Sounds like great advice, Sharon. Welcome to the
group, and thanks for sharing. There is an inteview
with Mikhail Ryabko in Aikido Journal. It is a
fascinating glimpse into the history and practice of
Systema. Here's the link:
http://www.aikidojournal.com/article.php?articleID=597
The Aikido community has been so receptive to Systema,
which is new to the Western world, and in fact new to
most countries outside of Russian and its vicinity.
Lots of good interaction between Aiki and
Systema-ists. Systema is so different from most
martial arts, but there is a shared idea between
Systema, Aikido, and Tai Chi. We do not fight to
"win"; only to resolve conflict. I believe this
mind-set is why there are so many fine people to be
found in both arts, people who understand that there
is already too much aggression in the world, and it is
not a fitting goal of martial practice to add to such
aggression.
Can you tell us a bit more about those files you
uploaded? Are the chapters from a book? It looks
fascinating.
Thanks and *Vsego nailuchshego* (best wishes),
Rachel

--- Sharon Friedman <ransuru@...> wrote:

> Hi I am new to systema (I am waiting for the book to
> arrive) and a
> student of korindo aikido for many years. I teach
> the new students to
> roll and fall and I have a few observations that
> might help:
>
> 1. roll forward or to either side the movement takes
> you. When we roll
> the energy is toward the movement you wish to
> complete and the goal is
> to use the energy instead of being planted in the
> ground.
> 2. the angle you hold your head dictates the
> movement of the entire
> body. If you wish to form a round shape that can use
> the enrgy of the
> movement and roll instead of driving yourself to the
> floor, try and
> form a round shape and if the head is not a part of
> it and you
> unnaturally look toward the ground you are headed
> for than you break
> the shape and hit the floor instead of using it.
> 3. Calm breathing will help relax the body and adapt
> a natural use of
> the body.
>
> Cheers, Ransuru.
>
>
>
>
> --- In systema_group@yahoogroups.com, "rkxyz"
> <rkxyz@y...> wrote:
> > It's been awhile since my last post; thanks for
> sticking with this
> > group. I will post more regularly when my
> full-time job starts in a
> > few weeks—I've been working more than full-time
> lately, plus going to
> > school, training, and volunteering, so one
> full-time job will allow
> > for more personal time.
> >
> > My summer goal is getting comfortable with
> rolling. It took only a
> > few months to get comfortable with falling, but
> many more to learn
> > how to roll. After much careful practice, I can
> roll from a standing
> > position, by crouching down considerably. It's not
> very smooth,
> > though. Even so, a few months ago, I had trouble
> rolling from a
> > kneel. So I can see the progression. Edgar has
> told our class that
> > rolling is "advanced…to intermediate skill." My
> backward rolls are
> > very awkward.
> >
> > Most people find falling easier to pick up. But I
> think, to get
> > comfortable with the floor, take it back even
> further. Get on the
> > floor every day. It is immensely helpful to the
> muscles to roll
> > around on the floor, the way a dog might, using
> your hips and
> > shoulders to move yourself. Let on leg fall over
> the other, as in
> > a "4" shape, keeping the other leg straight and on
> the floor. Allow
> > gravity to move your limbs, let your hip or
> shoulder move your leg or
> > arm. Movement should originate from the center of
> the body, rather
> > than the outer limbs.
> >
> > To be comfortable on the floor, you must have a
> certain psychological
> > mind-set. Groundwork, falls, and rolls reveal much
> that is hidden
> > during standing work. Some people are more relaxed
> on the floor, but
> > by and large, I'd say most people are more
> uncomfortable. Fear and
> > tension will make any contact with the floor
> uncomfortable. Letting
> > go of fear is a leap of faith. You have to trust
> that your body will
> > protect itself. It will, if you do not interfere
> with natural
> > function.
> >
> > Systema falls are a skill that we all learned
> during our first few
> > classes; Edgar considers it important for safety.
> With one hand on
> > the back of your skull to protect it, slide into
> the ground, like
> > sliding under the bedclothes, "like fabric," Edgar
> says. He uses a
> > stick and slides it along the floor until it is
> parallel and flush,
> > to demonstrate. I explain to newcomers that it's
> almost like sitting
> > down with one leg held straight, the other bending
> as low as
> > possible. Usually, we keep our legs flat and flush
> to the ground
> > after we fall. This allows you to use your legs
> more covertly. If
> > your legs fly up when you fall, it's tension in
> the lower body. Try
> > to use a wave-like motion during the fall, to let
> this tension ripple
> > rather than block movement. Kicking can be
> effective, but if you can
> > kick low, it's easier to avoid your partner
> catching your ankle
> > between his legs.
> >
> > You shouldn't make much noise as you hit the
> ground. It's a soft
> > movement. In my opinion, acquiring this soft
> contact with the ground
> > is critical to Systema training. That contact with
> the ground must be
> > avoided is a mental barrier. It's fear, and as
> long as your movements
> > stem from a desire to avoid the floor, you'll be
> restricting your
> > range of motion, acting with a plan.
> >
> > If you aren't comfortable going down to the floor,
> have someone push
> > or pull you from all directions. Practice on grass
> or sand if you are
> > uneasy, but move to a hard surface as soon as you
> feel comfortable.
> >
> > There are other ways to fall, forward, backwards,
> sideways, but
> > obviously landing on your back is more strategic
> than landing on your
> > stomach. It is also less dangerous, your back has
> more padding, and
> > with the hand protecting the back of the head, and
> soft contact,
> > falls are perfectly safe.
> >
> > Never struggle to avoid the floor. Accept it, for
> the ground will
> > always be beneath you; discomfort with going down
> will impede your
> > training. Also avoid struggling with your partner,
> resisting going
> > down. Slow sparring requires a certain amount of
> "playacting" as
> > Arthur Sennot described it. Unlike ordinary
> playacting, slow sparring
> > makes circumstances more, rather than less,
> realistic. A car can
> > execute a turn at 30 mph that it cannot perform at
> 80. We must keep
> > that in mind during slow sparring, and avoid
> thwarting our partner's
> > confidence by being resistant where we could not
> do so at ordinary
> > speeds. (I am paraphrasing Arthur's excellent
> article "The Slow
> > Sparring Game of Russian Martial Art.")
> >
> > So that means no speeding up, and also no
> stopping. A real attacker
> > would not stop. Some people do this thinking it's
> making it easier
> > for their partner. In fact it's making it more
> difficult, unless the
> > exercise specifically calls for it, follow through
> with the attack.
> > And do not hold yourself a few inches off the
> ground when an attacker
> > moving at full speed would have knocked you
> cleanly down. Respect the
> > rules of the slow sparring game, in order to get
> the most benefit
> > from this excellent training tool.
> >
> > Most people are comfortable with falling after a
> few months, however,
> > some people are naturally relaxed and take to it
> right away.
> > Naturally relaxed people have an advantage over
> more tense newcomers.
> > They have one of the fundamentals down "pat." It's
> the hardest
> > fundamental to train yourself into. Form,
> breathing, movement, these
> > can be "learned." Relaxation has to be "felt." I
> do
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