What can Aikidoka learn from Systema?

Posted on 20/10/201421/10/2014 by Matt Hill

“What Can Aikidoka Learn from Systema..?” by Keni Lynch

More and more people in the Aikido world are beginning to realize that even a short course in Systema will pay them great dividends in increased mental and physical freedom, leading to effortless movement. Famous names in Aikido who have learned from Systema include: Hiroshi Ikeda (Aiki-kai 7th Dan) and Kevin Choate (6th Dan under Saotome Shihan), Matthew Hill (5th Dan Iwama) and the list is growing. The similarities with Aikido are uncanny.

Mikhail Ryabko, Founder of modern Systema, with Matt Hill.

When I first saw Vladimir Vasiliev’s Systema (S) on video 5 years ago, for instance, I thought someone had taken Japanese Aikido, added a few punches to it, and given it a Russian name.. it was so close to what I knew.. It was as if some Japanese guy had somehow secretly emigrated to Russia long long ago, resulting in a very evolved version of Aikido (A) that no one in Japan, and even the Western world, could have predicted or expected to see.. until now..

I attended Anthony Lucas’s Systema class yesterday in Budapest and so thought I’d share with you some of what I learned and tie this in with a brief technical comparison between the two systems. As someone with 30-years-plus experience in Aikido, whose made a conscious study of its major schools like the Aiki-kai, Yoshinkan, Tendo-kan, and Ki-no-Kenkyu-Kai (KKK), I think I can comment fairly on what is different and special about Systema that is missing in Aikido training. I’d like to present three ideas from S that might help Aikidoka realize, apart from the great overlap the two arts share, what is unique to S, so that you can learn to explore these in greater depth in any S seminar. Of course, Systema has many branches, just like in the Aikido world, so we can only talk in general. But, I think we can always learn more about ourselves, and whatever branch of Aikido you may happen to study, the following points, common to all branches of S, will inspire you:

Number 1: Breathing. The greatest thing about S is how they move from the inside – out. Of course, Aikido too, in theory, is about the spirit leading the body, but for most people this theory is a little abstract and not as evident in practice. Don’t get me wrong, there are many people in A who practice sincerely, with spiritual intent in the back of their minds. And, there are a few great teachers who actually teach the spiritual and energetic sides in detail, but the majority do not. The general pattern though is that we find ourselves moving without really knowing how or why we have to move in certain ways. Indeed, we have the names kokyu-ho and kokyu-nage (‘breathing exercise’ and ‘breath technique’), for example, to enhance our

appreciation of the breath, and the ki exercises to help us realize the energetic mind, but few of us know the real reasons why these are so central to grasping Aikido as a whole. In practice too, these movements are difficult to pull off..

Systema can come to the rescue here: a) because it has a solid foundation in breathing and b) because the physiological reasons it gives as to why relaxation is good for self- defense, and why this leads to smoother interactions in potential conflict situations, is ground-breaking scientific news..! It has to do with monitoring our breathing, so that no matter how fast or furiously our partner moves, it is possible for our nervous system to stay calm.. if we know ourselves and our body’s limits.

Many advanced Aikidoka also know this (especially in the KKK) and consciously try to work on keeping calm but what they may not know is how the limits of their own personal breathing patterns can upset their inner equilibrium. S deliberately explores the different aspect of the breath: the inhale, the exhale, and the holding of the breath after exhale, as well as after the inhale. These breathing patterns are explored in basic exercises, like the push-up, the squat and sit-up, to develop stamina in the lungs and nervous system, and are central to cultivating calm and safe movement. But, the whole idea is not to do more of these..

Quantity, or strength per se, is not the ultimate goal. It’s the psychology behind such things as oxygen deprivation and the nervous system’s reaction to panic that are the most valuable lessons here.

As we all know, scientists tell us that, in a threatening situation, many people hold their breath. In what is famously known as the fight or flight response, blood pressure, heart-rate, and muscular tension all rise, the pupils of the eyes dilate to try and take in more of what is going on, and, as your body instinctively goes into the stress mode, you feel the urge to fight, to run away or to freeze on the spot with fright.

