Training Diary #31 Wednesday, Guest Instructor We warmed up as usual,
with breathing and conditioning exercises. Then we practiced moving
around on the floor using just the shoulders, on our backs and
stomachs, and also using just the hips, by sitting on the floor with
the legs bent and lifted, so that your feet do not touch the floor.
This is helpful for learning to move your body parts separately. Then
our guest instructor Rob Green arrived, he was a bit late due to some
mishap with the F train. If you've had the opportunity to ride
this train regularly, you know what I mean. It is riddled with
problems, often skips stops without advance warning, and sometimes
doesn't arrive at all. The F stands for "F-ck off, if you
think thistrain will take you to your destination."

If you read the forums at RussianMartialArt.com or RMAForum.com, you
may have seen some of Rob's eloquent posts. He was the first
certified Systema teacher in New York (there are now 2 others), has
40 years of martial arts experience, and is a seasoned law
enforcement officer, though you'd hardly guess by his appearance.
You can visit his Web site at http://www.rusanyc.com to learn more
about Rob Green and Systema.

After Edgar's brief introduction, Rob spoke to us about Systema.
This was most welcome, because Edgar says his English isn't good
enough for explanations (we always understand him just fine). He told
us that other martial arts have much to offer and we should not
discount them because they aren't Systema. He showed up a Wing
Chun exercise called Sticky Hands, where you work on maintaining
contact with the punch, and using this contact to guide it away from
your vulnerable areas. He also explained about "changing
levels," raising or lowering yourself to a different point than
your normal standing position (which in Systema, is typically about
one inch lower than a standing position, the hips slightly tucked and
the knees just a little bent, to allow for maximum mobility). Rob
explained about the Russian concept of "happy fist," allowing
an opponent to believe he has made contact when he has actually just
missed. It takes sensitivity to the attacking energy of an opponent
as well as good timing. This is both physical and psychological
tactic, and because the opponent thinks he has been successful, it
allows you to continue the work uninterrupted by any counter moves.

Rob asked us to have one person place their hands on the others'
shoulders, and press down hard, and we practiced dropping one
shoulder to unbalance our partners. Because they were pushing down
quite hard, the sudden loss of a stable shoulder upon was effective
in throwing off their balance.

Next we explored whip- and wave-like motion, and how this kind of
movement provides a natural self-defense. Movement that isn't
stiff and pre-planned is also free and spontaneous, reflexive, and so
it lacks the tension and aggression that can further antagonize an
opponent. Rob used the example of children who are first learning to
walk and to interact with the world. They feel their movements,
rather than think about them. They fall softly, without fear. He
explained that we should aim to remember this uninhibited range of
motion that has been re-shaped by the life of an adult.

I find this wave-like motion to be a challenge, especially with one
exercise where we had to punch our partners lightly using the energy
created by this wave. Most people (Systema-ists aside, I mean) think
about punching as a movement of the arm, but in Systema, we move our
entire bodies, and a punch starts more from the hip than the arm
itself.

Toward the end of class, my mom asked me to come at her without
warning, rather faster than I prefer to work, so I did, and I must
say, I couldn't get near her. I am 3 or 4 inches taller and many
pounds heavier than my petite mother, but she handled me quite well.
Of course I was not using Systema to attack or to avoid, just
ordinary thug punches, kicks, etc. I was impressed, but I still
prefer to work more slowly.

Rob came over and worked a bit with both of us. He asked us to relax
and then shook us energetically, observing the tense parts. My mom is
a bit more tense than I am, of course, parents tend to have more
concerns than their children. Also her job is more high pressure. I
have a lot of tension in my shoulders, which Rob explained is often
found in women. Some of us tend hunch over to hide our breasts, to
make ourselves less visible. I asked him if it had anything to do
with typing all day—I am a webmaster by trade—and he said
that it probably has something to do with it. But as you may already
know, tension is in the mind, not just the body. I have a pretty
strong desire not to be noticed, and I think this affects my posture.

We learned quite a lot more than I have written here, but this class
took place a few weeks ago and I've forgotten some of the other
aspects of that particular class. (I wanted to first make sure it was
OK to mention him in this public forum). My handwriting is not so
good—most people describe it as the worst they've ever seen.
So I always try to post these within a week of the class, otherwise,
I won't be able to decipher my handwritten logs. But Rob has
promised to come back and teach us again, and so I hope to share a
bit more of that experience with this group, as Rob as so kindly
shared his own experience with us.