This is your chance to walk in the inner circle of Stonehenge where access is normally denied.  However, you will not only walk, you will get chance to train amongst the megaliths of one of the worlds most enigmatic places.

Stonehenge! It is a word that evokes feelings of magic, mystery and a little shiver from the depths of our beings. It describes an ancient stone temple that has presented an enigma to humanity for thousands of years. What is it? What was it built for, used for? Why had so much effort, over so many years, been expended on its creation? Why does it have such a profound, magical effect on people? One of the most important qualities about Stonehenge is its aura of mystery.¹

You can be part of a select group of 26 people admitted to the inner circle of Stonehenge for a sunrise training on May 10th 2014.

This unique training session is from 06.45 – 0745.

This will be followed by breakfast.

The experience will include the unique health, well-being and self-defence training specific to Systema and time to absorb the gravity of the experience.  We will have a breathing and health practice as the sun is rising and then move straight into a training experience finishing with a short period of time to just appreciate where you are.

Spaces are limited to 26 people maximum by National Heritage and the event filled up almost before it was advertised last time.  10 spaces have already gone so if you want to make it please make sure that you book on-line below.

What people said about the last event:

Training at Stonehenge, what a surreal experience! During the training I felt both very grounded and high as a kite (and no I hadn’t smoked anything beforehand!). Pure bliss.

When standing within the circle I was, at first, struck by the seeming permanence of ‘place’ and the continuity of human experience and vision. I then started to reflect on the importance of the living but passing moment for us as humans. I concluded that it is simply the quality of our thought, attitude and action, in this moment … now … that matters.

Sometimes we have the opportunity to be part of something special, and the Stonehenge seminar was one of them, it made me realize how small we are as individuals but when we open our selves up to a greater energy and all become part of the circle we become stronger and more powerful in both mind and body. A truly wonderful experience, thank you!

Although a time to still the mind, my few minutes were drenched with the awe and majesty of the moment, of the millennia of history written in the stones, of the thousands and thousands of people that have journeyed here and found their own meaning and significance on this average looking cold hard patch of grass. Feeling a huge sense of history and humanity, my tiny human concerns seemed insignificant, dwarfed by the vast passing of this planet’s huge and heavy history.

Don’t miss this chance to attend a unique event and create a memory that will last forever.

As the saying goes, ‘Life is a series of moments, and if you miss the moments, you miss your life’.

1. www.stonehenge.co.uk/ceremony.php

Click below now to book – for just £45 you can be one of the 26….

If you are coming from afar why not make a day of it and go on to visit Avebury and Silbury Hill just a short distance away.

I’ve been looking for something to alleviate my M.E. symptoms for the last four years; my body has really struggled with the ‘pacing’ exercises that the NHS have given me, as they don’t acknowledge the role of the over-sensitive nervous system in the condition.

Two months ago I started Systema after watching Matt’s introductory video. I was intrigued about Systema’s claims to work on calming the body’s systems.

To finally find something which is designed to train your nervous system to calm down, and release pent up emotional tension in the body has been a total godsend (the Systema massage has also played a huge part in this), and I’ve noticed a difference in my energy levels and a lowering of the associated anxiety.

The fun, relaxed atmosphere and the people who attend make the whole experience so enjoyable, along with the knowledge that I can come and go as much as I feel able to. It also feels amazing to feel ‘in my own body’ again.

Systema, and Matt, have given me fresh hope that I will achieve wellness again as I’m already noticing a huge difference. The breathing exercises and a new, healthy perspective on facing fear have also made me feel more confident about dealing with my claustrophobia – so much so that I’ve actually dreamed about successfully staying calm in such situations since attending classes! I really can’t recommend it enough.

Kim Seviour.
Melksham,
Wiltshire.

To understand just how effective Systema is in improving your ability to defend yourself and improve your overall health and wellbeing join us on this years Devon Camp in June. There are only nine spaces left.

Or, for a once in a lifetime adventure try the Sweden Forest Camp in September. It is suitable for everyone who wants to improve thier health, wellbeing, martial arts ability and have the adventure of a lifetime. There are now only four spaces left.

The Power of Systema Breath Work in an Extreme Situation.
By Daniel Satari, Sweden.

Less than an hour after leaving my first weekend introduction to Systema and the core principles and exercises with Matt Hill, I was presented with a quite powerful experience.