S helps us get in touch with the workings of this response in ourselves in a safe environment, and through S’s slow-motion practices, and relaxation exercises, to override this instinctive response to danger, so that we can defend ourselves in the manner of our choosing. This, alone, would be a great addition to anyone’s Aikido, but the greater benefit, I think, lies in knowing how to challenge our limits, and thereby enhance our everyday life. In S seminars, you will learn how to take the tension completely out of your body in every potentially stressful posture. This psychology of relaxation under stress is something that can serve you well for a lifetime of reduced stress… I got this from Anthony, and, I think, this is invaluable.

Number 2: Natural Movement. You may be sceptical, like I was, when any martial art claims to teach ‘natural movements’, because it seems clear that every culture has its own definition of natural. Just think of the difference between the minimalism of Aikido movements compared to, let’s say, the exuberant gymnastics of Brazilian Capoeira. Both martial. Both natural. Yet, they are on opposite ends of the spectrum of expressive human movement. But, if we say, ‘natural’ is ‘whatever can help us survive an attack with ease’, then we have to think of the most likely attacks in a civilian context, and consider the question of how we will personally encounter them: psychologically and physically.

You can probably be 99.9% sure, for example, that you won’t be attacked by a man flashing a Japanese sword on the street.. (So, what is the relevance of Aikido sword- work..? That is another question..). And, it’s also statistically improbable that you’ll have to deal with cartwheel kicks from someone whose friend is playing the berimbau in the background…

By contrast, S focuses on how to deal with the most likely grabs, pushes, punches, kicks, knife attacks and group attacks.. but all within the simple context of moving with an awareness of your calm(ing) breath. Like in the best mastery-level Aikido, you have to start with yourself, and realize there are no separate techniques. S is only about the freedom to move yourself freely.. in the here and now.. Kind of like the gentle art of Aikido free-style, but with the stops removed.

S has found a way to teach this freedom to us quickly, through progressive drills and exercises. Through S, we can realize that it isn’t the memorized martial techniques we know, even if learned over decades, that will get us out of trouble but our innate freedom to move without fear… Like the Zen master Takuan said, “..if our minds are caught in the thought of technique, then we won’t have the freedom to respond creatively, spontaneously, appropriately. Our partner will spot our distracted mind, detecting a gap in our awareness.. we’ll be unable to move, while our opponent will be able to exploit this moment to attack us…”

So, the way we express ourselves in self-defense MUST be natural in the psychological sense that it will always be personal, natural to you, and different to someone else’s way, even if that person is your most favorite teacher of Budo. I like what an 8th Dan Kendo master once shared with me. He said: ‘Most people think of the Way (or ‘Do’, as in ‘Bu-do’) as a road, or a road-map, already travelled by others. Its features and landmarks are well known. It’s usually about a set of rules, teachers and formal

traditions.” “But, I don’t think of it that way..” he said, “the True Way, I think, is really our own.. It’s like the freedom we feel when walking on the beach, alone.. and, as you take in the beauty of the scenery, and look back, you see a series of footsteps going all the way back to the horizon.. When you take stock of your training record over the years, you realize, for the first time, where you’ve been. That is your individual path.. If you think of it this way, you can give yourself the courage to move forwards for the rest of the journey into the unknown.. What else is there..? If you follow someone else’s way.. even Ueshiba’s Aikido.. it could still be taken away from you, if you relied on others to give it to you.. but your way is your way.. you will always have it, and it can’t be taken away..’.

S is natural in that each person can discover their own insecurities and express their freedom to move past them, all within a safe place. S calls this the work.

Number 3: Strikes. In spite of Ueshiba saying, allegedly, that “Aikido is 90% atemi” (or ‘striking’), Aikidoka are shy, in general, of following through with punches.

(It should be said, though, that Ueshiba’s statement here is apocryphal, and is still controversial, and, therefore, shouldn’t be taken literally as gospel. At the very least, if Ueshiba did say this, we have to reconcile it with his other statements like the fact that Aikido has something to do with the infinite spirit of the universe. It would be logical to ask, then: ‘how it is possible to have 90% of infinity..?’ But, the absurdity this leads us into is a debate that will have to be covered in a separate article)

The Yoshinkan and Iwama dojos are about the only ones that use strikes extensively to get their techniques to work. Without strikes to initiate their moves, their hard versions of Aikido don’t make much sense. The Aiki-kai and KKK tend to limit striking in their curricula; even eschewing defences against kicks, on the grounds that they don’t want to encourage violent minds. OK, I understand the sentiment.

