The words "move , breathe, relax" are commonly chanted in Systema (at least in the United States). In fact, I don't think I have ever been to a seminar or class where I have not heard it.
Recently, I was at a seminar where the visiting instructor said "remember..move, breathe, relax". I was half paying attention, because I was coloring with my stepdaughter off to the side, but I immediately looked up and smiled. Before the class started, several of the men had been warming up by doing rolls, or "drills"(as they are formally called here). I, personally, was chatting away with my stepdaughter with no intentions of participating in the seminar because I was overcome with allergies.
I think the instructor may have said something along the lines of "guys, the best way to relax is to....RELAX!!!". Bingo. There it was. He said it and almost everyone looked at him like he had 8 heads. I smiled again.
Since I had been sort of online training with Andrey Karimov, one of the main topics of discussion has been psychological training. Yes..you read that right. PSYCHOLOGICAL training. Here in the U.S., one of the focal points of Systema are squats, sit ups, pushups and rolls. Very few times have I been to any type of Systema demo or class where this was not how class started out. In fact, at one major international seminar I went to, I think I attempted a combination of at least 200 of these.
When I asked the instructor the reason behind the "grunt" work he simply said "to break the psyche".
Um....what?
Immediately my internal monologue that switches to vocal retort had to turn on to mute.
It took everything I had to not say the following..
" I am a single mother, with two, maybe three jobs at times. I am a cancer survivor, a PTSD survivor, and have multiple medical conditions. The fact that I am 35 years old and still able to walk, is a miracle. Pretty sure my psyche has been broken."
Luckily for me, I never said it outloud. I understood , for the most part, WHY this was done, but I felt surely there had to be a better way. A softer way.
As the next few days of the international seminar unfolded during the "psyche breaking drills",I lay face down on the gymnasium floor, daydreaming about donuts and coffee, and how many souvenirs I can cram into my luggage before I head home. I briefly glanced up at the instructor who was standing immediately to my right. He had a huge smile on his face...I said in a quiet voice " I'm breaking my psyche..shhhhhhh". By the third day of the seminar, I pretty much checked out of the "psyche breaking" part all together. I became highly focused on how everyone else was going all out to achieve their maximum effort of each exercise. It didn't help that I had recently had a conversation with a fellow Systema practitioner who said " I don't really go to seminars...you pay $300 + to do a bunch of stuff your home instructor probably already taught you".
When I first started conversations with Mr. Karimov, I secretly began planning my trip to Russia. Iwas am all but convinced that he has something that I, maybe we desperately need here in the U.S. I had way too many questions to ask him on Facebook ( still do). I asked him at one point " what do I need to do to prepare myself if I go to Russia to train with you?"
His answer , "nothing".
Um, what? NOTHING???!! As in "not one thing"? No pushups, squats, rolls? Nothing physical? Lose 20 pounds, start lifting weights? Nothing?
I quickly realized what he was getting at. Why not just learn? Why not just go and be organic? There's so much to learn, how do you know what to prepare someone about if you don't know the psyche of that person? In my head, I thought "awesome, I don't have to start doing a million rolls" but my heart was pounding . My previous U.S. Systema mentality kept rearing up it's ugly head. How can I not prepare..what does he really mean?
He means what I have said to myself everytime someone says "oooooh you should watch (fill in the blank) Systema video of (fill in the blank) instructor. It's REALLLLLLY good."
I don't watch Systema videos. Or..didn't , until I watched Mr. Karimov's. I immediately became a fan. I have now watched so many that I can't even remember which ones I've watched and which ones I haven't. I never watched Systema videos because I really, reallllly am a fan of learning without preconceived notions of what is supposed to happen and what I should be learning. And, in fact, if you watch enough Systema videos(or enough of the wrong ones) you may end up not even going to a class.
Mr.Karimov's videos are full of music playing in the background, usually by him. He plays an instrument called the "balalaika". It's is a pitchy, guitar/banjo instrument, that has a bit of intricate artwork on it.