I was walking from the tram to a square in quite a rough neighbourhood of town [Goteborg in Sweden]. I’m still hot from training and my body is sore from all of the work.
I see a young man about hundred feet ahead of me. He is throwing punches in the air as if hitting a punching bag.
Another man is walking behind him and slightly behind him three more.
I walk with a confident stride pretty much all the time, so I walk past the first guy without stress.
The second man stops me. He asks me if I want to buy drugs.

I’ve lived in a lot of major cities (L.A, Paris, Istanbul etc.) and through experience have learnt that if someone wants something from you on the street, they will either take it from you if you’re weak, or try to take it until you show them that you will not give it to them.
People who want nothing from you, smile and say hello.
This guy obviously wants my money, for whatever he’s got in his pocket.

One way I’ve learned to avoid situations that can get heated is to be a chameleon, join the opposing side, and bond.
I tell him that I already have some, that I am set. So I thank him and walk off.
He follows. Or rather joins me.
He now starts asking what kind, if I need more, and so on. The other guys fall in behind us.
My pulse is rising, and I’m focusing on my speech so as not to stutter, slip on my words or lower my voice as I am now making stuff up.
I’m trying to keep a calm conversation as I feel he is looking for any slip-up, any sign of weakness to use to his advantage.

I stop to stand still. So does he.
Probably not a good move I know. I should keep both feet ready to move.
By now, my adrenalin is pumping as I start thinking about how I’m going to fight my way out of the situation against five guys. All of this happening in a split second, as a result of thinking.
I catch myself thinking.
And this is not what I want.
I don’t want to fight.
I want the calm Daniel to be able walk away from this.

At this point they are all circling me.
I’m standing my ground, and in to my mind come the practices from the weekend. “In through the nose, out the mouth. Repeat. Inhale calm, exhale tension.”
And all of a sudden I feel calm and peaceful. I relax and my body language is telling them that I mean no harm that I have respect for them, but I will not move and they will not have me.

Suddenly I get a phone call and I have an excuse to move. When I leave I see that they had all actually dispersed and that I’d been left with the main guy.

In the end a very powerful Systema breathing exercise, a deep respect for life and everyone’s individual path and a good dose of courage led me out of a potential fight.
Thanks to Systema, all my teachers and the wisdom of so many people before me.

To wrap up this story,
I heard a very strong sentence once, and it has made its way to my core:
“Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death”.
My truth, in this case, is that I am a calm loving person.
And I spoke the truth without using any words. Only through breathing.
Daniel Larsson Satari,
Goteborg.
Sweden.
Explore the full range of Systema breathwork, health practices and combat at the  Devon Systema Camp in June. Now over half full!

For a once in a lifetime adventure try the Sweden Forest Camp in September. 1 Week that will change your view of the world for the better. Only 5 spaces left.

How Systema helped me unexpectedly by Holly Leake, aged 15.

I have been studying Systema with Matt at Wiltshire Martial Arts for about 5 months and have really enjoyed building my confidence and meeting lots of new people. One of the things I have been taught is how to breathe and relax when stressed.

A few days ago my ability to use breathing and relaxation was suddenly needed when I attended a Church service with Guides. One of the young leaders had not turned up and was going to give a presentation on the world association of girl guides and girl scouts. Barney the guide leader asked if anyone would be willing to give the presentation, as I was one of the oldest I volunteered. I only had a few minutes to read it through before presenting it to around 150 people. Shortly before I was about to start I suddenly became extremely nervous and panicky inside. Luckily I remembered all that Matt had taught me about how to breathe and relax, so that fear and panic did not take over.

I breathed deeply from my diaphragm, in through my nose and out through my mouth using the patterns that Matt explains. The effect was quite significant. Almost straight away it calmed me down and relaxed me so that I could talk more easily and with a confidence that surprised me.

It is good to know that Systema helps in everyday life and not just as a martial art. I would thoroughly recommend Systema to anyone who wants to improve their life physically,  mentally and emotionally.

To experience these benefits try the Devon Woodlands Camp in June. SPACES FILLING UP FAST!

For a once in a lifetime adventure try the Sweden Forest Camp in September. SPACES NOW VERY LIMITED!

