Futako Shinchi Systema Lesson – 17th April 2011 – Giving and Receiving Strikes

1)   Slowly stretching the body in various ways on the ground. It was important to breathe in during the relaxed phase of the movement and breathe out in the tensest stage of the movement. This also included front rolls, back rolls and sideways rolls.

2)   Push Ups (keeping the hips and legs on the floor), Squats, Sit Ups and Leg Raises – 20 seconds going down and 20 seconds going up. Burst breathing was done throughout the exercises. The count was done very slowly.

3)   Partner 1(P1) lay flat on their stomachs while Partner 2 (P2) massaged them. They started from the feet and moved up through the body finally finishing on the hands. This was done softly, and with little weight, at first. When the person being massaged got used to it, P2 put all of their weight on the body by standing on the partner. They then shifted their weight from side to side, in order to relax the areas of tension. If it became painful, the person receiving the massage had to use burst breathing to take the pain away.

4)   P1 sat with their back flat against the wall with their legs stretched out to the front. P2, as the exercise above, massaged the thighs.

5)   P1 lay flat on their backs and P2 did ten press ups on them while moving around their body. P1 then turned over to their front and P2 did the same thing. It was important to put the fists on soft areas, to keep the wrists and form straight and to push from the fists with as little tension in the shoulders as possible.

6)   In pairs, P1 stood there and relaxed. P2 placed their fist in a comfortable position on the body, inhaled, exhaled and let the relaxed weight of the arm fall through the partners balance points. When P1's form slightly changed, P2 stopped pushing. It was just enough to feel the form change. When P1 received the push, they had to breathe out, relax and keep a good posture. P2 placed their fists all over the body and did the relaxed push in different directions. The push doesn't come from the body or shoulder, it comes from the fist. This should be done without tension except for the fist.

7)   Next, we practised striking our partner. Starting off with pushes, progressively the strikes went deeper and deeper. It was important to work to your partner's level but as Vladimir Vasiliev said "You shouldn't feel sorry for them but you shouldn't break them". The receiving partner had to breathe out, stay as relaxed as possible, move with the direction of the strike while keeping their posture straight. When the person finished receiving strikes, they had to do ten slow Push Ups and Squats.

8)    Ten slow Push Ups, Squats, Sit Ups and Leg Raises.

9)    Circle Up