After the end of seminar Day 2, I was not even sure what else we could do that would top what I just went through. To be honest, anything after Day 3 is a bit fuzzy. All I know is, we had stayed up late dancing, I was getting sick(cough, congestion) and I was exhausted. Every bone and muscle in my body was aching.
I was in heaven.
Not only did I not know what to expect from this seminar, I had no idea the level of learning that would take place, let alone, the level of shear camaraderie. We had everything from one-on-one coaches, to individual instruction from A.Karimov
and Y. Sheshukov, to topic specific advice and more. I had ONE dance instructor (R. Khozeev) who literally moved my body the way it should during Kadril. I had another person, literally hold my hand through the stick drill and yet another person, who stood behind me and made my arms and legs go the way they should for sword fighting. Did I mention we set up fake horses to practice the angular motion of what it may have felt like to slice someone's head off whilst on horseback!!What else could we possibly do?? At some point during the seminar, I even jokingly told Jesse that Andrey planned on having live horses brought in.Although I
was joking, I sort of had in the back of my head that this may be a possibility. (Later that night, we actually saw a woman riding a horse down the street and I assumed she was heading to our gym.)The excitement of what was coming was too much to think about... you literally got swept up in this massive tide of fun and there was no looking back(for some). We were exhausted, yet having a blast!
It occurred to me that this was perhaps somewhat close to how Cossacks lived and trained. I mean, yes...we were in a gymnasium, yes,we had air conditioning and heating, ok...we even had translators...but at some point, I began to think that this was exactly what it should be...the ultimate breakdown of the psyche.
Not only did we train all hours of the day and night, we skipped meals, and forgot to drink water.... we also rotated training with dancing as a group, sang Cossack songs and trained in combatives. If possible, you could even squeeze in a chain demo, some whip excersizes, some knife drills and even balalaika lessons. There was no stone left unturned. Everything was at our fingertips and all we had to do was ask. Really...that's all you had to do.
In all fairness, I became overwhelmed with the options. We had a schedule, but the voting of the group needs and wants and facility arrangements shifted those gears temporarily. Being adaptable became crucial. Even on "down" time, we all found ourselves in the gym...training, chatting, learning music or goofing off, together. The dorm style rooms allowed for easy access to many of the instructors and past participants of Mr. Karimov's seminars. Everyone was available to help. Not one person had an ego, a mental block about helping or was too tired. Not one. Including Mr. Karimov himself.He shared his room with about 5 other students and had an open door policy. Every morning I walked in I was greeted with a round of hugs, a few cups of coffee and tons of enthusiasm. The work seemed effortless and endless on his part. I don't believe I have ever met anyone who works harder than he does, in my life. The second a training session stopped, he scurried to his room and immediately grabbed an apple and worked on making balalaikas. Often times , the visual of him working on the balalaikas was reminiscent of Santa's workshop , where several of the men were piecing together these instruments, like elves. Everyone was doing something. It was hard to be bored. It was really hard not to want to help, but it was harder to feel left out, unless it was by choice. This was not an event for anyone who had social hangups or did not understand the value of cultural immersion. THIS , was a seminar for those people who loved to learn about anything and everything.
Downtime, turned into community time. If you linked up with someone who was musically inclined, then they proudly showed you their skills.
If you wanted your hair braided, that happened also. Want to talk about Russian history? Go to room #42. Want to eat raw food type delicassies covered in sugar and chocolate? That was room #44. Want a homeopathic remedy for ear infection? Room #43 or #46. Need Wifi? Go downstairs to what we affectionately called "Cossack Cafe". Often times you'd find us lounging around, uploading pictures, you tube videos, showing each other our friends and family back home and more.
The amount of talent that surrounded this group became very inspiring. At some point, I sat in a corner and wondered what I had done with my life. What was the positive impact I had made in society? Had my own work with children been enough? Could I learn to be a part of something so cohesive in my normally introverted, anti-social lifestyle? How did all this pertain to Systema and martial arts?
Well, the answer was quite simple. Mr. Karimov is a psychologist and ethnographer and a culturalist. He has a no holds barred approach to training that was not suitable for some and it doesn't happen at every seminar. He really calls it like he sees it and ,well, what he may have to say could stop you dead in your tracks. You see, it is very difficult to practice any art if you are stuck mentally and psychologically. If you cannot be yourself, what good are you to others in training?If you are trying to show off and demand everyone listen to you, what negative energy were you now placing on others? If you have hang ups about public performance, how good can you be at calming a chaotic situation , in public? After all, Systema is really about remaining calm, and what this seminar was designed to do was to get you out of your shell so you can experience life, learn to live and to enjoy your surroundings.
How can you do that if you are so tightly wound that you can't even fall softly? As I stood to the side and watched people work and train, I noticed everyone was having specific breakthroughs. Myself included. I knew right away that this was now possibly one of the largest , newest social experiments about forming a true Systema community that I would ever see in my lifetime. This group was most certainly about rallying together, being a unit and supporting one another. I had never seen anything like it. Some Systema groups back home, were really negative and filled with jealousy and definitions of who was top dog. Not here. Not ever. This group, was ready to get real. We were ready to work on ourselves to become better people.
Everything after day 3 was a complete blur and I am not sorry about that. The rapid pace of group excursions, videotaping, training , learning songs and dance were not something anyone could ever catch on film completely and do it justice...
