November 2005 Seminar with Vladimir Vasiliev in Sarasota, Florida

� Mark Hord

Finally I can get to this. Since I was writing notes from memory the night or morning after the training, I'm sure I forgot something. But, here are my notes.....feel free to ask me to explain further where I am cryptic:

Breathing patterns were incorporated thru the entire weekend. For instance, when doing drills we would breath in with one movement and out with the next. Or, we would make two or more move the movements involved with every breath and so on. Generally we worked up to 10 movements per inhale and 10 per exhale.

Everything we did involved breathing, relaxing, movement, or form certainly but also about attitude - not feeling sorry for yourself. Drills were physically demanding but more than that. It was important to look for the purpose behind the work.

Friday night with Kwan Lee

1. Warmup with a slow jog around the room emphasising proper breathing....out thru mouth, in thru nose. Take one breath for one step then inhale on one step and exhale on next. Work up to 10 then back down 9, 8, 7....1. Every now and then Kwan would clap to signal that we should sprint and continue the same breathing pattern then clap again for us to slow down and continue the breathing.
2. Partners reach out to clasp hands as if shaking hands. Squat on one leg all the way to sitting position then back up continuing to breath with the pattern. Since I wasn't the only one unable to sit all the way down from one leg, I was pleased that Kwan suggested it was also a drill in falling to the outstretched leg side to distribute the impact along the entire leg instead of taking the shock to your backside and spine. As with so much else, it was also a drill in form by challenging the balance on one leg.
3. Planks with breathing patterns. Then rotating your body to be on your heals and hands in a plank. Then going down just one inch in the two plank positions. Always breathing in a pattern - in thru nose, out thru mouth. Breath "thru" the area that is weak or tired. Sometimes breathing with a "hah!" from the muscles that are aching will help.
4. Leg lift one inch off the ground and hold breathing in thru nose out thru mouth. Lift further to 90 degress tipping your toes down toward your face to stretch the backs of your legs - hold and breath. Legs up above head with toes one inch off ground over your head breath in thru nose out thru mouth. Then back to 90 then down to 1-inch and finished. I have not been able to do these in 20 years I don't think. On Friday night, I was too tight to go past 90 degrees. By Sunday I could almost go to the one inch over my head.
5. Rotate toes, ankles, legs/knees/hips thru their range of motion slowly to loosen them and relax for movement. Several I could not do such as squatting with one leg in a hurdle stretch and then shifting the weight to the outstretched leg for stretch in opposite direction.
6. Kicks, instead of kicking with leg, try thinking of it as a step into your partner. Imagine you are stepping into the spot right behind him and then your entire body weight adds to the force of the kick with little effort required. Partner steps back to avoid the kick.
7. Strikes, First drill is to step aside as partner walks toward you presenting a strike. Second drill-stop your partner's approach with a strike noting where it is most effective to strike for stopping his movement. Continue to breath in thru nose and out thru mouth with the movement.
8. Movement, place your fist against partner's torso. Partner attempts to move out of "strike" and you attempt to keep contact. Then switch so that both of you are trying to keep contact with strike while moving from your partner's strike. This one should be relaxed as you adjust the angle of your elbow to redirect your striking arm to match his movement away. If you find yourself muscling like two bulls, then you're doing it wrong. Breath - in out.

