Training Drills: Movement and Sensitivity

Freestyle Footbag/Hackysack

Scott Meredith

"When it comes to 'training without a partner,' if you must train solo, I don't believe anything can beat footbag/hackysack." - Scott Meredith.

For more information on hacysack, visit the Footbag WorldWide Information Service.

"Puppet" Drill

from Vladimir Vasiliev

There are many variations of this drill in Mr. Vasiliev's videos and we are not aware if he ever gave them a name. Many in the systema community refer to them as "puppet" drills because of the way the practitioner moves much like a puppet when the drill is performed properly.

1. Stand relaxed in front of your training partner.
2. Your training partner slowly strikes or pushes you and you should respond to the touch by moving only the part of your body being struck or pushed. Attempt to maintain your posture or, if you cannot, attempt to regain it. Imagine your head is attached to a string and your body is like a wave the ripples out of the way of the strike or push. Be careful to react to the sensation of the strike and not to anticipating by sight alone - closing your eyes or wearing a blindfold can help with this.
3. Your training partner should move all around and strike from various directions without you knowing where he will strike next.

Vary the drill so that the attacker uses a training knife to poke or slash you.

Vary the drill by standing up against a wall so that you move the opposite part of your body toward the attacker in order to relatively move the part being attacked.

Vary the drill by adding kicks to the types of attacks.

Vary the drill by standing on one leg and/or clasping hands.

Vary the drill by the defender wearing a blindfold.

Vary the drill with partners having one hand on the other's shoulder facing each other. Then, use strikes back and forth. This is a variation in the original Hand-to-Hand video.

Walker Avoidance

from Sonny Puzikas and Vladimir Vasiliev

The first time I saw this drill was when Sonny visited the Blue Springs, MO training partners group. But, I have seen it in Mr. Vasiliev's videos as well. This drill is another of the basics that is often used to lead into other drills involving movement

1. Stand several paces away from your training partner and ask him/her to walk toward you at a constant normal walking speed.
2. Just as your training partner is about to step on your toes, step back and to one side in just one step.
3. Your training partner continues on his/her original course passing you to the side.
4. Repeat the drill with two training partners coming from different directions and allow your movement to go from avoiding one smoothly into avoiding the second.
5. Repeat the drill with three partners, then with the entire group.
6. Throughout the drill, remember to practice proper breathing (In/out or Out/in).

Variation
Vary the drill by adjusting your breathing to always exhale or always inhale when avoiding the walker.

Number Walk and Draw

Scott Meredith description of Aiki Expo 2005

Variation. Walk out the letters of a phrase that promotes a correct attitude such as, "Lord have mercy" or "By grace alone."

Coin Dance

from Attack Proof by Perkins, Rindehour, and Kovsky

1. Place coins on the tips of your two index fingers and have your partner put his fingers on top of them so that you are holding the coins together.
2. Move about slowly without dropping the coins. In order to do this, you have to be sensitive to each other's movement.
3. As you get better at keeping the coins from dropping, speed up your movement and twist around back to back and so on.

Variation
A simpler variation of the coin dance is to hold the coins between your palms but try to challenge your partner with wilder movements.

Vary the drill by both partners wearing a blindfold - just make sure you have room to move around without obstructions.

Cabinet Kata

From my Karate days

My kids have a habit of looking for something in the kitchen and leaving every cabinet open. In karate, we practice with "forms" or "kata" that were similar to the shadow-boxing thought and it emphasizes movement. When I was training in karate I thought it would be interesting to move thru the kitchen and close all the cabinets with different appendages. Try to flow thru the movement using whatever part of your body seems closest to the door as you move.

Back-to-Back

from Attack Proof by Perkins, Rindehour, and Kovsky

1. Put your backs together touching your shoulder-blades.
2. One partner tries to move away while the other tries to keep contact.
3. Move slowly at first and get faster with time. Try not to bowl over your partner when they slam on the brakes or suddenly change direction.

Statue

from Brian Hagler

1. One partner makes a "statue" by getting into some stance to vary the level of tension in different parts of their body.
2. Other partner uses a minimum number of pushes, pulls, or strikes to attack the tension and take the "statue" down.

Variation
Vary this drill by the "statue" standing on a sturdy bucket or box.
Vary with the second partner wearing a blindfold so that they have to "feel" for the tension in the statue.

Holds Releases Drill

from Vladimir Vasiliev

This drill is especially suitable when concentrating on self-defense aspects of Systema. It comes from the drill that students do in the Holds and Release video.

1. Allow your training partner to complete a hold - grabbing your wrist, etc.
2. Take the partner down using their own tension. Try not to repeat the same takedown but feel free to experiment and see what sort of movement is most natural and easiest to you. View the Holds and Releases video for ideas. Be particularly careful and considerate of your partner's neck and knees by taking it slooooow.

Variation
One variation from Alan Walker, do the work in a squatting position. Try it in other positions as well - pushup position (easiest if you keep your feet spread apart), standing on one leg, etc. It adds an entirely different model of tension.
Vary also with a blindfold.

