Tag Archives: Expedition

My tree broke…and I found myself on the Jungle floor – Borneo reflection by Phil Collins.

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This prose from Phil is so beautifully written that I had to share it. I hope that you enjoy the read.

Systema Borneo Expedition September 2019.

Day 5. We’re sitting with the Iban (local indigenous tribesmen) at dusk on the river, enjoying their company, their food and rice whisky, which I think has a slight cognac taste to it; Glenn, serving into the only bamboo cup, cries of, “Ah-oose!” meaning, “I’m thirsty!” He gets on with it and downs the drink in one. The cup makes it round us all.

In a slight haze I hear toasts being made. Alvin, our wonderous lead guide and organiser makes a toast to our esteemed and highly trained leader, Matt Hill. I hear a toast to ‘S… F… Hills’. Heard the first word, “Steep!” Missed the second word beginning with ‘f’! Words passed in my mind; fortunate, fantastic, faraway, favourite? I settled on fabulous! It seemed appropriate.

Day 1. Spent the first night in the longhouse – very comfortable and great food. Ralph and team, you are great cooks! In the morning we lined up in our groups – order of march established by Matt. Feeling excited, slightly nervous and wondering why my pack feels much heavier than it did in training. Christina, guide and expert on orang-utans, leads the way as we follow a track parallel to the river. First thoughts, “Oh my! What have I let myself in for?” It was hard, very hard! The path was very narrow, with a steep fall off to the left. Immediately soaked in sweat as I tried to negotiate the ups and downs and bumpy root-ridden obstacles. I pride myself a little on my sense of balance. Done some good one-on-one work with Matt over the months; one of my favourite end-of-session exercises is to stand on a 3kg hard medicine ball for a while and then do some squats. But here I was, all over the place! “OK,” I said to myself, “Just breathe. One step at a time.” Each of us was carrying a stick. The technique being to plant the stick at 45°, place it down the slope, move a foot while retaining stability, then move the other foot and repeat. Each step needed careful thought. Certainly, I had too much tension, physical and mental at the beginning.

Day 2. Walking up a jungle hill that never seemed to end. Just as you thought the top had been reached, you looked up to see your comrades twenty metres ahead and already 20 metres higher up. This continued for a long time. It was hard going. With so many people on the trail it was inevitable that traffic jams occurred as obstacles were negotiated. Even harder than walking was staying still with your feet at a 45° angle and leg muscles straining to hold position. The only way to cope was to draw on Systema breathing and relaxation techniques. It was then that all the training kicked in from breath ladders and holds etc. (Read: “Let Every Breath” for details).

At the hardest moments I remembered some breath training Matt had taught me: instead of an inward focus on the body, you take your consciousness outwards – my awareness expanded to above the jungle canopy – then to above Borneo, the world, the solar system, the galaxy and on to infinite space. My pack load lightened, my body and breath relaxed on each step and a certain joy and strength entered my mind.

Great! We reached the top! After a lunch break we were off again, down the hill. Another challenge, different but also with its own difficulties. Wet, already sensitive feet, sliding down into boots, trying to find balance along steep traverses and with drinking water running out. Again, it was necessary to pull out all my Systema training, allowing for a certain calmness which then gave the opportunity to take in the stunning scenery.

On the way down, for a while, I had the good fortune to be the front person behind Christina. She also was carrying her own heavy pack and moved with a grace and fluidity that was a joy to see. Always alert to the chance of seeing wildlife and always with a smile and a happy disposition.The Iban trackers were way ahead – she scanned the trees and saw the trail blazes – I saw nothing until they were about a metre away!

Eventually we reached the river! What joy to walk and lie in a cool refreshing jungle stream! We walked along the river until the camp area was reached. We then spent 20 minutes or so clearing the area with our Parangs (Malay machete) then setting up bashas and hammocks. Out of wet kit into dry – sort out our feet – relax and prepare an evening meal. Three six-inch nails and hexi blocks – the preferred, simple and effective way to cook! Then into our hammocks at nightfall to try to sleep with some loud jungle noises all around.

So, basically this was the routine for each day: wake up about 5:30am – out of dry kit and back into yesterdays wet kit, decamp, breakfast, river walk, ascent, fairly flat at the top of the hill, descent, river walk to new camp. Mixed in with this daily activity were some truly unforgettable moments; swimming in jungle pools, showering in waterfalls, banter with companions, sharing of deep and meaningful conversations, lessons in jungle-craft by the Iban, looking for orang-utans and wildlife and periods of quiet self-reflection.