Most Aikidoka, I think it’s fair to say, don’t like the image, the feelings or conduct, and seeming lack of control that appears to be associated with punching and kicking. Indeed, in the minds of non-violent people, punching is already a kind of violence, and, because of their violent image in films, the martial arts are also, unfortunately, often enough equated with thuggery. In the eyes of many Aikidoka, then, the martial arts (Bu-jitsu), as opposed to Budo, are No-Go Zones.

Indeed, I think it’s true that non-violence is what attracts people to come to Aikido in the first place. After all, if you wanted something more aggressive, there’s no limit to the range of choices available.. From MMA to Krav Marga, Brazilian Jujitsu to Thai Kick-boxing, you can take your pick.. Aikido is supposedly uniquely different from this smorgasbord of consumer choices, because it takes its firm footing on the basis of its non-violent spiritual stance.

So, the question to S people from A people would then have to be something like: ‘Can punching ever be spiritual..?’ And, the short answer is ‘yes’. But, the second part of the answer is: “it depends on you..and your intent..” “If you punch with love..” Anthony said.. which, by the way, made my head spin, in the beginning..

A spiritual punch – Vladimir Vasiliev with Matt Hill.

But, then when you actually try it, it ain’t so bad..

In fact, the punching in S is nothing like in boxing, where we tense our arms and go against our partner to try to knock him out. The punches in S are done exactly like the idea of ki extension. You just extend your arm with a relaxed fist to break down your partner’s balance. Or, you make him react to your hand that’s in the way of his movement. People who are off-balance in the turn, as you move away, are vulnerable.. At the same time, if you had to KO someone, there is no reason why you can’t do that in self-defense using S, just like you can do that with Shiho-nage or Irimi- nage in A. Then again, Ueshiba did say “ Aikido is loving attack and peaceful reconciliation”.. Too many of us think that this reference to ‘loving attack’ is only about uke’s role, but there is no reason why tori can’t also be loving in defending themselves with punches.. If so, S can show us how..

The kicking too is done more like Ikkyo with the legs. The idea is to lead the attacker’s leg a little, touching his shin with your foot to make him pause (omote, or ‘entering’, if you will), or, by stretching his heel out a little with your foot, making him lose his balance (a sort of ura). Again, there is much more to using the legs than the punishing Thai-Kick Boxing routines..

Leg work – Vladimir Vasiliev with Matt Hill

Finally, just a few words on the Systema Instructor Anthony Lucas. I have found him to be a generous person, with a compassionate heart, always ready to encourage his students with positive feedback. As an experienced teacher of Ninjutsu, it is clear he is also keenly aware of the differences between kata (or form) training and the relaxed freedom of movement which Systema provides the student of traditional Budo. He has trained with some of the biggest names in Systema, like Vladimir Vasiliev, Mikhail Ryabko, Martin Wheeler, and others. As a fellow researcher along the martial road of self-study, I salute him. and recommend him highly to all Budoka, but Aikidoka in particular who have so much to gain. Europe is lucky to have him.

Matt Hill is teaching a seminar in Amsterdam on October. A Full Systema Instructor under Vladimir Vasiliev and Aikido 5th Dan under the Saito Family, Matt will explore drills to:

improve your creativity,
feel confident in your instinctive and spontaneous response,
develop your ability to handle psychological pressure,
applying the principles to multiple attacker & crowd work and
drills to add relaxed power to your movement to improve both Aikido and Systema.

Be sure to mark your calendar for this unique event. Click here for more details

Matt Hill with Morihiro Saito Sensei.

Writer: Keni Lynch is the son of Aikido pioneers in New Zealand and currently teaches Aikido in Budapest, Hungary. He is an award-winning philosopher and has a masters degree in International Relations from Victoria University in Wellington. He is also the author of the upcoming book ‘Aikido Body’ (2014), in which he shares some of the principles behind effortless Aikido mastery, based on his 34 years of experience in the art.

Will this work for real?

Posted on 17/09/201421/10/2014 by Matt Hill

Will this work for real?

Probably the most common question asked by martial artists is: ‘Will this work for real?’

They ask it of themselves, others and their instructors.

A common theme running throughout this year’s Full Immersion Systema Training Camp in Toronto was belief; the removal of doubts. If you have doubts, you won’t be able to perform, you have to be totally confident in your capability.