Sweden Forest Training Camp. The complete wellness experience.
Remjäng Forests, Sweden.
Dates: 01-07 September 2014

Set in the centre of the stunning Swedish forests and lakes this is more than just a martial arts course; the course will take you on a journey of self-exploration into well-being, holistic relaxation, martial effectiveness, self-confidence and awareness. A deeper understanding of yourself and your environment.

INSTRUCTORS: Matt Hill Certified Systema Instructor under the Legendary Vladimir Vasiliev, 5th Dan Aikido and Parachute Regiment Captain and Dirk Handzic – 4th Dan Aikido, over 35 years experience in Martial arts including Systema, Kali, Judo and Kenpo.

A bit about the course: You will immerse yourself in training in the forests for 7 hours per day or more.  You will be suprised to find that rather than wearing you out this will restore you to an even greater level of physical and mental health and well-being.  The training is unique, blending ancient practices of martial, physical and mental training and wellbeing in a stunning natural setting.  Our DNA recognises the forest as home. We evolved there and belong just as much as any creature or plant. The forest is our evolutionary home. It is healing and restful. The course is:

• ALL INCLUSIVE Transportation from the airport to and from the camp, food and accommodation *accommodation ranges from cabin to tent or basha depending on your preference – see the picture below:
  
• COMPLETE RANGE of training including ancient health practices, weapons (including natural and improvised) training, empty handed, multiple attack and all scenarios in between
• ALL TERRAIN training in the forest, fields and water and practice by day and night,
• SUITABLE FOR ALL LEVELS Ideal for beginners and advanced students due to the progressive nature of the training course building from basic concepts to advanced levels.  *It is also suitable for all fitness levels as there is transportation to the campsite as well as the option of joining me for the walk in. 

Accommodation:You can choose to bring your own tent, to sleep in a hammock and tarp (basha) or use one of the cabins (limited space available in the cabins).

For the majority of the western world, our diet, our relationship with the outside world and our movement habits have devolved to such an extent that we have to set aside extra time in our day to exercise to stay fit and healthy.

The exception to this is people who have to be fit for their job such as soldiers and police (many of whom are nowhere near the physical condition of people a few generations ago) professional sportspeople or enthusiasts. Some others fall into the category of exercising to relax or de-stress.

One of the most common forms of exercise is running. Traditionally there were only three reasons to run. Out of fear, to catch something or to relax. However, the vast majority of everyday people who exercise, do so grudgingly. They do it under doctors orders, out of image consciousness or because they know they should.

How many of you have seen the classic face book post of a young African boy looking at a western woman with a look of incredulity on his face? He is posing the question, ‘So let me get this straight. You drive 45 minutes, to go to a gym, to sit on a bike, and then drive 45 minutes home again?’

As far as I know, we are the only species on the planet that has devolved to this level. We continually find easier and easier ways to do things to save us time, and then have to find more and more time to exercise to stay healthy. The proverbial hamster wheel.

There is also the flip side. Some people exercise excessively and always seem to be carrying an injury or are on the verge of injury. Or they have to eat five meals a day plus protein shakes and supplements in order to maintain their musculature and allow them to train with that intensity. If a tiger did this he would be dead very quickly.

I am no different. I have spent Twenty odd years exercising. Only recently have I started looking at it in another way. Two years ago I asked Vladimir Vasiliev what his exercise regime was. His reply left me laughing at the simplicity of it, ‘Have you ever seen a Tiger doing push ups?’ It was over a year later when Martin Wheeler gave me the other half of it, ‘but you have to be a Tiger in every moment.’ There lies the rub. In order to not have to exercise you have to find space in your everyday movements and living to make everyday existence your exercise.

I don’t just limit this to just physical exercise to control calories. This is also about mobility to keep joints healthy, reduce tension, keep your internal body functioning as it should (blood flow, motor coordination, heart and lungs etc.), maintaining your maximal range of movement, and using movement and breathing to manage your levels of stress and anxiety and other such emotions.

This is easier to do than you think. A Tiger sleeps a lot and spends much of its time resting. When it moves though, it moves well.

This weekend I am running a 4 hour introduction to Systema Seminar in Bristol to celebrate the opening of a new Systema School. We will cover how to turn basic everyday movement into exercise. We will look at how movement can restore the body when it is fatigued and emotionally strained. How movement can deeply relax you. We will then progress to applying your natural, spontaneous movement into highly effective self-defence.

Please click here for more details of the event. It is ideal for beginners and advanced students alike.