Matt said to try and find some time to be alone in the jungle to absorb and internalise it. My moment came on the last night. At half-past midnight the tree holding up my hammock broke! Who would have thought that finding trees in the jungle to set up a hammock would be so difficult! The bigger trees are too far up the steep slopes to use and the ones by the rivers tend to be saplings with not much root structure. Anyway, one of my trees broke with a loud snapping sound and I found myself on the jungle floor. The tree could be moved with one finger, so I decided that it would be better to sleep a few metres to one side on the ground. I think I had about 10 minutes sleep that night – but it was great. I could see the sky easily. It rained but I was protected by the huge leaves – a firefly danced above me. I was dived bombed a couple of times by some large beetles that sounded like Spitfires. I melted into the rather spiky and bumpy ground and really felt connected to my surroundings – I will never forget that feeling.

For me this adventure started nearly two years ago when I had the good fortune to come across Matt’s Systema books. Back then I took up his 28-day challenge, I met him personally at seminars and camps and I had one-on-one sessions using Facetime. Two years ago, I couldn’t do a single push-up. In July 2018 the 10-minute walk with a rucksack from the carpark to the centre of the 5-day Systema camp in Wiltshire was quite a struggle. So, having completed this Borneo adventure, I feel proud of myself and am grateful to Systema and Matt for having mended and improved my body and psyche. I would say to anyone, no matter what their age and level of fitness, that it’s never too late to start their own journey into the unknown. You never know who you might find!

Day 5. Dusk. So, I see it’s my turn with the bamboo cup. Thanks Glenn. Here’s my toast:-

“To Matt, for conceiving and organising such a great adventure. To our wonderful guides, Alvin, Christina, Edwin and Ralph. To the Iban, masters of the forest. To my buddy Chris. To ‘Team 2 Delta’. To my travelling companions and to an unforgettable adventure of a lifetime. Lastly, to the ‘steep, fabulous, hills of Borneo!’ Ah-oose!”

Philip Collins – October 2019.

Phil touched briefly on the changes Systema has made to his physical and mental health and confidence over the past 2 years. What he didn’t say of course, is how much of that is down to his consistency and hard work, two of the things which make great achievements possible. It was a privilege to take him and the rest of the team.

The next trip is in the planning for late summer/early Autumn 2021. If you are serious and would like to stay informed of the expedition, just reply to this email. Applicants are already coming in.

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Phil touched briefly on the changes he has made to his physical and health and confidence over the past 2 years. What he didn’t say of course, is how much of that is down to his consistency and hard work, two of the things which make great achievements possible. It was a privilege to take him and the rest of the team. Phil’s Dad had served in Malaysia in the 60’s so this was a return to childhood memories for Phil. I am confident that he would have done his fathers memory proud.

The next trip is in the planning for late summer/early Autumn 2021. If you are serious and would like to stay informed of planning, just reply to this email. Applicants are already coming in thick and fast.

Plus, whenever you ready, here are a few ways I can help with our Systema journey:

1. 2 Day Systema Breathing Course – Pembrokeshire- 9-10 November 2019. Click for information: Systema Breath Course – 9-10 Nov 2019

This will be a 2 day deep insight into the unique Systema breathing methodology for improved health, performance, energy, recovery, and wellbeing. You can find out more here.

2. Sign up for the 5 Day Intensive Course in Wiltshire – 13-17 November 2019. 4 spaces left.

Hosted at the Systema Academy in Wiltshire, this 5 day course immerses you deeply into the holistic aspects of Systema: Health, self defence, mobility, conditioning, relaxation, indoor and outdoor training, massage and much more. You can find out more here.

3. Systema on-line breathing course – an access anytime anywhere course ideal for those wanting to deepen their understanding of Systema Breathing, Instructors who want to broaden their knowledge of drills or for those who spend time practicing on their own. You can find out more here.

4. 28 Day Systema Challenge Course – The programme is ideal for complete beginners, people who want to hit the ‘reset’ button, or those who would like to undergo a structured programme that covers the key principles and movements in Systema.

You can find out more here.

My very best wishes for your training and health as always,

Matt.

Lessons from Borneo.

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We have been back from the Borneo jungle a week now and it is a relief to say that everyone we took out came safely back.

The Borneo trip was the adventure that I hoped it would be.

We stepped back in time….. 140 million years to be precise and submerged ourselves in undisturbed, pristine jungle.

One of the expedition members commented to me, as he looked around in awe at towering trees, vines hanging down and the river flowing past, that he never expected it to be quite so stereotypical; like scenes from a film in his imagination.

Aside from our group of explorers, we didn’t encounter another soul during our week in the jungle. The world shrunk and grew at the same time.

But it was hard, very hard indeed. In fact for some, there were times when taking another step really was too much.

The lack of flat ground and how tough the terrain is in the jungle was a huge surprise to the expedition members. Like the Grand Old Duke of York’s men, we were either going up or down and it was steep. Many of the climbs were what the locals called ‘knee to forehead’. So termed because as you climb, your knee is literally hitting your forehead! Each person was also carrying 20kg in their pack, food and everything needed for a week without resupply.