This, THIS is how he breaks the psyche. Music. He plays at an alarmingly fast paced, loud rate. He very methodically watches his students as he's doing this. The tempo changes ( I have yet to figure out if he is changing it to the pace of his students or if he is changing it to CHANGE the pace of his students or if there is even a reason). Whatever the reason, it works. If you watch the videos (muted) you may flinch a few times at some of the "work" that is being done. If you unmute it, you just notice, movement. You may also notice a few smiles. For me, this idea works.
Why is this not done here? If you are a serious practitioner, I challenge you to ask yourselves that. Is there a reason we "pump" up to partake in a martial art, that explicitly asks that you remain "relaxed"? Is there a reason we need to be reminded constantly to " move, breathe, relax"?
Some may say " the drills at the beginning of class are to break the psyche, that is it". Here's a little note on that...
Not once, since I've been "learning" from Mr. Karimov, has he ever described ANY of the work he does as "drills". Not once. Why? Maybe because for him and the amazing people that train with him, THIS IS THEIR WAY OF LIFE. They actually incorporate Systema as a lifestyle . Not a weekly class that you show up to.A "drill" implies that it is something only to be implemented when needed or for training purposes. A "drill" makes it seem like an exercise you must learn to be successful. If it is just something you do, then it is just something you do.
And to make things even more interesting, I am not even sure Mr. Karimov has a training/class schedule. He has a zillion and one seminars, that include full immersion in all aspects of what he teaches...including psychological work. That's right...PSYCHOLOGICAL.
One simply cannot learn how to run, without learning how to crawl then walk..we all KNOW this, but why , why are we not being taught this? Why is Systema here in the US taught without any type of psychological emphasis of remaining human? We are told "remain human" but , do most practitioners know what that means? Why are we not sat down with pen and paper, to discuss why this part of Systema is so very crucial to making you the best practitioner you can be?
Is it marketing? Is it watered down version? Is there something more? What are we really not learning?
Relaxing, to become a better martial artist, sounds weird at first, but really, it is highly effective. When I did finally jump into training at the seminar with "RELAXXXX" instructor, I found myself completely floating when we did our "drills" together. He had me up and on the ground in the matter of seconds. We playfully trained and he was so incredibly smooth that I felt, personally, THIS is what I want. THIS.
In fact, when I asked Mr. Karimov what he would like to do while he is here in the U.S.( I plan on selling a kidney to get him here) he just wrote "PLAY".
Yup.Me too...me too.
To watch more of Mr. Karimov's videos on You Tube :
http://www.youtube.com/user/nrooLad/videos
Recently, I was at a seminar where the visiting instructor said "remember..move, breathe, relax". I was half paying attention, because I was coloring with my stepdaughter off to the side, but I immediately looked up and smiled. Before the class started, several of the men had been warming up by doing rolls, or "drills"(as they are formally called here). I, personally, was chatting away with my stepdaughter with no intentions of participating in the seminar because I was overcome with allergies.
I think the instructor may have said something along the lines of "guys, the best way to relax is to....RELAX!!!". Bingo. There it was. He said it and almost everyone looked at him like he had 8 heads. I smiled again.
Since I had been sort of online training with Andrey Karimov, one of the main topics of discussion has been psychological training. Yes..you read that right. PSYCHOLOGICAL training. Here in the U.S., one of the focal points of Systema are squats, sit ups, pushups and rolls. Very few times have I been to any type of Systema demo or class where this was not how class started out. In fact, at one major international seminar I went to, I think I attempted a combination of at least 200 of these.
When I asked the instructor the reason behind the "grunt" work he simply said "to break the psyche".
Um....what?
Immediately my internal monologue that switches to vocal retort had to turn on to mute.
It took everything I had to not say the following..
" I am a single mother, with two, maybe three jobs at times. I am a cancer survivor, a PTSD survivor, and have multiple medical conditions. The fact that I am 35 years old and still able to walk, is a miracle. Pretty sure my psyche has been broken."
Luckily for me, I never said it outloud. I understood , for the most part, WHY this was done, but I felt surely there had to be a better way. A softer way.
