Thursday, October 11, 2007
Monday, March 26, 2007
Systema Camping Trip
We got around to having a camping trip at Krause Springs this past weekend. Myself, the two Marks, Ricky, Gene, his wife Annla, and his two twin boys Jack and Elias showed up for the fun. When Mark and I showed up, Ricky, the other Mark, and Gene were already training. They were just doing some basic structure breaking work using a limited number of strikes. We did some variations and expansions of this drill for a bit. Training out in nature (well, mostly nature, the campsite was visible from the office, and there were bathrooms, and nice park benches) is just nice. Sometimes I forget how sterile indoor training areas really are and how they can sometimes cramp our style. Being outdoors seems to loosen inhibitions with respect to striking, throwing, and just movement in general. Two guys actually came by and asked us what we were doing. One of them seemed interested in wrestling with us (he said he was into submission grappling), so somehow me and Mark egged Gene on into wrestling with him. The guy was pretty big and muscly, but way too desperate and sloppy in his movement. Gene had him in an armbar after about ten seconds of letting the guy flop around a bit. He seemed relieved to hear that Gene had been doing BJJ since possibly before he was born.
After training we hung out for a bit then decided to do some Parkour (freerunning) around the woods. I wish I would have brought my camera along for this, but I think I would have had a little bit less fun. We started out around the springs down in the ravine. There were a lot of rocks and tree roots to jump around on as we avoided stepping in the water. We did a mildly serious study on running around in areas with sketchy terrain--integrating relaxed breathing and form, being able to observe objects in the distance while walking (i.e. using peripheral vision to help navigate the terrain), and what tends to happen when running speed is increased (more mistakes!). For our purposes, we never really got above a really fast walk, but things still got a little hairy with wet rocks and tree roots and shoes from misjudging certain obstacles. I found the most challenging feats to be commited jumps onto wet rocks or roots with steep angles.
As we made our way further into the woods beyond the springs, we came upon a thirty to fourty-foot cliff that seemed like it might be fun for climbing. There was a tree growing a foot or so away from the face of the cliff, so we all either just climbed up the tree or used the tree to ascend the face to a height of twenty feet or so. The cliff face was quite vertical, and the rocks were a bit loose in parts, so none of us ventured too far away from the support of the tree. We found another area that was a bit nicer for simple climbing, so all of us except Mark (he took a harder route a ways off, being the experienced climber he is) went up this way and hung out at the top for a few minutes. Climbing up this way was not particularly dangerous, there were a few questionable places, but nothing risky if we remained calm. I didn't find myself getting panicky or hesitant on the way up. Coming down was more interesting. I stayed calm and maintained my breathing, but I had to consciously apply myself in this respect. I noticed that as I became more relaxed, my natural climbing ability kicked in a little more efficiently. I scooted my body closer to the face. Footholds that were not entirely horizontal and had some loose rocks and dirt on them were approached carefully, but not with the kind of tension that will cause a quick and nasty slip.
After this we went back up to the campsite to get ready for a swim in the springs. The water was refreshingly cold. After a bit of swimming, we went back up to the campsite. Mark and Annla started getting the food ready while the rest of us ended up dueling with Jack and Elias using Mark's set of shinai and bokken. Having a kid swing a sword at you with all his might is interesting. In some ways it's more intimidating because the kid, if young enough, still believes that since we're three or four times his size, that we're invincible. So he swings with all his might and from the most unorthodox of angles. In addition to that we had to be careful not to hit their fingers (or keep them from hitting their fingers). At one point in time, when I was dueling one of the twins, Gene pulls him aside and whispers to him to start trying to hit my body rather than my sword. Protecting myself actually became pretty difficult after that! I'm glad they only had the shinai to attack us, otherwise I might have some nice bruises. Working with swords is always great fun.
That night, after resting and eating some ridiculously fantastic food prepared and supplied by Gene, Annla, and Mark, we did some more freerunning/Parkour to get to the swimming area. I noticed that because most of my blood was around my torso, being involved in the digestive processes, that I stayed quite warm in the water as long as I didn't have my chest in. Swimming around or standing in water above my chest became quite cold very quickly. I don't have the opportunity to get myself out in nature that often, so swimming at night in cold dark water was very and soothing peaceful in its own way.
After swimming, we pretty much just hung around the fire until we all eventually went to bed. I figured there wouldn't be any rain, so I just parked my sleeping bag near the fire and fell asleep pretty quickly. I awoke to some racket in the middle of the night, but went right back to sleep. Later that morning we realized that the racket was some racoons getting into our food that we left out. They had actually been sneaking around while we were hanging out by the fire that evening and had stolen a container of cookies while we weren't but ten feet away.
So, basically, we had a blast!
Annla shows up while Gene relaxes and Mark shows off his curves.
Gene and Mark swordfighting a pair of identically deadly opponents.
Martial artist of the emerging generation.
Gene sword fighting with his boys.
Hanging out a bit after training.