We walked all day, in soaking wet boots and by day two, some peoples’ feet were literally falling apart. Skin sloughing off and blisters that quickly became open wounds. I was running a foot clinic each morning to treat their sore feet, tape them up and just keep them going.

So what helped?

Firstly it was Systema Breathing and sensitivity. One of the things that you have to understand quickly is that you can’t fight the jungle. It will always win. You have to learn to move softly, smoothly, efficiently, cleanly. Treading softly saves your feet and your energy levels. It also allows you to change direction and step back softly when a, ‘take a step back’ plant, with razor like barbs catches hold of you and literally makes you step back to unhook yourself.

Although not new, the effect of the breathing skills were a revelation for the team. We did a short lesson on it at the start of day 1 and literally 10 minutes into the walk, people were utilising it to full effect. One of the team who has been training with me for over 5 years came to me and said, ‘I never truly appreciated the importance and power of the breath work until now.’ This is true of much of Systema. It prepares you for physically and psychologically extreme situations and when you are in them, you finally understand the importance.

Accumulating relaxation and recovery.
The focus on conscious breathing allowed people to clean themselves with each step. So rather than accumulating tension and fatigue with each step, you accumulate relaxation and recovery. You literally try to gain strength as you go along.

Running it like a Platoon.
The second thing that helped was a military approach to communication, leadership and control. During the week in the jungle, the team had a good insight into what being part of a platoon was like.

The group were split into teams with a leader appointed for each team that changed each day. Each person in the group was paired with a buddy who knew where they were at all times and was there to help. So each person was one of a pair, each pair was one of a four and each four was one of an eight.

The team were surprised that every moment was occupied. No-one recalls being sat down thinking, ‘I wonder what to do now?’ They were either preparing to do something or in the midst of doing it. From setting up or taking down sleeping areas, to cooking and eating, washing, looking after their feet, walking all day or finally sleeping, every moment was full.

Far from being burdensome, this gave them a focus. The calls, “Group leaders on me!” or “Two minutes to move!” will echo long in peoples’ memories. The constant activity was a comfort because there was no time to over think or ‘psyche’ themselves out of what lay ahead or was left behind.

Keeping people busy kept them alert, focussed and ‘switched-on’, which was vital in a location where a foot wrong could easily take us from a hard walk to a survival situation. If someone had broken an ankle or cut themselves badly with a Parang (local large machete for jungle usage), getting them to a hospital would be a long, hard undertaking. Even with a Doctor, Paramedic and Nurse amongst our team of adventurers and with full evacuation plans.

The Last of the Mohicans.

During the trip we were accompanied by 4 guides and 6 native Iban trackers. The Iban are the last headhunter tribe in Borneo.

Spending a week with the Iban in their native environment was an indescribable privilege. As a boy I watched ‘Dances with Wolves‘ and ‘The Last of the Mohicans‘, where people lived alongside ancient cultures and were transformed by the experience. I dreamed of what it would be like and lamented that those days had passed. The privilege of spending a week with them was not lost on me. It brought a tear to my eye.

The way they moved through their jungle home and lived off it was awe inspiring. One particular moment was just like a page out of a book.

The Iban showed us how to fish one night, using bamboo and man-made hooks, that literally took them seconds to prepare and start using. Just as they were showing us this, one of them pointed and said a word which meant, “Look!” As I turned, the chief’s son was walking across the river, he dived into a deep pool in the way that natives can, naturally, silently, deliberately. Seconds later he came up holding a fish!

I had read a passage in the book, ‘Into The Heart Of Borneo’, about a naturalist going deep into the jungles in search of the lost rhinoceros where that exact scene was described perfectly. That moment alone was worth the trip for me.

Others came on the trip for different reasons. Choke points in life, a sense of adventure, the desire to do the trip of a lifetime, completely ‘stepping off the grid’ for a period of time, re-engaging with a natural environmental and adjusting perspective on life, amongst the many reasons for undertaking such a testing and rewarding expedition.

I am immensely grateful to and dare I say proud of each and every one of the individuals who came on this expedition into the Borneo jungle. There wasn’t a single fall out between them. Their fortitude in adversity, sense of humour, respect for the environment and its peoples and the speed with which they acquired the necessary skills to survive the jungle humbled me. I knew what to expect…. they didn’t.

Alvin, our main guide and a veteran of the Indonesian Campaigns, who acted as my Platoon Sergeant, echoed the same sentiment. He said that they were the real heroes. Both he and I had experience of the environment; they came in and just got on with all the physical and mental tests that lay ahead.

Off the back of the huge success that this trip has been, we are already talking about the next expedition in 2021.

It will be another remote experience, giving you a feeling that you could be the first to walk there. It will also be led by native guides.

Some of you have asked about coming on the next one and I will be in touch with you as things firm up in the coming months.

My very best wishes for your training and health as always,

Matt.