I have wanted to write a short blog for a while on valuing and respecting your training partners in martial arts practice. Neither of the martial arts that I have been mainly involved in (Aikido and Systema) are competition martial arts. They are what are termed traditional martial arts. Based on battlefield skills. When you train the prevailing attitude is not one of beating or being better than your training partner, it is one of helping each other to improve. There is no competition in these arts as there is no such thing as second place. On a battlefield second place for the collective is defeat and second place for the individual is death.

Some people in the martial arts world see training as a chance to assert themselves over others and to prove themselves. In rare cases this can lead to injury of the body or spirit in others and themselves. My question to you is this. Imagine a day when you are standing side by side with each of your training partners at dawn on a battlefield. You don’t know exactly when this day will come but it could well be very soon. You know that in the moments to follow those people that you have been training with for the past days, months or years could be the one that you rely on to think and act in an instant as your shield brother or sister to protect you. And you them. They are your left and right arms. Your eyes and ears. Would you want them carrying injuries and impairments? Would you want their spirit broken and defeated? Absolutely not. You would want them strong and fit in body, mentally together and emotionally sound.

As Vladimir Vasiliev says, ‘In Systema it is simple: everything that strengthens and builds is correct and everything that destroys is wrong.’ Everything that you do with your training partners should be geared around strengthening and building them. Physically, mentally and psychologically. This doesn’t take great strength. This takes great sensitivity. To know when they are nearing their edge to take them to it, go with them and then jump and soar together. The founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, had the same attitude. He felt that competition had no place in pursuit of the highest level of mastery, mastery of the self.

This is especially true of fears and apprehensions. Systema largely concerns itself with the gradual removal of fears. Physical, mental and emotional. Whatever drill we are doing should have this at the heart of it. You should observe closely the reactions of your partner and understand whether the level of the drill is putting more fear in, or successfully unlocking and removing their fears.  You adjust the level accordingly.

It is highly unlikely that most of you will have to stand side by side with your training partner and have each others backs. But the atmosphere in your club and your relationships with your training partners will be improved immeasurably if you can train in this spirit. The spirit of warrior. Training sincerely, secure in the knowledge that when you stand on that misty battlefield you know that the people either side of you are strong in body mind and spirit, ready to save your life, and you thiers.

Train well, enjoyably and push each others limits. But have the sensitivity to know when to pull back. In my opinion, deliberate injury and ego have no place in training.

Systema Course in Bristol – suitable for all levels
I will be covering this aspect of training across a range of health and combat exercises and drills at a Systema seminar in Bristol on Sunday Jan 26th. You can find out more and book here for the cheapest offer. This will be the grand opening of a new Systema School in Bristol under Karl Durrant. All support for him in this new endeavor will be much appreciated.

Sincerely,

Matt.

The following article was written by one of the participants on the last Sweden Wilderness Camp. Next years camp will be held in Sweden in September 2014. There will also be a Devon Camp earlier in the year.

I looked at the LIST. Wrote my own list. Took out all the things I needed. Compared the two lists. My mind struggled. Having to choose between the things I knew I needed when hiking and the LIST. There was not much that separated those two but still…

By the end of the day I threw everything into my backpack not realizing this was the first step outside my comfort zone.

Next morning I repacked my bag so that the content would correspond more to the LIST. Packed myself and junior in the car and drove the 65 km to the meeting point. Mixed feelings, both excited and insecure.

I greeted those I knew with a hug and introduced myself to the unknown. Then all of the foreigners arrived. More unknown people, more handshaking and me feeling more uncomfortable. Mostly because the group doesn´t have a clear structure. I know who the leader is but I´m uncertain of my place in the group…

Orders are given, cars are driven, food is eaten. Some are starting small talk, me too, but only with people I know, I keep to the background.

New orders are given – Buddy Up!

I wasn´t fast enough nor attentive enough so the leader became my buddy. At least you´re safe with him, my mind says, now you don´t have to worry.

The adventure had already started although we hadn´t taken a single step yet. There was an air of uncertainty of what to expect and I guess most of us were outside their comfort zone.

Safety instructions were given, we were taught how to read the map and then we started walking. Feeling obligated to small talk with strangers although I love walking in silence listening to natures sounds. Sharing lingonberries and blueberries and plucking chanterelles along the way.

