Daniel Ryabko Seminar 2007 notes - Striking

Daniel Ryabko seminar 2007 - London

Here are a few notes on a seminar i attended last year. The main focus was on striking and taking strikes.

- Getting hit/ taking strikes is more important than giving strikes

- 1 person lays on floor and lifts 1 body part in to the air eg arm, leg etc

Other person kneels next to person and positions/ places fist and tries to relax the group of muscles that is tensing to keep that body part in the air. Vibrate / move fist around in area where tension originates from to relax those muscle groups and the lifted limb should slowly lower.

- Same with striking, Person tries to get up and you try to find the tension and the point of balance “the moment” to stop the person getting up.

- A saying of Mikhails “timing is everything” , “the right place at the right time”

- When pushing on someone with the fist do not change direction or push in a different direction just place the fist differently and move it around to relax the person downwards.

- When pushing someone with the fist do not create tension in yourself and therefore the other person will not tense as there is no force in the push, there is nothing for him to resist against

- Person lays down and you push your fist in him, so he feels he has to move and he moves.

- Laying on floor push your fist into the person, so he feels no pain only the power.

- Sitting down push each other with the fists and try to take away his force with a push of your own.

- Standing up push the person with the fist and you should place the fist so that it move the person very light pressure is required.

- 1^st strike/push to control the person – 2^nd strike/push to take their balance “give them a direction to fall”

- Taking strikes you exhale on contact, you exhale the pressure of the strike from your upper chest

- The stomach should be full with breath and the breathing should tense up the stomach

- You should exhale in your mind before you exhale with the mouth

- You touch the person in a place that cause their form to be disrupted and they move around to distribute tension and ensure that no tension arises in them

- For fullness inhale and tense the body and exhale and try to keep the feeling of fullness in your body. Exhale into yourself

- Getting hit by Daniel is an experience, whenever you can get hit by one of these guys do not pass up the opportunity.

Enjoy
Tom

History of Systema

Here is a forum post from the Rmax forum regarding Systema -

"What is intended to be systemized in SYSTEMA?

---

The word systema is a Romanization of cистема, taken from the Cyrillic alphabet, and translates into the English language from Russian as the noun, system; as in “The System”. In Russia, the word systema has evolved from being closely held professional jargon in military, intelligence, and law enforcement circles, most likely derived from references to, ‘Universal System of Physical Education and Sports of the USSR’, to becoming a specific brand of activity marketed to martial arts enthusiasts.

Three major, physical culture and sport societies were the main proponents of the Universal System of Physical Education and Sports of the USSR. These were the Dynamo or "Dinamo" society, officially created on April 18, 1923 on Felix Dzerzhinsky's initiative and connected with the state security apparatus throughout the history of the USSR, the Armed Forces Sports Society and, the Voluntary Sports Society, whose membership consisted of the Union’s labors and farmers. The stated purpose of establishing a universal system of physical education for all of the Soviet Union was simply a matter of facilitating efficient utilization of research assets and of dissemination of findings for the betterment of the health of the nation and to provide for her security and defense.

At certain echelons of the military and security services, Systema loosely referred to a generalized doctrinal approach to preparing adherents for close combat engagements and survival in extreme situations. The larger, Soviet-wide sports model was analyzed and using the universal, scientific method, fighting strategies and tactics were developed which permit quick recovery between combat engagements. Rapid recovery to pre-combat health and energy levels theoretically enables a soldier to work at higher operating tempos and for longer periods of sustained deployment.

The beauty of "The System" was that once a core cadre of trainers understood how to integrate physical and psychological training, and how to arrange attribute, skill, and tempering development along a continuum, they could apply that understanding to devise training programs uniquely matched to the mission requirements of each specific military or security unit. However, the Soviets realized that it was not practical to train thousands upon thousands of personnel in a truly comprehensive method of personal combat.

The circumstances of close combat encounters point to the most acceptable approaches for their resolution. It was realized immediately that close combat tactics and methods appropriate for VDV Airborne troops an overt theatre of war, would quickly expose an under cover GRU officer operating abroad, and would not be sufficient for MVD border guards tasked with protecting key installations, such as Strategic Rocket Forces facilities against an enemy’s most elite and professional commandos. The nuances of each area of combat specialization were addressed locally with de-centralized training, resulting in the evolutionary genesis of several flavors of individual readiness and combat training; all with the same, Soviet-wide Systema research findings at their core.

Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in the early 1990's, Systema has expanded beyond the closed-door gymnasiums of the Russian state security apparatus to become a worldwide martial arts phenomenon. Today, people from all walks of life enjoy the opportunity to explore selected aspects of Russian Systema as an alternative approach to martial arts practice.

As a stylistic form of hand-to-hand fighting of Russian pedigree, Systema is typified by closely integrated physical and psychological training, intended to lesson the shock value of combat situations; synergistic mechanics, which drastically reduce a fighter's degree of localized fatigue; and practical knowledge of both anatomy and human nature, which increases deadly effectiveness in personal combat.

Through understanding just what was originally intended to be systemized by ‘The System’ it becomes easier to unlock access to the most efficient path of progressive training experiences.

The individual fighting techniques or methods of Systema are not the focus of its namesake systemization. A basic doctrinal tenet of Systema is to rely upon spontaneous improvisation to generate uniquely appropriate solutions to unfolding situations. There is an absence of the concept of comprehensive, start to finish, martial arts techniques in Systema. It defies the notion that a complete cataloging of its fighting curriculum is possible. There is nothing like a predetermined response to an anticipated problem or event.

What is systemized is the ability to assimilate concepts and ideas; to manage an evolving Meta System, by allowing it to grow and transform, while still keeping it within general parameters of direction and intent. The further down the chain of command a trainee is/was when he is/was exposed to close combat training in Russia or the former soviet Union, the more specifically focused his understanding of what Systema entails usually is. As a civilian, half a world away and a couple of decades behind the last people in Russia to give the subjects of close combat and survival in extreme situations a thorough re-think, you owe it to yourself to remember that you alone are at the top of your Chain of Command; to gain the most from your training, you must do the work of the Private, Sergeant, General, and Professor all by yourself.

Vern Jeffery"

ref: http://www.rmaxinternational.com/forum/showthread.php?s=fc4e7e7265ff84cabe5d937ffbf23555&t=16604

Enjoy

Tom

Rolling - learning how to swim on dry land

Rolling is a fundamental skill to any Systema trainee. Its uses are infinite and it is a highly practical, usable skill. There are many dimensions to a good roll,
which include:

- Proper balance of tension and relaxation
- Awareness throughout the entire movement
- Correct breathing and form

The basic Systema roll is as follows -
- Starting on your knees, extend one arm straight out to the side
- Place the other hand on the floor next to your shoulder and look under and through the space between your arm and the floor.
- Now continue rolling over from shoulder to the other shoulder and down to the opposite hip.
(For more information about rolling and for a greater and more precise description of how to roll see "Let Every Breath" by Vladimir Vasiliev and Scott Merideth

Note - In the movement this may become a shoulder to hip roll, but emphasizing the shoulder, shoulder, hip instead, gives overall better form and teaches you to have a greater degree of control over your own body.


Once you have evolved your roll into a fairly soft roll. Here are some challenging and interesting variations, Which help you gain more precision and control of your movement and breathing.

- Start the roll in different stages of the breath cycle , inhale , exhale , breath held on inhale, breath held on exhale.

- Using a stick hold it in different and uncomfortable positions Eg - On the shoulders which the hands draped over it.

- Blindfolded or with eyes closed

- With the whole body or specific parts tense

- With a stick down one trouser leg or tied to a leg

- Roll with any object held in your hands - a knife, a whip, a chain, a cap etc

- Roll over and on a stick or sticks -- ouch

- Roll towards an obstacle and change direction mid- roll to avoid it

Practice these drills they will take your rolls to the next level.

Have fun
Tom

Training log post

Here is a quick training log of my own personal training yesterday.

- I started with some segmented tension and full body tension work only instead of laying on my back i laid on my front. I found this more challenging and harder to tense up the body as a whole unit.
- I then moved into doing 7 of each the core exercises with full body tension and then with moderate tension, then with minimal muscular activation then with no muscle.
I'm just starting to get the no muscle work now, but i still feel like i may be using too much tension.
- I then started doing a drill where you tense your fists slightly and roll, move around and fall while keeping your fists slightly tense. This is to add fullness and power to your hands while dynamically relaxing your shoulders, arms and the rest of your body.
- I finished with walking up the wall on my fists, facing forwards and backwards and then sideways.
I also did this with straight arms.
- i then moved onto the floor and did some wrist exercises, where you start in push up position and you collapse your wrist one side then go back up then repeat the other side + many more variations of this.