Wheelbarrow Pass

Unknown source

This is a good one for practicing movement on the ground. It is best done with a large group but 3 can be enough. Begin slow until everybody is comfortable with speeding up. Eventually, the supply end of the line can be joining as soon as they pass the individual that started so that the end of the line is moving rapidly and more than one wheelbarrow is being passed at once through the line.

1. Have everybody make a line sitting with their legs straight out in front of them and sitting so that their shoulders almost touch.
2. Starting at one end of the line, the person on the end gets up and puts his feet in the hands of the one next to him and gets into a push-up position so that his head is pointed away from the line.
3. The person holding the feet passes the feet to the person next to them while the "wheelbarrow" person does a side-step with his hands to remain perpendicular to the line. Continue on to the end then the "wheelbarrow" takes his spot at the end of the line and the next person is passed down.

Variation
Vary the drill so that the line is lying on their backs and passing the feet over their faces. Everybody will need to spread their legs just a bit to allow space for the "wheelbarrow" to step across and not on their feet.
Vary with all wearing blindfolds.
Vary with the wheelbarrow carrying a knife and switching hands with each step.

Against a Wall

from the "Defense in Confined Space" video, by Vladimir Vasiliev

These drills are good for learning basic movement against strikes as well as working in a confined space.

1. Stand with your back against the wall.
2. Begin with partner giving slow strikes and you avoid by moving your whole body side to side without losing contact with the wall. Be careful keep your form while moving.
3. After you are comfortable with the wall contact, start deflecting the strikes to the side rather than moving your body. For instance, deflect with your hand by touching the striking arm with your palm and rolling your arm around until the back of your hand is against the attacking arm.
4. After you are comfortable with staying in contact with the wall and deflecting strikes, begin to see where you can attack after or with the deflection.

Variation
Vary the drill by moving into a corner to limit your movement further.

Vary the drill by attempting to use the wall as a helper in trapping strikes and manipulating your partner's form in order to try various pain compliance techniques or pressure points.

Vary the drill by standing with your side to the wall instead of your back and not losing contact between that side of your body and the wall.

Vary the drill by sitting on the floor or in a chair with your side against the wall and your partner next to you as if seated on a plane or in a theatre. Vary it further by asking your partner to face the opposite direction next to you to vary the attack direction.

Strike Sensitivity

from a video clip of a UK Systema Seminar

Four partners are the minimum and ideal needed for this drill. More will work but fewer than four is very difficult to coordinate. It has several functions - sensitivity training, strike delivery, shoulder and elbow movement, and more.

1. Arrange 4 or more training partners in a circle facing each other.
2. All partners bend their arms and make fist out in front of them.
3. Every other training partner rest their wrists on the two next to them so that going around the circle, one partner has his wrists on top of the two next to him and the next has his underneath two.
4. The partners on top can slowly make a striking motion at the chin of the partner nearest either of his fists (left fist to left partner and right to right). At first, go very slow and maybe use a slap instead of a strike.
5. The partner receiving the strike should learn sense the release of tension on his wrist and react by raising his shoulder or elbow to deflect the strike. Again, go slow at first because you will often end up deflecting the strike in a way that directs it at another partner.
6. After you begin to get comfortable with sensing and moving, speed up the drill a bit to challenge your partner's reaction.
7. Switch so the ones on top are now underneath and repeat starting slow again.

Multiple Attacker Drill

from Emmanuel Manolakakis

A student can face many of his or her fears head on if taught how to deal with multiple attackers properly. If done improperly a student�s fears and false perceptions will remain. The following are some steps that might help those students struggling in dealing with multiple attackers.

Step 1 - Objective �breathing and moving
Start with the walker avoidance drill described above with up to two partners.

Step 2 � Objective � breathing and moving plus a different variable
Once you�ve reached a level of comfort and can move freely with both partners, have them change from walking to kicking or punching. Start slowly and from a distance, increase the speed and decrease distance as your confidence and comfort grow.

Step 3 � Objective � breathing, moving and touching
If you�ve managed to keep your breathing in tack, a good posture, calm demeanor then your ready for the next step. Start to touch your partners as they pass by you. Remember to just touch, do not strike! You should also be connecting your movements more and be in a constant state of movement.

Step 4 � Objective � breathing, moving, touching and thinking
Pay attention to your position when you move from partner to partner. Limit the time that you are between then equally. Instead try to have them cross or interfere with each other - disrupt their movement and strengthen own. If you have any spare energy, start to pay attention to your partner�s body dynamics as you touch them.

Step 5 � Breathing, moving, thinking, striking and emotions associated with strikes
Now change touching to striking. Remember that strikes should come as a result of good movement and generate from the body. Do not be aggressive or want to hit too much, just let it come naturally.

Things to consider:

1. Do not try to recreate a fight; you will never honestly be able too.
2. Start slowly until you feel comfortable, only then increase the speed and complexity of your movements.
3. Always maintain proper posture, but more so with multiple attackers.
4. Think about moving, not about competing.
5. You are developing the body�s ability to filter a wide variety of information while moving.
6. If you get confused or tense, always go back to the beginning and start over. Do not skip steps.
7. This is suppose to frustrate you, so don�t beat yourself up. Laugh, smile and have fun!!