As the next few days of the international seminar unfolded during the "psyche breaking drills",I lay face down on the gymnasium floor, daydreaming about donuts and coffee, and how many souvenirs I can cram into my luggage before I head home. I briefly glanced up at the instructor who was standing immediately to my right. He had a huge smile on his face...I said in a quiet voice " I'm breaking my psyche..shhhhhhh". By the third day of the seminar, I pretty much checked out of the "psyche breaking" part all together. I became highly focused on how everyone else was going all out to achieve their maximum effort of each exercise. It didn't help that I had recently had a conversation with a fellow Systema practitioner who said " I don't really go to seminars...you pay $300 + to do a bunch of stuff your home instructor probably already taught you".
When I first started conversations with Mr. Karimov, I secretly began planning my trip to Russia. I
His answer , "nothing".
Um, what? NOTHING???!! As in "not one thing"? No pushups, squats, rolls? Nothing physical? Lose 20 pounds, start lifting weights? Nothing?
I quickly realized what he was getting at. Why not just learn? Why not just go and be organic? There's so much to learn, how do you know what to prepare someone about if you don't know the psyche of that person? In my head, I thought "awesome, I don't have to start doing a million rolls" but my heart was pounding . My previous U.S. Systema mentality kept rearing up it's ugly head. How can I not prepare..what does he really mean?
He means what I have said to myself everytime someone says "oooooh you should watch (fill in the blank) Systema video of (fill in the blank) instructor. It's REALLLLLLY good."
I don't watch Systema videos. Or..didn't , until I watched Mr. Karimov's. I immediately became a fan. I have now watched so many that I can't even remember which ones I've watched and which ones I haven't. I never watched Systema videos because I really, reallllly am a fan of learning without preconceived notions of what is supposed to happen and what I should be learning. And, in fact, if you watch enough Systema videos(or enough of the wrong ones) you may end up not even going to a class.
Mr.Karimov's videos are full of music playing in the background, usually by him. He plays an instrument called the "balalaika". It's is a pitchy, guitar/banjo instrument, that has a bit of intricate artwork on it.
 |
| Andrey Karimov and Balalaika |
Why is this not done here? If you are a serious practitioner, I challenge you to ask yourselves that. Is there a reason we "pump" up to partake in a martial art, that explicitly asks that you remain "relaxed"? Is there a reason we need to be reminded constantly to " move, breathe, relax"?
Some may say " the drills at the beginning of class are to break the psyche, that is it". Here's a little note on that...
Not once, since I've been "learning" from Mr. Karimov, has he ever described ANY of the work he does as "drills". Not once. Why? Maybe because for him and the amazing people that train with him, THIS IS THEIR WAY OF LIFE. They actually incorporate Systema as a lifestyle . Not a weekly class that you show up to.A "drill" implies that it is something only to be implemented when needed or for training purposes. A "drill" makes it seem like an exercise you must learn to be successful. If it is just something you do, then it is just something you do.
And to make things even more interesting, I am not even sure Mr. Karimov has a training/class schedule. He has a zillion and one seminars, that include full immersion in all aspects of what he teaches...including psychological work. That's right...PSYCHOLOGICAL.
One simply cannot learn how to run, without learning how to crawl then walk..we all KNOW this, but why , why are we not being taught this? Why is Systema here in the US taught without any type of psychological emphasis of remaining human? We are told "remain human" but , do most practitioners know what that means? Why are we not sat down with pen and paper, to discuss why this part of Systema is so very crucial to making you the best practitioner you can be?
Is it marketing? Is it watered down version? Is there something more? What are we really not learning?
Relaxing, to become a better martial artist, sounds weird at first, but really, it is highly effective. When I did finally jump into training at the seminar with "RELAXXXX" instructor, I found myself completely floating when we did our "drills" together. He had me up and on the ground in the matter of seconds. We playfully trained and he was so incredibly smooth that I felt, personally, THIS is what I want. THIS.
In fact, when I asked Mr. Karimov what he would like to do while he is here in the U.S.( I plan on selling a kidney to get him here) he just wrote "PLAY".
Yup.Me too...me too.
http://www.youtube.com/user/nrooLad/videos
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