After quite a walk we arrive at our first stop. A small woodland lake. The sun´s gazing, birds are twittering and even though this is a familiar scenery to me, its beauty strikes me. This is my origin, this is where I belong. But I don´t. Because, we have no longer the ability to live in nature.

My thoughts wander but are disrupted with new orders – this is where we will have our first training session. Breathing. Trying to relax body and mind yet keeping it alert, exploring our comfort zone and the area between it and the panic zone. Trying to become aware of how different feelings affect us – where do they start, can I move them, do they change, how do they affect body and mind? Can I by practice increase the amount of time before the feelings turn into anxiety which moves me towards the panic zone?

All new, all difficult to do and to understand, creating new thoughts and questions marks in my head.

Time becomes abstract and less important. The only important thing is to reach camp before nightfall. An hour flies. The session ends. Some take a quick dip in the lake, some fill up their water bottles and just let themselves be embraced by nature.

Time to break up and continue walking towards the camp. Up hill, down hill, through boggy ground, through thick forest. Next stop a crossing between another lake and a swamp. Water, a quick look at the map and off again.

Up, up and up and then the path flattens and after about an hour we arrive at our camp for the weekend. An old shieling.

Soon it would be dusk so everybody found a spot to put up their bashas or installed themselves in the log cabins available.

The kitchen team tried to fire up the wooden stove, which took quite some time and a lot of smoke and patience. Finally, we could put a kettle on the stove for hot water and coffee as well as the pot for the food.

A wood fired stove equals slow cooked food all weekend, yum…

Night awareness session. It is amazing how much light affects your senses. It makes you rely on your vision. In the night vision doesn´t exist. Hearing, smell, sensibility and your 6^th sense are much more needed but so asleep since they´re not used that frequently any more. If this would be for real, I would be dead within a blink… Disorientated, dizzy, struggling with insecurity, struggling with breathing – because in the dark your own breathing makes so much noise that it covers the other sounds that you would like to hear. The sensitivity as to who your attacker is among many others, feeling him or sorting out his footsteps amongst the others… very difficult but nevertheless a very good experience which gave birth to new thoughts, new question marks, new insights and new feelings.

Also a deeper understanding of why fire is so important to man and why it was a breakthrough for humanity – light, warmth, protection…

Sleeping outside is always interesting. Will it be comfortable enough, warm enough, safe enough? Things that even if fulfilled don´t put your mind to rest. Your body is resting but your mind is alert, analyzing every noise and smell, handling feelings that occur, trying to relax, partly succeeding because in the morning you know that you have slept even though it didn´t feel like during the night.

We fire up the wood stove. Morning prep session. Walking. Breathing. Stretching. Wakening your body, letting the mind rest. Just being in the walking and breathing, going through every part of the body, feeling, relaxing, waking up. Actually this is one of the things I miss most about camp. Usually I wake up, hungry like a bear with a mood like a wounded tiger BUT since the prep session started close enough to waking up I became a calmer, nicer person. Still very hungry but not overwhelmed by hunger.

Preparing breakfast. Waiting. Having breakfast. A cup of tea, some porridge and a sandwich. Going to the well for water, putting the kettle on the stove for hot water, waiting, washing up. The pace during the weekend was slow in a calm way, like balm to your soul. There were no moments of unused time, it felt more as if time adjusted itself, or us, to a more natural pace, moment by moment, flowing. Morning prep session, breakfast, training session, lunch, afternoon session, dinner, night session, sleeping time.

In between time to talk, time to think and somehow without noticing the group grew together. Suddenly no one was a stranger, we were coexisting, blending with each other. For this short weekend, that felt like an eternity and a second in one, we were a unity. A lovely group accepting each other, working together, training together, sharing meals together.

A weekend passes so fast and ended by facing one of my most uncomfortable situations, water.

The water session. Cold water. Depriving your breath. Very uncomfortable, very close to panic. I didn´t know I had this fear inside. Searching myself, I know what has caused it and why it has become a fear. Avoiding uncomfortable experiences and situations where you have to face them, turns them into a fear because you don´t deal with it. You look away and in a sharp situation, this could kill you. You stop breathing, you stop thinking, you stop functioning, you panic and BAM! you’re caught…

Then a quick goodbye to everyone. Sad but filled with many magic moments. A memory of a weekend too good to be true!

Katja Hanzic. October 13.

Please contact me if you are interested in attending next years seminars.