Lately we've been starting class with this exercise where you are in
a backbend type position, I think it's called a "bridge" but I'm not
sure. Then you are supposed to flip over into a pushup type position
but with your back more rounded and your hands and feet a bit farther
apart. The trick is you are supposed to swap the exact position of
your left hand and your right foot. It's harder than it sounds to
keep the placement of your hand and foot exact. Then the usual 15
pushups, situps and leg lifts, but we didn't have to do squats, and
these exercises went a bit more quickly than usual, although I still
have trouble doing the 5 while holding my breath (an exercise which
is supposed to build confidence as well as strength). Then wiggling
across the floor using just the shoulders and then just the butt,
backwards, forwards, side-to-side.

At this point Edgar introduced me to his friend and fellow Systema
instructor (who would no doubt prefer the term "student with teaching
certificate") Rob Green, who had stopped by Fighthouse. Rob had
posted on Vladimir Vasiliev's forum that he was going to stop by to
say Hello. He was the first person in New York City to teach Systema
classes, and a remarkable writer of essays and posts about Russian
Martial Art. Check out his posts on RMAForum.com and his monthly
column in Martial Talk at MartialTalk.com for some examples, and you
can visit his own Web site at http://www.rusanyc.com It was nice to
meet Rob after our virtual correspondence. Rob and I didn't talk long
because class was in session, but we wished each other a
merry "Russian" Christmas, most Russians celebrate the holiday on
January 7. From what I've heard, people in Russia celebreate the
season every day between December 24 and January 8, quite a long
party.

We then moved into some partnered exercises using tennis balls. We
had to hold the tennis balls between us as we did pushups, keeping
the tennis ball lodged between our upper arms. Then we had to stand
back-to-back and keep the tennis ball between our backs as we
squatted, then sat with legs outstretched, then we had to stand up
again and not lose the ball. I had trouble standing up without using
my hands, my quads are still a bit weak from runner's knee.

We then moved to an interesting peripheral vision exercise. Systema-
ists should be alert and aware of all surroundings. The "Systema
gaze" is a little above the opponent's head, and slightly unfocussed,
which is why more experienced Systema-ists sometimes appear cross-
eyed while sparring. The unfocused gaze allows your mind to take in
more than when you are determinedly focused straight ahead, as is
more natural. So one partner stood with legs and hands apart,
squatting just slightly. The other stood behind and pitched the
tennis ball up and over the head. Tennis balls were flying all over
the floor of the dojo, but I'm happy to report that I caught each one
and my ball never touched the ground as my partner threw it over my
head, between my legs, over and under each of my arms. I was
partnered with the most senior student and he knew how to pitch the
balls perfectly, I suspect the reason for the bouncing balls was
faulty throwing rather than lack of peripheral vision skills. When it
was my turn to pitch, I didn't do so well. I got the ball over my
partner's head OK, making sure to throw it as high as possible to
allow his peripheral vision enough time to spot it, but I couldn't
manage to lob it between his legs and up to eye-level. Unfortunately
I just nailed him in the crotch with the tennis ball three times in a
row, bringing a whole new meaning to the phrase "throw like a girl."
We decided to abandon the between-the-legs tennis ball drill for
obvious reasons.

We returned to floor, practicing keeping both arms locked behind our
backs and falling forward onto our chests from a sitting position.
The way to do this is to keep the chest open and the shoulders back.
The body wants to hunch the shoulders forward and doing this of
course you land painfully on your shoulder rather than on the chest
which, particulary in my case, being female, is better equipped to
cushion the fall. Then we stood in a row and put our arms around each
other a la Chorus Line, and practiced falling backward, and getting
up again, all together. Then we practiced falling forward and getting
up again, which is harder than backward. At least for me, I could not
get up again from being on my stomach without using my hands.

Then we moved into our yielding exercises. A group pushing exercise
where we stood in a circle and shoved each other, then pairing up to
push and return pushes with the same force. Not simply the same
degree of force, but the same motion, channelling our partner's force
back into them. We tried pushing each other while standing on one leg
and then with one hand only, linking the other arm together. Then
each of us held one of our partner's legs and they held one of ours
and we practiced pushing each other that way. Because of my recent
bout of physical therapy, I'm quite good at these one legged
exercises. I can stand on one leg without having to hop around and I
don't have to change legs. Most of the class had a difficult time
with the one-legged exercises. Then we tried "steering" our partners
around between both of our arms, but using the force of the step,
rather than the arms, to steer them. We did the same thing with a
swivel, rather than a step, backwards and forwards (the backwards is
kind of like rolling skating backwards, if you can imagine).

Most of the class time was spent on yielding exercises, but we also
learned how to deflect strikes by rolling the limb off. Ducking
underneath punches by rolling the shoulders, rolling an arm around
the attacking arm "like a snake" as Edgar describes these figure-
eight-type movements. Also rolling our stomachs and chests around a
punch, and continuing the rolling movement to lead into a takedown. A
few elbow locks and Edgar demonstrated how to manipulate the elbow
when the opponent works free of a joint lock. Continuing with the
attacker's own force by pulling the arm forward as soon as it's
straightened. "Roll, roll, roll!" instructed Edgar, reminding us that
in Systema, motion, especially of the circular or wave-like variety,
is critical to self-defense.

*Vsego nailuchshego* (best wishes),
Rachel