Often times I would look around at the round robin of events and say "I cannot believe this is going on". It really was a cultural candy store full of excitement and learning. I literally could not keep up with everything that was happening....and I am thankful for that! This is the point I threw caution to the wind and finally relaxed......
I was in heaven.
Not only did I not know what to expect from this seminar, I had no idea the level of learning that would take place, let alone, the level of shear camaraderie. We had everything from one-on-one coaches, to individual instruction from A.Karimov
and Y. Sheshukov, to topic specific advice and more. I had ONE dance instructor (R. Khozeev) who literally moved my body the way it should during Kadril. I had another person, literally hold my hand through the stick drill and yet another person, who stood behind me and made my arms and legs go the way they should for sword fighting. Did I mention we set up fake horses to practice the angular motion of what it may have felt like to slice someone's head off whilst on horseback!!What else could we possibly do?? At some point during the seminar, I even jokingly told Jesse that Andrey planned on having live horses brought in.Although I |
| so much harder than it looks |
was joking, I sort of had in the back of my head that this may be a possibility. (Later that night, we actually saw a woman riding a horse down the street and I assumed she was heading to our gym.)The excitement of what was coming was too much to think about... you literally got swept up in this massive tide of fun and there was no looking back(for some). We were exhausted, yet having a blast!
It occurred to me that this was perhaps somewhat close to how Cossacks lived and trained. I mean, yes...we were in a gymnasium, yes,we had air conditioning and heating, ok...we even had translators...but at some point, I began to think that this was exactly what it should be...the ultimate breakdown of the psyche.
Not only did we train all hours of the day and night, we skipped meals, and forgot to drink water.... we also rotated training with dancing as a group, sang Cossack songs and trained in combatives. If possible, you could even squeeze in a chain demo, some whip excersizes, some knife drills and even balalaika lessons. There was no stone left unturned. Everything was at our fingertips and all we had to do was ask. Really...that's all you had to do.
In all fairness, I became overwhelmed with the options. We had a schedule, but the voting of the group needs and wants and facility arrangements shifted those gears temporarily. Being adaptable became crucial. Even on "down" time, we all found ourselves in the gym...training, chatting, learning music or goofing off, together. The dorm style rooms allowed for easy access to many of the instructors and past participants of Mr. Karimov's seminars. Everyone was available to help. Not one person had an ego, a mental block about helping or was too tired. Not one. Including Mr. Karimov himself.He shared his room with about 5 other students and had an open door policy. Every morning I walked in I was greeted with a round of hugs, a few cups of coffee and tons of enthusiasm. The work seemed effortless and endless on his part. I don't believe I have ever met anyone who works harder than he does, in my life. The second a training session stopped, he scurried to his room and immediately grabbed an apple and worked on making balalaikas. Often times , the visual of him working on the balalaikas was reminiscent of Santa's workshop , where several of the men were piecing together these instruments, like elves. Everyone was doing something. It was hard to be bored. It was really hard not to want to help, but it was harder to feel left out, unless it was by choice. This was not an event for anyone who had social hangups or did not understand the value of cultural immersion. THIS , was a seminar for those people who loved to learn about anything and everything.
 |
| R.Khozeev teaching me about music |
If you wanted your hair braided, that happened also. Want to talk about Russian history? Go to room #42. Want to eat raw food type delicassies covered in sugar and chocolate? That was room #44. Want a homeopathic remedy for ear infection? Room #43 or #46. Need Wifi? Go downstairs to what we affectionately called "Cossack Cafe". Often times you'd find us lounging around, uploading pictures, you tube videos, showing each other our friends and family back home and more.
The amount of talent that surrounded this group became very inspiring. At some point, I sat in a corner and wondered what I had done with my life. What was the positive impact I had made in society? Had my own work with children been enough? Could I learn to be a part of something so cohesive in my normally introverted, anti-social lifestyle? How did all this pertain to Systema and martial arts?
Well, the answer was quite simple. Mr. Karimov is a psychologist and ethnographer and a culturalist. He has a no holds barred approach to training that was not suitable for some and it doesn't happen at every seminar. He really calls it like he sees it and ,well, what he may have to say could stop you dead in your tracks. You see, it is very difficult to practice any art if you are stuck mentally and psychologically. If you cannot be yourself, what good are you to others in training?If you are trying to show off and demand everyone listen to you, what negative energy were you now placing on others? If you have hang ups about public performance, how good can you be at calming a chaotic situation , in public? After all, Systema is really about remaining calm, and what this seminar was designed to do was to get you out of your shell so you can experience life, learn to live and to enjoy your surroundings.
How can you do that if you are so tightly wound that you can't even fall softly? As I stood to the side and watched people work and train, I noticed everyone was having specific breakthroughs. Myself included. I knew right away that this was now possibly one of the largest , newest social experiments about forming a true Systema community that I would ever see in my lifetime. This group was most certainly about rallying together, being a unit and supporting one another. I had never seen anything like it. Some Systema groups back home, were really negative and filled with jealousy and definitions of who was top dog. Not here. Not ever. This group, was ready to get real. We were ready to work on ourselves to become better people.
 |
| A.Karimov's social model for growth and development |
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| one of the many nightly chats in Mr. Karimov's room |
 |
| we formed our circles maybe a few times a day |
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