If you watch a person filled with doubt, it is immediately apparent in their movement, their aspect and even every breath that they take. Right from start, the drills at camp addressed this.

In the first session, we did a number of different breath holds with specific emphasis on introducing physical as well as emotional/psychological stress. Detailed instruction was then given on the recovery process. In fact, the real work of the breath hold was in the ability to restore as quickly and thoroughly as possible. We were shown how to use the breath to remove emotional stress, and movement to eliminate physical tensions. We soon realised that recovery from breath holds is very close to recovery from strikes. We also did a fascinating and revealing exercise on faith in yourself during prolonged breath holds.

This solid foundation of preparation for the body and psyche continued into the combat phases and was a strong theme throughout the week. It was clear that progression in Systema was much less about changing your surface movement. Rather, it was about changing your operating system on a fundamental level in the way that you deal with your own fears, anxieties, stresses, pain, tensions and ego. We were gently (and not so gently) being trained to give our bodies the correct responses.

Watching Vladimir, Valentin and some of the other great instructors work, is like seeing this faith manifest. Every demonstration is perfect in that moment. If you are new to Systema, there are no pre-ordained movements or katas, just the right response for that moment. The masters wait calmly and peacefully and then deal swiftly, precisely and effectively with whatever presents itself. There is beauty in this. There is a self-knowledge that your movement and response was wholesome and perfect: neither too little nor too much. You may never do that same movement or series of movements again, but in that moment, it was perfect.

Watching Vladimir during one demonstration, I was struck by the level of unconscious skill that he possesses. He was dealing with three multiple attackers and talking to us at the same time. At one stage, he had two in front and another joined from the side. He threw the side attacker behind him without any obvious diversion of attention from the front two attackers. Without looking, he delivered a heel kick to the chin as the attacker hit the ground. A ‘wow’ escaped my lips as he did it. The spontaneous, effortless precision was stunning.

In the end, it was clear that it doesn’t matter what you do. Whether you are a performer, an artist, in business, a martial artist, a person of God or a soldier, if you are good, you must have an unshakeable belief in yourself. Systema, with its unique drills and methodology has the ability to give you this. The courage to find a deeper pool of strength rooted in humility.

It is said of the great generals in history that they knew themselves and they knew their men. Their persona instilled a belief and confidence in those under their charge. Caesar was said to be able to walk the camp fires at night and be able to talk to his men on a personal level, knowing their names and their families. This instilled cohesion, loyalty and belief that was unshakeable. Vladimir has this persona. As does his whole family. During mealtimes, Vladimir would walk around the room with a word and a smile here and there, before eating his own meal. Vladimir’s wife Valerie knew all of the instructors by name and so did their daughters, Melissa and Julia.

Vladimir is the kind of martial artist that comes along once in a generation. Much more than this, he is one of the most open-hearted, generous and decent men I have ever had the privilege to meet.

To understand more about Systema’s unique drills and exercises join us for a unique event. Vladimir Vasiliev and Mikhail Ryabko are coming to the UK for the Legends of Systema seminar on October 4th and 5th.

Systema Falling, Rolling & Movement Workshop – 28th Sept

Posted on 31/08/201421/10/2014 by Matt Hill

‘Systema is transmitted body to body‘

The bottom line is that you learn Systema or any other martial art by having it done to you, body to body. If you can lose the fear of falling, you will be able to concentrate more on how it feels during the takedown and in fact at all times during the training process. This will accelerate your learning.

‘You build a body from the ground up‘
Just like a baby, you build a strong body, with freedom of movement through relaxation in every range of motion, from the ground up. I will be showing lots of exercises to develop balanced core muscles and to maintain good posture and graceful, powerful, easy movement.
Lose the fear of falling
As we get older, we become more and more scared of falling over. We become tense and brittle. Learn to lose this fear and tension through simple methodology that can be practiced by anyone of any age. Learn to heal the body through movement. Watch cats and dogs stretch and roll around on the floor with ease, well into thier old age. They do it because it makes them feel good and keeps them healthy. Even if you are not a martial artist you will benefit from this workshop. Learn to:

Move freely and easily on the floor.
Transition from standing to ground and from ground to standing with ease, slow or fast

Basic to advanced – speed, height, distance, obstacles
We will move from basic falls rolls and ground movement to more advanced levels such as increased speed, height, distance and obstacles. through the day. Everyone is free to sit and watch some or stay at basic levels the advanced work is not mandatory. That said progression will be methodical and gradual.