After training we hung out for a bit then decided to do some Parkour (freerunning) around the woods. I wish I would have brought my camera along for this, but I think I would have had a little bit less fun. We started out around the springs down in the ravine. There were a lot of rocks and tree roots to jump around on as we avoided stepping in the water. We did a mildly serious study on running around in areas with sketchy terrain--integrating relaxed breathing and form, being able to observe objects in the distance while walking (i.e. using peripheral vision to help navigate the terrain), and what tends to happen when running speed is increased (more mistakes!). For our purposes, we never really got above a really fast walk, but things still got a little hairy with wet rocks and tree roots and shoes from misjudging certain obstacles. I found the most challenging feats to be commited jumps onto wet rocks or roots with steep angles.
As we made our way further into the woods beyond the springs, we came upon a thirty to fourty-foot cliff that seemed like it might be fun for climbing. There was a tree growing a foot or so away from the face of the cliff, so we all either just climbed up the tree or used the tree to ascend the face to a height of twenty feet or so. The cliff face was quite vertical, and the rocks were a bit loose in parts, so none of us ventured too far away from the support of the tree. We found another area that was a bit nicer for simple climbing, so all of us except Mark (he took a harder route a ways off, being the experienced climber he is) went up this way and hung out at the top for a few minutes. Climbing up this way was not particularly dangerous, there were a few questionable places, but nothing risky if we remained calm. I didn't find myself getting panicky or hesitant on the way up. Coming down was more interesting. I stayed calm and maintained my breathing, but I had to consciously apply myself in this respect. I noticed that as I became more relaxed, my natural climbing ability kicked in a little more efficiently. I scooted my body closer to the face. Footholds that were not entirely horizontal and had some loose rocks and dirt on them were approached carefully, but not with the kind of tension that will cause a quick and nasty slip.
After this we went back up to the campsite to get ready for a swim in the springs. The water was refreshingly cold. After a bit of swimming, we went back up to the campsite. Mark and Annla started getting the food ready while the rest of us ended up dueling with Jack and Elias using Mark's set of shinai and bokken. Having a kid swing a sword at you with all his might is interesting. In some ways it's more intimidating because the kid, if young enough, still believes that since we're three or four times his size, that we're invincible. So he swings with all his might and from the most unorthodox of angles. In addition to that we had to be careful not to hit their fingers (or keep them from hitting their fingers). At one point in time, when I was dueling one of the twins, Gene pulls him aside and whispers to him to start trying to hit my body rather than my sword. Protecting myself actually became pretty difficult after that! I'm glad they only had the shinai to attack us, otherwise I might have some nice bruises. Working with swords is always great fun.
That night, after resting and eating some ridiculously fantastic food prepared and supplied by Gene, Annla, and Mark, we did some more freerunning/Parkour to get to the swimming area. I noticed that because most of my blood was around my torso, being involved in the digestive processes, that I stayed quite warm in the water as long as I didn't have my chest in. Swimming around or standing in water above my chest became quite cold very quickly. I don't have the opportunity to get myself out in nature that often, so swimming at night in cold dark water was very and soothing peaceful in its own way.
After swimming, we pretty much just hung around the fire until we all eventually went to bed. I figured there wouldn't be any rain, so I just parked my sleeping bag near the fire and fell asleep pretty quickly. I awoke to some racket in the middle of the night, but went right back to sleep. Later that morning we realized that the racket was some racoons getting into our food that we left out. They had actually been sneaking around while we were hanging out by the fire that evening and had stolen a container of cookies while we weren't but ten feet away.
So, basically, we had a blast!
Annla shows up while Gene relaxes and Mark shows off his curves.
Gene and Mark swordfighting a pair of identically deadly opponents.
Martial artist of the emerging generation.
Gene sword fighting with his boys.
Hanging out a bit after training.
Maya Deren
As their flesh once labored to bring forth flesh,
so the minds of the elders labor,
with like passion
to bring forth a mind.
By rites of initiation
they would accomplish
the metamorphosis of matter into man,
the evolution of a mind for meaning in the animal
which is the issue of their flesh.
By this
they would insure that the race endure
as a race of men.
The rites of this second birth
into the metaphysical cosmos,
everywhere mime the conditions of
the first physical birth.
The novice is
purified of the past
relieved of possessions,
made innocent,
placed nascent in the womb solitude. . .
The matter,
which is man himself,
and the myth of a race
are joined.
His solitary meditation
is a gestation
and, in the end,
a man emerges by ordeal,
to be newly named, newly rejoiced in.
- Maya Deren (1952)
so the minds of the elders labor,
with like passion
to bring forth a mind.
By rites of initiation
they would accomplish
the metamorphosis of matter into man,
the evolution of a mind for meaning in the animal
which is the issue of their flesh.
By this
they would insure that the race endure
as a race of men.
The rites of this second birth
into the metaphysical cosmos,
everywhere mime the conditions of
the first physical birth.
The novice is
purified of the past
relieved of possessions,
made innocent,
placed nascent in the womb solitude. . .
The matter,
which is man himself,
and the myth of a race
are joined.
His solitary meditation
is a gestation
and, in the end,
a man emerges by ordeal,
to be newly named, newly rejoiced in.
