Systema is Awareness!
A few days ago, I was trying to write a short article about my favorite aspect of Systema and found it very challenging. There were so many thoughts that crossed my mind and so many great memories, that I found myself just breathing to relax a little bit to see if it would just float out naturally. You see, Systema for me has become a way of life.
In my view, the drills and exercises we do in class and seminars really boil down to one simple word: awareness. Awareness of your body anatomy, physiology and health. Awareness of your mind, heart and spirit. Awareness of the different people types around you and those you interact with. Awareness of their intention and energy. Awareness of your fears, limitations and emotions. Awareness of the elements around you and how they can help you survive... and much more. In short, awareness of life.
In my view, the drills and exercises we do in class and seminars really boil down to one simple word: awareness. Awareness of your body anatomy, physiology and health. Awareness of your mind, heart and spirit. Awareness of the different people types around you and those you interact with. Awareness of their intention and energy. Awareness of your fears, limitations and emotions. Awareness of the elements around you and how they can help you survive... and much more. In short, awareness of life.
|
|
|
The beauty of Systema is that it teaches you to be aware of all this, yet at the same time, it also teaches you to accept, relax, adapt, flow and grow with all of the above. For example, a simple warm up exercise we do, where we roll and move continually, on the hard concrete floor, without stopping our movement and/or breathing, teaches us that we must adapt to nature and not vice versa. Anytime we tense up or ignore body mechanics while doing this drill, the hard floor ‘lets you know’ that you made a mistake. And so we learn to be softer, more relaxed and more aware of the parts of our body which don’t match too well with the ground (knees, elbows, etc.).
Not too long ago I read an article about Systema that I liked very much. Unfortunately, I don’t recall where it was posted or who the author was, so I cannot give him/her proper credit, however it made reference to the following: where in other martial arts the more time you train the more skills and techniques you gain (and belts), in Systema it seems to be the other way around. It can be called the ‘onion approach’. The more you train in Systema the more ‘layers’ are taken off and relieve you. Layers of tension, misconceptions, myths and other features we don’t really need and even limit us in our daily life. What you end up is with a body, psyche and heart that are free of all this and thus more and more aware and alive.
It does not matter what your age, size, or other ‘limitations’ are. If you have not tried Systema do yourself a favor and find a good instructor near you soon. It will certainly improve your life and fill you with great energy and joy.
Not too long ago I read an article about Systema that I liked very much. Unfortunately, I don’t recall where it was posted or who the author was, so I cannot give him/her proper credit, however it made reference to the following: where in other martial arts the more time you train the more skills and techniques you gain (and belts), in Systema it seems to be the other way around. It can be called the ‘onion approach’. The more you train in Systema the more ‘layers’ are taken off and relieve you. Layers of tension, misconceptions, myths and other features we don’t really need and even limit us in our daily life. What you end up is with a body, psyche and heart that are free of all this and thus more and more aware and alive.
It does not matter what your age, size, or other ‘limitations’ are. If you have not tried Systema do yourself a favor and find a good instructor near you soon. It will certainly improve your life and fill you with great energy and joy.
Written by Joe Gehr, founder of Systema Miami and CEO of Technon LLC, and recognized professional in security and personal preparedness. Joe's experience of over 20 years of work in the security field includes 10 years of security work in Israel - where he is a veteran of the Israeli security establishment and an officer with the Israel Defense Forces. Joe is a certified Systema instructor and has been training with Mikhail Ryabko, Vladimir Vasiliev and David Merrell since 2006. Joe teaches classes at Systema Miami and holds workshops and seminars frequently at Technon Tactical.