Details

Date: Sunday Sept 28th
Location: Unit S3, Avonside Enterprise Park, New Broughton Road, Melksham, Wiltshire
Time: 10am-2pm
Need to bring: Loose, light clothing, Water bottle.
Investment: Just £40 (Discount for club members).

Numbers will be strictly limited. Book below to secure your space to avoid disappointment.

Systema Massage Workshop – 24th August 2014

Posted on 17/07/201421/10/2014 by Matt Hill

‘Know Thyself’

The Systema Massage is a unique approach to relaxing the body, mind and spirit. On Sunday August 24th, Wiltshire Systema will be conducting a workshop on the basics of Systema Massage.

You do not have to be a massage therapist to benefit from this workshop. Everyone will benefit from it. The methods are simple yet profound. You will learn in a four hour workshop how to:

find and remove tension, stress, emotional burdens and ease pains in yourself and in others,
Increase your freedom and ease of movement,
learn to ‘let go’ of physcial, emotional and mental tension and stress,
balance your system to optimise health, energy and sense of well-being

Systema massage is often described as a process of ‘annealing’. This is the process used to remove inherent stresses, reduce brittleness and impurities that cause weaknesses when working with glass and metal.

The session will start with learning how to breathe in a way that removes stresses and tensions and allows the body to relax deeply.

Using hands, feet, or a combination of both, participants will then systematically learn to massage the whole body, identifying and removing tension from their partner.

Meditative
It is important to note that the Systema massage is not a passive massage. The receiver is managing their breathing and relaxation in a way that is critical to the successful removal of tensions, stresses and emotional burdens. In this way it is very like a meditation session. You will receive the same benefits. These benefits are profound and will change, for the better, the way that you deal with the everyday stresses of life.

The softer you get, the stronger you get. Your body will soften as the muscles release a lifetime of built up tension. Your mind too will begin to soften, not holding on so tight and learning to ‘let go’ of physical, mental and emotional burdens.

The build up of tension in our bodies begins as a thought or receipt of information. We then turn this into an emotion through the filters of our experience and education. When the emotion is negative such as fear, anxiety, worry, anger or even hate, the muscles begin to tense and lock that emotion in. This emotion then becomes physical in the body. By working on the tension in the muscles we can begin to remove the emotions, fears and anxieties that caused the tensions in the first place. This leaves you feeling cleaner, lighter, and with a sense of freedom.

The Systema massage also works on the joints, ligments, tendons and organs of the body. They all carry stress and tension. Every part of your system begins to release, soften and relax deeply throughout the massage.

This wholistic approach begins to calm and balance your whole system, in a way that will leave you feeling lighter, more relaxed and better able to cope, in a proactive way, to the stresses and strains of life.

You will get an innate understanding where tension is in your body and that of others. You will learn how to ‘let go’ of that tension so that you begin to be able to self heal.

You will leave more relaxed than you can possibly ever remember. More importantly, what you learn in this workshop will benefit you for the rest of your life.

Details

Date: Sunday August 24th
Location: Unit S3, Avonside Enterprise Park, New Broughton Road, Melksham, Wiltshire
Time: 10-2
Need to bring: Loose, light clothing, Water bottle, hand towel, roll mat (optional), light snack (optional)
Investment in a lifetime of health and well-being: Just £40.

Numbers will be strictly limited to 40. Secure your space below to avoid disappointment.

Testimonials:

Having studied and practiced a number of Eastern and Western massage systems over the last 20 years, I believe the Systema Massage has great importance and its full value and scope is still to be understood. In my own experience, it is unique in its effective treatment of deep rooted muscular tension caused by years of poor posture, muscular tension and any disharmony within ourselves. It works on physical, mental and emotional levels leaving you feeling washed clean of inner tension, anxiety and muscular tension. I also recognise the bodywork skills in Matt Hill and his ability to read and connect during a treatment, to ensure that whilst he takes your body to the edge, you feel safe and in control at all times.’. – Gareth Leake.

