and a new set of strengthening exercises. Tape has to stay for a week, itchy.

Systema in the park. First  kicking drills against the barbecues, avoiding, then catching with one hand and two. Then the Intuflow knee intercept and push away and some useful sophistications. Slow pushups, long plank, squats and situps.

Then pushing in pairs and three in a line. Nice waves with this. Then with the middle person having eyes closed. On to knife drills, firstly just sensitivity training progressing to moving and escaping. Then with eyes closed. It was so dark we couldnt see anyway…..Finished with a drill using a belt to trap the knife or slap it down.

Systema in the little hall. Just seven, Janet still training Tuesdays which is great. Good venue.

Warmup with body pushing -slow but full-pressure punching into wherever. Then a groundwork body threading drill in pushup position but I did squats and situps. Then slow grabbing drills – firstly just simply and casually moving your hand out of the way. Progressing to moving hand and body, and leaving a gift. Then eyes closed – very much a sensitivity drill.   

Some interesting pushup variations – including horizontal and vertical wallstands. Then working with a hard out grab trying to flow and disengage and gain position. Then two attackers at the same time. Practise leads to some nice escape options.

Good stuff. Lots of laughter but also constant activity and concentration. I always feel energised after Systema.

Sunday Systema

Nice core group of 7.  Absorbing slow strikes, keeping structure, then ramping up speed and intensity. Face/jaw strikes (resist and then twitch the jaw, the fist slides away). Progresses to hard body conditioning. Did a lot of this. Great. Have to make sure they hit me hard enough. Also working on that heavy arm strike.

Then pushups  – just 10, veerry carefully. Felt ok,  I’m experimenting with technique here. Situps, squats. Rolling wrist and arm exercises in pushup position, then some pushups where you spring up on hands and feet at the same time, didnt do those.

Progressing the earlier drill to striking while moving – stepping as the attacker approaches and striking/pushing them obliquely. Then jamming a bearhug type attack, then just jamming/striking etc.

Two hours, Bloody good fun.

Loren commented on how everyone was improving and I can see it it others and myself.

Thursday Systema

Yee ha! Back!  Medical science can do no more for me. If the shoulder is going to be a long term problem, so be it, I’ll have to adjust what I do.

So, pushing to start with. I was wooden and  flowed like a brick, to quote Rick. But it got better. Then striking/absorbing/evading against the barbecue benches – no place to go. Very close quarters, all about moving, feet, improving position. Then same with kicking. Then back to the grass for a resistance drill using sheering. This was tricky. Finished with the  mummy drill using legs only. Great!

Systema tonight, yay.  The shoulder is still far from right but the physio says careful training is okay, so i decided to give it a try.

Seated pushing to start with, first pairs and then threes. Lots of rolling and slipping and struggling, good ab work, very fun.

Then slapping practise with the curved mitts. Spent a good while on this, various versions, combinations. Had to be careful, will see how the shoulder feels tomorrow. Shorter session than usual – daylight saving meant it was dark earlier.

Its been five frustrating weeks, doing my head in, feels great to be back. I’m going to have  a cortisone injection into the joint on Friday, hope it helps.