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Seminar Review |
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Aiki Expo with Vladimir Vasiliev & Mikhail Ryabko in Los Angeles 27/05/2005
by Edgars Cakuls |
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| My name is Edgars Cakuls (Tsakouls). I am Systema instructor from NYC. Briefly, my background is in various martial arts like Sambo, Karate, and Kung fu for around 25 years. Now I have been fully converted to Systema life for around 5 years. Because of Vladimir, I reversed my age, became happier, healthier, and stronger than ever before. Systema it is more than a martial art. It is about to returning to state of natural being – innocent childhood, when you are happy to do crazy things like diving to the hard floor, enjoying getting hit, and doing all possible and impossible things with your body and your opponent’s, too.
Sorry for late review on Aiki Expo event. The reason was that one week after the expo I was hosting V. Vasiliev and M. Ryabko seminar in NYC at Fighthouse! So I was busy trying to do my best before the seminar and to return to the normal life afterwards.
I attended Aiki Expo 2005 for the first time. It was surprisingly well-organized and unusually big martial art event. Thanks to Mr. S. Pranin for putting together Aiki community and now Systema, too, in one place and on annual basis to practice and learn from each other. Mr. S. Pranin is an open-minded person who is not afraid to invite Systema authorities for Aiki Expo, too.
I was talking with Mr. M. Ryabko and he told me that he has seen so many really good Aiki masters and also that only Aiki people can really see and understand Systema. I myself did not see much of the Aiki classes since I came to see Mikhail for the first time and was completely absorbed with his teaching. But I saw some parts of the last day’s Aiki training and I personally liked the demonstrations of Mr. Christian Tissier, Mr. Jose Andrade, and Ms. Pat Hendricks.
One of the behind-the-scenes Aiki Expo memories bring me to a regular hotel room on the 14th floor. It was not planned, but Systema and Aki people gathered spontaneously because of Ms. Kaila Feder’s hospitality. We instantly converted one bed to the table for the snacks. The table became full of snacks literally from nowhere – greens, smoked fish, bread, and sweets. Wine was flowing and the 18 people in the room become soft and comfortable in 10-15 minutes. Somebody brought a guitar and language barriers disappeared. We sang English and Russian songs in a well-known way…”la,la,la…ye,ye,ye,”…and so on. Than we all told funny stories…. At one point Mikhail R. turned his head to Vladimir V. and said …”Volodja, (in Russian, this is a form of calling person in lovely way” – usually, only family members and good friends talk in this not familiar way)…Tell us how you came for the first to my class in Russia and tried to beat me up with your friend.” Vladimir drops his head a little, with a smile on his face. He paused for a half a minute, and then told us the story. Vladimir and his friend planned before class how they would surprise and beat up Mikhail. The friend was to attack and keep Mikhail busy from the front while Vladimir would try to approach Mikhail from the behind. During the attack Mikhail, manage to move behind the back of Vladimir’s friend so fast that Vladimir unintentionally kicks his friend to the head with a roundhouse. The funny thing is that the two friends started to argue and fight with each other, forgetting Mikhail!
Next day Ms. Kayla Feder and her students our new friends joined Systema group and seems to me she was impressed with the training and the demonstrations. Generally, each Systema class was attended by around 10-15 Aiki people. Of course they were cautious in the beginning, but become more relaxed later when they felt the friendly and non-competitive atmosphere among Systema people. They were shocked to see how Mikhail punches the people. The sound of hits was scary. But even so, many of them at the end of each class formed the line with the Systema people to experience the pain….
My partner Peggy from Fighthouse met me arriving from L.A….”Wow…you look good!” she said. “Yes,” I told her, “to get beaten by Mikhail is very scary and painful but it is a blessing from him. He knows how to punch and who needs more or less. It is about making you a better and healthier person.” |
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