I went to Matt with a shoulder injury that I have had for years and within 10 minutes Matt had cleared the knotting to an extent that I can stay on top of it myself. It was amazing. – Will Jones.

Is it entirely pleasurable at the time? No. Does it work? Definitely. If you want an effective massage that will clear tension related pain and leave you feeling light and relaxed this is the one. – Martin Earley.

I have travelled all over Asia and had hundreds of massages, from some of the oldest and most respected massage traditions in the world. Matt’s Systema massage is in the top three. It clears things that others don’t get near to. – Peter Dolan.

Systema Family Class Video

Posted on 14/07/201414/07/2014 by Matt Hill

A short while ago I put out a blog about the family class. A Swedish student, Daniel Satari, who came to stay and train for two weeks (our schools first ‘live in’ student) is also a professional film maker. He shot a short film of one of the classes.

They say a picture paints a thousand words, here’s what a professional looking video does. It captures the spirit of the class very nicely I think. Just click on the video to view.

Wiltshire Martial Arts – Systema family class from Matt Hill on Vimeo.

For those interested in joining the family class, here is the link.

Respect and best wishes,

Matt.

An insight into Systema from a Thai Boxer

Posted on 09/12/201308/08/2024 by Matt Hill

Hi, my name is Peter, I’m 46. I first met Matt when he came to Jersey to teach a Systema seminar in October 2013. I first saw Systema about a year before that but I come from a Muay Thai background. I began training in Bangkok in 1990 and since then I’ve been a fighter, trainer, cornerman, ref, physio and gym manager.There’s hardly a job i haven’t done in the sport. The reason I mention this is to state strongly that I was not easily swayed from Muay Thai, it was my life, it would have to be something pretty special to do that. After having spent years training both myself and our teams fighters, and then trying to strategically dismantle our opponents in the ring, through watching footage of Systema I came to steadily realise the beautiful and complex simplicity of the art. I know that sounds like a contradiction but thats what it is.

I had attended a previous seminar in Systema with another teacher but was still left a little confused, however after Matt came to Jersey something just popped in my brain. He explained and demonstrated everything so clearly for one thing, but the real lesson I took home was that he has the presence, balance, flow and demeanour of Systema. This is a bit like a nice warm hug, but with some punches involved, and also you may end up on the floor… and actually all that is surprisingly in total context with the hug. Regardless, we all felt much better afterwards!

I practised every day after that, it took over my thoughts so much that after only about a month I had to call Matt to get some more lessons. I travelled from Jersey and I’ve just spent 4 days training with him in Wiltshire, I had 16 hours of private lessons and also 4 hours training with his club [lots of good friendly people there]. On the combat side of things we covered knife fighting, fist fighting, kicks, rolls, ground movement, ground fighting, taking of the balance, multiple opponents and more. One night he had me finding my way through a forest in the pitch black blindfolded, then knife fighting in the dark, then sneaking up on each other blindfolded in the dark…I’ve not had so much fun since I was 10 years old. Its actually fair to say I felt both ancient and 10 years old at the same time, which a damn good feeling I can tell you. All this was taught with excellent and concise instruction, its serious but you can’t say that because its so much fun, and it’s always safe and friendly. Again its more like being hugged than threatened, you have to push yourself and dig deep sometimes, but its always entirely in your control and from that you learn so much about yourself.

Matt has also shown me here is a huge health benefit side to Systema, breathing exercises to improve the lungs, circulation, nervous system and heart rhythm, gentle posture correction, smooth joint rotation, both muscle toning and relaxing, balancing of blood pressure, steadying of the mind. This list could go on and on. There is no reason I have put this second after the combat, they actually are the same thing, and the combat won’t work without this. I studied Yoga in Asia, and If you can imagine, all of Yoga, it is like half of Systema.

Anyway, I’ve just had a journey into some unmapped parts of my body, mind, heart and soul, thanks Matt you were the perfect guide, I can’t wait to come back.

Peter Dolan 29/11/13

Good posture – how to have youthful, comfortable, fluid movement at any age.

Posted on 15/11/201302/02/2015 by Matt Hill

Good posture represents a proper state of mind – Morihei Ueshiba.

Good posture – its not what you think. Dispelling some common myths about posture and tips on how to have youthful, comfortable, fluid movement at any age.