- Maya Deren (1952)
Monday, February 26, 2007
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Various Types of Restricted Work
The last few times we've been meeting have involved restricting the way we do work in various ways. The only two we've explored at all so far have been using blindfolds and then typing up limbs in a few different manners. In a sense, a lot of the training we do involves restrictions for the purposes of studying a concept in a very clear and concise manner. This type of restriction allows for a strong focus on the concept being explored. For example, if we're doing work with headlocks, no other type of locks will be involved, or strikes. As we establish some comfort with the specific type of work, other elements will of course be thrown in, until we're back to just doing freeform type stuff. A lot of Systema drills work this way--gradually shifting in and out of focus to allow specific concepts to be tied into being able to use them in non-restricted situations.
The type of restricted work we've been doing, however, is for the purposes of exploring freedom outside of what's being restricted. For instance, when the vision is restricted, we can observe the differences in performance. There are elements of vision that are important that get taken away with the blindfold, and there are elements of vision that are unimportant (i.e. distracting) that get taken away with the blindfold. The blindfold helps differentiate between these two types of elements to truly see the purpose of vision in fighting. This concept is fairly timless: take away something so one can truly appreciate it. We also tied up legs and arms (also tied two people together using various limbs) in order to create some physical restriction. In tying someone's legs together, the question is raised, "what do I really use my legs for?". Grappling with my legs tied really made me notice and appreciate how much I use my legs for momentum. Grappling with my leg tied to someone else's really made me notice and appreciate the freedom I have in moving on my own.
There are of course other benefits to restriction other than simply the appreciation gained by removal. Being tied to somebody else really pushes the concept of sensitivity and respect for what another person is doing. When not tied together, a lot of their movement is non-threatening (i.e. they're not striking or attempting a lock). But tie yourself to that person, and all of their movement affects you. This whole process requires relearning movement with respect to another human body. Relearning is good, it teaches the brain to refactor things and gain deeper insight into other situations. Freedom is gained by having certain presumptions destroyed. I think the same goes for a lot of the restricted scenarios we attempt.
The type of restricted work we've been doing, however, is for the purposes of exploring freedom outside of what's being restricted. For instance, when the vision is restricted, we can observe the differences in performance. There are elements of vision that are important that get taken away with the blindfold, and there are elements of vision that are unimportant (i.e. distracting) that get taken away with the blindfold. The blindfold helps differentiate between these two types of elements to truly see the purpose of vision in fighting. This concept is fairly timless: take away something so one can truly appreciate it. We also tied up legs and arms (also tied two people together using various limbs) in order to create some physical restriction. In tying someone's legs together, the question is raised, "what do I really use my legs for?". Grappling with my legs tied really made me notice and appreciate how much I use my legs for momentum. Grappling with my leg tied to someone else's really made me notice and appreciate the freedom I have in moving on my own.
There are of course other benefits to restriction other than simply the appreciation gained by removal. Being tied to somebody else really pushes the concept of sensitivity and respect for what another person is doing. When not tied together, a lot of their movement is non-threatening (i.e. they're not striking or attempting a lock). But tie yourself to that person, and all of their movement affects you. This whole process requires relearning movement with respect to another human body. Relearning is good, it teaches the brain to refactor things and gain deeper insight into other situations. Freedom is gained by having certain presumptions destroyed. I think the same goes for a lot of the restricted scenarios we attempt.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Group Picture
A picture of the group after training. I will post a bit about what we did that day shortly.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Blindfold Work
I bought a new camera with some Christmas money and was able to get a little bit footage from last Saturday's training session. We decided to test out the blindfold a little bit more. I've decided to start a theme of sensory and psychological deprivation for the next few training sessions. This time we deprived vision. Next time I think I may exhaust our energy before training. Since none of us our certified instructors, we tend to approach training from an explorative approach. This most likely means we will stay within the bounds of what we can conceive, which will be fairly limited, but should allow for some improvement to the general foundations (movement, breathing, relaxation, form).
I didn't get any footage of us without the blindfold for a bit of contrast, but we definitely noticed that we work from a more relaxed standpoint with the blindfold on. Gene, who was filming for us, observed that we seemed unwilling to accept the presence of our aggressor. In other words, as the aggressor would come in for a grab, we would fight more than what the threat would call for. Apparently a lot of this fighting instinct came from being able to see the aggressor as he approached, as our work with the blindfold seemed to have more acceptance of the aggressor.
I also got a certified instructor to take a look at the footage. He noted that we were still being a bit too technique-oriented--not enough genuine movement. He also said he would have liked to see us escaping a bit before the attacker applied the hold or grab. In talking with him, I noticed that my last bit of work at the end becomes very greedy as I realize I have the elbow locked in a mildly clever way. I even unnecessarily throw my leg over him to keep him there rather than doing the work and moving on. Now, if we were practicing restraining our aggressor, this might have been ok. However, the other two times I am "attacked" I do the work and move on. A cop told me about the rule of assuming escalation. If there's one guy attacking, be ready for two more to attack. If a guy attacks with his fist, be ready for a knife or a gun. By locking and restraining my partner I am locking and restraining myself to some extent, making me an easy target for any other aggressors or concealed weapons.
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