Saturday with Vladimir Vasiliev

Myself and Scott Connor in Sarasota

1. Of course, planks, pushups, situps, and squats with breathing- several times during the day stop to do this. Important to accept the pain and not feel sorry for yourself. Learn to control breathing and use it to diffuse pain.
2. Lie on backs and breath in with tension to entire body then out with relaxation. Then combine breathing with tensing just one body part - legs, then stomach, then back, then chest. Then do the breathing while tensing/relaxing just one side of your body. Then stand and do the same tense/relax in entire body and then parts.
3. Approaching drills - partner approaches and you tense and release as you step aside. It is good to find the area you most feel fear and try to tense that area - legs, stomach, shoulders... Try a different area each time until you find the one that seems to make you feel most relaxed as you move. Breath in with tension and out with the relaxation/movement. Add a strike to the attacker as you move. Then allow partner to attack 3 times in a row and you breath in and out with each attack - after third attack, move to take him down with your exhale.
4. Partner takes a one-hand choke hold on you. Inhale as you raise one shoulder to push his hand off your throat and reach with opposite arm to take a one-hand choke hold on him with exhale. Then, instead of taking a choke hold, do a takendown on the exhale such as utilizing his elbow and shoulder/head as levers while you exhale.
5. Partner attempts to slap you and you avoid with full body movement keeping form and breathing in thru nose, out thru mouth with his attacks.
6. Partner stands on your toes while you are in situp position with your knees up. With one movement and breathing, you situp and then stand in front of him. If you are not able to do this, your partner can help by grabbing your elbows as you stand. Make the movement and breathing as smooth as possible.

Sunday with Vladimir Vasiliev

Unfortunately, I had to leave a couple hours before the scheduled end to catch my flight - which ended up being delayed anyhow :(. But, here is what I could remember while sitting in the Tampa airport waiting for my flight.

1. Relaxation drills/stretching with partner: Important to remember that these are not competitions in strength but tension/relaxation drills. You are not trying to destroy your opponent, you are trying to give him enough tension to exercise his breathing and tension/relaxation skills.
   • Partners face each other and outstretch arms and put wrists together. One attempts to raise/lower outstretched arms while other resists. When stopping, relax slooowlllly (something my partner, the man of Scheel, had to keep reminding me of). Breathing, breathing, breathing.
   • Lie on backs side by side with heads in same direction. Raise your arms and place palm against palm. One tries to pull arm one direction while the other is pulling the opposite and providing tension. Now oppose wrists and one pushes down toward feet while other provides tension to slow the push. Swtich sides to do opposite arms.
   • Lie on backs in opposite direction and lock elbows then wrap legs - each partner tries to push leg back down providing tension for each other. Breath,breath, breath.
   • Lie with feet pointing at partner's feet just enough in reach so that your feet will be between his. Now try to spread your legs while partner pushes in from outside on your feet.
2. Posture/form and footwork - Partners face and raise hands with palms not touching but close to each other. Partner attempts to step on your feet and you avoid when you sense his movement. Do not look down - continue to keep your palms the same distance. Breathing, breathing, breathing.
3. Partner squats with his back to you into a squatting position where he is stable. Place your hands on his shoulders as if attempting to push him further down. He rolls one shoulder at a time backwards and it this movement naturally causes his hips to move forward and his shoulders back making it easy for him to stand against your pressure.
4. Partner stands and keeps form as you gently push him about. He learns to movement with your pressure and stop when your pressure stops. If he keeps moving when you have stopped, then point it out to him so he can correct it. Then proceed to pulling on his arm and the same movement - he "glides" away keeping his form no matter how your movement might be attempting to break it. Partner squats a bit and continues drill - then squats as far as he can and continues to move - the lower he squats, the more he will need to loosen his hips to move.
5. Similar sensitivity/form drill with partner attempting to trip you and you avoid his feet without looking down. Some pointers from my partner, Scott Connor - as the trip comes from behind you can usually rotate your lower leg inward and up so that your foot brushes just to the inside of your opposite leg and around behind your partner. If he is attempting to trip from the front, try stepping back just enough to avoid the trip and bending your leg as his tripping leg slides along your shins and on thru. Both of these movements will help make sure that you are not spinning and presenting your back to your partner. Also try to move in a way that your feet are always pointed in the same direction - otherwise, you will find you are often off balance when you place you foot back down on the ground.

This was about the point that I had to leave I'm afraid.

It was great to work with all the people I knew only electronically and to renew some friendships of past encounters with others. I was stiff at the end but I did notice a huge improvement from the past so this does indeed work to improve us physically, mentally, and spiritually.