Good posture benefits us in many ways. It:

helps with elegant, effortless, fluid movement,
provides greater comfort and mobility,
puts less wear and tear on joints,
improves mood, self image and appearance,
provides space for internal organs to work and
improves blood and energy circulation.

It also means that you will have optimum readiness for your next movement, pretty handy as a martial artist or sportsperson. However, there are some common misconceptions about posture.

Good posture isn’t just about how straight your back is, or about sucking or pinching things in to be ramrod straight. It is more about being efficient, freely moving as you need to in a natural expression of yourself and being ready for your next movement.

There are three main misconceptions about posture:

Firstly good posture shouldn’t require constant attention to maintain it. If you think about it this is impractical at best. Try constant attention in any movement for more than a few minutes. I bet you can’t do it. For it to be effective we want to have good posture all day not just when we think about it. Good posture needs to be unconscious. Like walking.

Secondly good posture shouldn’t require extra effort. In fact it should require less effort than most people use. Good posture is very efficient. It uses the body’s bone structure to minimise the amount of muscle strength that needs to be used. The body ‘settles’ in a relaxed way. A simple test for this is to check and see if there is any strain in your current position. If there is you are probably not in a very good posture.

Thirdly, posture is not about keeping ramrod straight and still (think military recruit standing to attention) you certainly couldn’t manage that all day. Believe me, I have tried and failed. This type of posture brings stiffness into the muscles and reduces blood flow. This stiffness or tension interferes with other movements and breathing and impedes the natural relaxed state of awareness that you need.

Of course this is not a license to slouch. Slouching also inhibits breathing and readiness for athletic movement. You really need to find that happy medium between tension and complete relaxation. Alert relaxation if you like.

Are you evolving or de-volving?

The way that we have evolved is to be ready at any moment to meet an attack from a predator. Alert, ready, balanced, efficient. Watch an animal. They can move from complete relaxation to very athletic movement in an instant. Good posture then allows for three things:

It is efficient, conserving energy for when you need it most.
It allows for constant subtle movement such as scanning for information or danger.
It prepares you for your next movement, be that hugely athletic or a subtle change of position.

Efficiency really means minimal effort to get the job done. With posture this means holding a position to do the work while counteracting the effects of gravity. I am sure that you all agree that lying down is a pretty efficient posture. However it is not very efficient when it comes to doing other things at the same time (well with the exception of a couple I guess). Standing on the other hand, is a very unstable position. It is like balancing a bowling ball on top of a stick on top of two sticks. It requires constant corrections and movement to keep you upright (apparently for every inch the head falls forwards in bad posture the weight on the spine increases by 10lb causing long term muscle strain, disc hernaitions, arthritis and pinched nerves*)

In a standing or sitting posture you are in fact never standing still. We are all continually making minute falls and corrections in order to maintain good balance.You should strive to keep the main heavy body parts (feet, knees, pelvis, chest and head) stacked one on top of the other. Any change to this requires a lot of muscular effort to maintain balance. An understanding of these bio mechanics is what allows you to disrupt someones posture in a martial arts setting.

To keep alertness in our movements we need to be able to comfortably make subtle shifts of movement in a good posture to scan for information. Taking in the field of play, the location of different attackers or escape routes, or other dangers approaching. Alternatively it could be as simple as typing, eating or turning around to check over your shoulder in the car. If you are too tense and rigid, these on going movements will be restricted.

Finally you need to be optimally ready for the next movement, relaxed and ready to make a big exertion or just a subtle change of position. If you are too tense or rigid then your next movement will be slow, strained or cumbersome. This is however, situation specific. An almost perfect example of posture is a sprinter in the blocks. He is efficient, ready for information and perfectly positioned for his next movement.

As a martial artist you train for the time when you don’t know what is going to happen next, such as an imminent attack. In this instance your posture would be more neutral – ready to move any part of you in any direction, freely and spontaneously.

I want to get old gracefully. I want to have good posture, I want to be healthy and a good example to my children. – Sting.

In conclusion good posture is not just about sitting straight and still with an erect spine. It is more about a dynamic and ever changing event that takes minimum effort to hold, doesn’t cause injury, allows for constant ongoing activity and is ready for the next movement.

