[dcohen]

So, the other week, Irish_Blood and I made up a sensitivity drill loosely based on the Systema 4-ounce lead/follow one arm drill (explanations follow). We figured we might as well add some WC...the rationale was, at least on my part - I like how the WC masters on a few videos I have look with their upper body work, but I don't like how a lot of the students I've seen work. I figured it was because of teaching methodology, since the high level guys can all do stuff I really like. So, we took the general idea of a chi sao drill, added tension release footwork, the option to disengage at ONE arm only, and threw in the Systema drill previously mentioned. Descriptions follow.

One-Arm Sensitivity drill (original drill): Two partners. Free footwork. Partners cross their right or left arms into an X. One person picks a speed, leads the movement at that speed/intensity, and the other person's job is not to get hit or jammed up while keeping the pressure on the partner's point of contact constant (very light). The leading partner's job is to jam up the other person's footwork and lead them into a predictable movement pattern.

Modified (I've found it to be VERY useful for my own training, but as always your mileage may vary): The same drill, except with two arms. Partner A leads with one arm (right or left, same as partner B). The aim is to focus on the leading hand, which forces the brain to make the deflections/point of contact rotations in the receiving hand UNCONSCIOUSLY. The rules are - footwork however you want it, you'll find that the RIGHT footwork always works best. Partners have to stay in contact by at least one forearm, but can disengage and try to use the other hand for something else.

Once you get the hang of it, it's cool to play with changing the focus from the leading hand to the receiving hand. Also, to have one or both partners close their eyes during the drill yields some really cool (and for us, surprising) results.

Hope this isn't too jumbled, these are mental notes that have been processed in my brain for a week or so. Who knows how they come out. Input? Other cool sensitivity drills? I want to hear.

-Dave

[Irish_Blood]

Hey Dave! Great post.

It's also good to use both hands doing both jobs after sufficient training in the drill. Also, try to work on the opponent's centerline and be able to keep your straight skeletal alignment through the drill.

[dcohen]

Yeah, I forgot to mention how interesting it was to play with dropping my hips and center of gravity down when I felt like I needed to use strength. Everything tended to 'settle' (even though I was moving) and my partner would simply not be able to find a vector to push through. Same when he played around with this.

-Dave

[Wilhelm von Wankenstein]

And herein, you being to grasp the concept of 'yielding without yielding' I'm having great difficulty convincing my Systema training partners on the common ground between Systema and other internal arts, though

[The BadBoy]

Two other great Sensitivity drills. Neck wrestling as the Thai boxers do it and Pummelling as the Greco guys do it.

[CreativeFighter]

I like Neck Wrestling.....it's fun (until you catch a circular knee) but it does go 100% against the principles of Systema.
I'm going to play with it, see if I can add some flow.

-Ilya

[The BadBoy]

Creative? How does it go against the principles of systema. Sorry don't know much about it.

[CreativeFighter]

Mostly because it's force against force. Secondary, you are committing two weapons (your hands) to your opponent's neck, two hands with which you can't strike him.
But it only conflicts with Systema if you're a Purist, which at least at this point I am not
Neck Wrestling is a great drill, I've changed it a little for my training purposes so that you take away the knees, have to take your opponent down while marrying your body to his (an RMA term I've never liked). Oh, and I guess keep your arms around his neck.

Badboy, what's Pummeling? Sounds like fun!

-Ilya

[dcohen]

It's what you do after marrying

-Dave

[Wilhelm von Wankenstein]

Pummelling is hard to describe in words without diagrams or, better still, a video, but it's an exercise in which both partners compete to get their arms inside the other party's and hence in a position to go for a bodylock, while fighting off attempts to do the same. The trick is to keep circling your forearms to the inside of your partner's forearms while endeavouring to keep him from doing the same. The result is a drill that looks vaguely reminiscent of chi sau or tuishou - which it resembles even more closely - of all things, with the objective of securing a superior grappling position. I have worked with a few wrestlers and other grapplers who train using pummelling (it's practically de rigeur in submission these days) and the wrestlers especially are marvellously soft and sensitive in the way they work. You can sense they're awesomely strong, but most of the time, they don't need it nor indeed does the way they grapple emphasize that kind of strength much.