Total time - 40 mins

Have fun
Tom

Full body and segmented tension Futhur work

There is a Systema practice which involves consciously tensing different muscles or groups of muscles with different degrees of strength.
There is deeper work where you can tense the tendons, nerves and joints but this is beyond the scope of this post. I shall be primarily focusing on the muscular variations.

These can be as simple as tensing an arm of a leg or can be made much more challenging by incorporating motion and control into the practice.
These drills teach you to become more adaptable and free.

They help you recognize where in your body you have excess tension, due to past injury, incorrect posture or imbalances and help you to release that tension, through becoming aware of your own internal and external condition.

Here are a number of variations that i have found more challenging:

- Change the position: lay of your front/ side instead of your back, while sitting down, while against a wall, while halfway through a roll/ in the lowest or topmost position in any the core exercises

- Add motion: during walking, running, rolling or falling

- Add time: extend the length of time you hold the tension try 30 seconds or even a minute, extend the length of time after you have exhaled in the relaxed state (just hold your breath)

- Muscle group variations - just tense your arms and legs, the shoulders and buttocks, the top half/bottom half of body, hands and feet, the fingers, the jaw, shoulders and hands, thighs and feet.

Different degrees - See if you can tense the upper body 50% and the lower body 100% vice versa, hands and feet 100% and the rest of the body 50%, whole body 25%

There are many more variations and they really are only limited by your imagination. If you always give yourself a challenge, your body will respond with enhanced awareness, sensitivity and control.

Good luck
Tom

Keeping the feet healthy

Our feet carry us throughout our entire life. Throughout this time they undergo enormous pressure as they have to withstand cumulative loads of more than 100 tons per day and walk over 115,000 miles in our lifetime.

The foot is composed of 26 bones, 33 joints and 19 muscles, each part has to be co-ordinated perfectly in order to accomplish the tricky act of standing and moving in the multitude of ways, that they allow.

In this post i will explore a number of ways to keep the feet healthy:

1 - Go barefoot as often as possible, this strengthens all of the muscles and connective tissue in the foot.
This is especially important, as in the last 500 years we have become more and more accustomed to wearing shoes and this causes the muscles of the foot to atrophy leading to flat feet or fallen arches.

2 - Get a stick and walk over it barefoot in as many different ways as possible, if it hurts in a specific place, use the stick to massage that area.

3 - Walk around a large space on the various different parts of your feet: the heel, the ball, the sides, on the toes.
Then try to make a fist with your foot and walk around like this.

4- Rotate your ankles clockwise and then anticlockwise, then try to spread your toes as wide as possible then try to bring them together as tightly as possible.

More than 60% of people in the UK will have foot problems at some time in their lives . Most of these problems are minor but some can be quite serious . Foot pain is not normal and if your feet hurt you should find out why and take steps to correct the problem.

Have fun
Tom

Keeping the body healthy

In this post i am going to talk about how to keep the whole body physically healthy.

To have health in any part of the body we need 3 key things:

• Strength - Strength of muscles and connective tissue, Correct alignment and structure
  

• Relaxation - The overall tension quotient of the body part must be low, so that all movements are carried out with the least possible effort, which reduces the risk of injury or strain.
  

• Mobility and awareness - The body part must be mobile in all planes of movement. You must also be kinesthetically aware of the body part.

Here are a few tips to accomplish the above ideas -

- Do body weight exercises as these strengthen the muscles as well as the connective tissue(tendons, ligaments etc)
- Exercise every part of your body not just the obvious ones from the neck and spine to the feet ankles and toes
- While laying down on your back, bring your awareness to a particular body part and consciously try and relax it.
- Stretch out the muscles in unusual ways. Google: stretches and make up your own.
- Circle and move all your joints in various planes. One of Mikhails drills for this, is to write out your name with 1 arm or both arms in the air.
- Pick a specific body part and inhale through your nose and tense that part as hard as possible, hold the tension for 10 seconds and then exhale and relax that part. Repeat as required. This drill teaches you to become aware of tension and relaxation in specific body parts.

Have fun
Tom