There are just two days left and only 6 spaces remain for the seminar with Jamie and I this weekend where we will cover in depth the last four posts on
Breathing, Movement, Relaxation and Posture. Attention to these four arts really can improve the quality of your health and life immeasurably, seeping into everything that you do. Click here to book now to ensure your place.

Relaxation

Posted on 07/11/201302/02/2015 by Matt Hill

The ability to relax is probably one of the most overlooked skills in life. All of the research shows that your ability to relax has a huge impact on your ability to deal with life and stress, to perform well, stay healthy and energized and to be creative.

Do you ever find everyday movements laborious and overly tiring? Many injuries and cases of fatigue come not from extreme exertion but from performing everyday movements with too much tension in our bodies.

“Its about making the impossible possible, the hard easy and the easy elegant’. – Moshe Feldenkrais

Most movements that we do in the martial arts, sports or everyday life are easy. If you think of a punch, kicking, throwing or catching a ball, sitting down in a chair, lying down in bed to sleep, getting in and out of the car, picking up a bag, turning to look behind you when sitting down, walking, running or sitting at a computer, none of these are hard physical endeavours. However, for many people they can be laborious and cause discomfort, pain and fatigue.

The goal is to make these movements easy and graceful so that moving in sport, martial arts or everyday life becomes pleasurable, elegant and efficient, generating energy as opposed to being wasteful of energy.

Watch a world-class sports person or dancer. They make their movements look effortless and elegant. Think of Best, Federer, and Ali. Their ability to make the generation of speed, power and skill coordination look effortless and smooth is legendary.

Sprinters for example, are widely known not for how well they can engage muscles but for how much of the race they can spend in relaxation. Think about how relaxed and effortless Usain Bolt makes sprinting look. As the great sprinting coach Charlie Francis puts it:

‘The number one secret to greater speed is relaxation! It allows a faster and more complete shutdown of antagonists, quickening alternation cycles and permitting more force to be delivered in the desired direction with less energy consumption. Relaxation must become second nature in every drill you do and every run you take. You may feel that you aren’t generating enough force while relaxed (a perception that gets a lot of sprinters into trouble in big races), but remember, only the net force counts! The net force is the amount of force delivered in the desired direction, minus the force generated by the antagonist muscle at the same moment.’

Much of the skill in making the impossible possible, the hard easy and the easy elegant, is down to how well you can relax individual muscles.

This is a skill. Most adults progressively lose their ability to differentiate parts of their body. I.e. to move or tense individual parts or muscles, whilst keeping others still or relaxed. For example in many people the hips and lower back often move as one big block, causing forced unnatural movement and often resulting strain and injury. There are some very simple exercises you can do to remedy this to increase your freedom and range of movement.

Tension is contagious.

Skill in relaxation is also important to prevent an excess of tension in everyday life. When you sit at a desk typing you only need to be using your hands and fingers. However, the stress of work will often cause excess tension in surrounding muscles like your shoulders, neck, upper back and jaw. This causes headaches, fatigue and chronic injury. Keeping these muscles relaxed is a skill that can be developed.

Reducing tension in your movements will give you more energy, efficiency, power, smoothness, elegance, and timing. In effect it takes the brakes off. Moving with tension is like driving with the handbrake on.

Up to this point we have just dealt with physical tension. It is also important to relax your mental and emotional tensions. Relaxing your mental approach of always evaluating and thinking about situations and your responses to them allows you to live and respond in a more spontaneous, natural and free way. Relaxing your emotional tension is vital for your health, energy and sanity. The breath is the key to this.

If moving with tension is like driving with the handbrake on, having too much emotional and mental tension is like living with the handbrake on.

Everyone from Steve Jobs to Einstein to Aristotle espoused the need to relax physically, mentally and emotionally in order to be creative. So whether you are looking for creativity in your job, business, hobby or spontaneous natural movement in your sport or martial art – work on how to be more relaxed.

At the upcoming seminar Jamie and I will take you through some very simple exercises that will highlight tension in your movement and show you how to release it bringing smoothness, efficiency, elegance, speed, and power. We will also show you how to work on mental and emotional relaxation.

It is an open seminar suitable for all. It will cover, movement, relaxation, breathing and posture and is being attended by sportsmen and women, martial artists and people who just want to improve the quality of their day to day living. We will be giving you ways to make the practise of the concepts that we show you part of everyday living and not something that you need to set aside time to do. Click here to book now.