# Systema Blade Seminar Jan 20th-21st Bellevue, WA. USA



## Brian King (Dec 14, 2006)

*Posted with permission*
Systema Northwest is pleased to announce an upcoming BLADE SEMINAR!!! 

With *Emmanual Manolakakis* (Fightclub www.fight-club.ca )From Toronto, Canada January 20-21, 2007 Saturday and Sunday 12:00pm  4:00pm 

Cost: $100 for the weekend $50 for one day 

Join us for two full days of knife work presented by one of the top Systema Instructors in North America. Come experience for yourself a true professional who is calm, smooth and exceptionally effective in his fighting and teaching abilities.

Space is limited! Pre-registration is recommended! For more information or to send payment contact: 
Brian King 
10545 SE 238th St. #1 
Kent, WA 98031 
Phone: (206) 293-9490 
E-mail: SystemaNW@yahoo.com 
web site: http://systemanw.com/

Event location: 
SYSTEMA NORTHWEST Russian Martial Art 
13410 SE 32nd St. Suite 3D 
Bellevue, WA 98005 206-293-9490 
http://systemanw.com/


----------



## Carol (Dec 14, 2006)

Systema has a blade curriculum?  I did not know that!


----------



## Brian R. VanCise (Dec 14, 2006)

Good luck with your seminar!


----------



## Brian King (Jan 5, 2007)

*Carol wrote*



> Systema has a blade curriculum? I did not know that!


 
Carol I can only speak for my school and many that I have had the pleasure training at,time is spent almost every class understanding knife applications - how to hold, carry, draw, throw, and attack with a knife as well as defend a knife attack.

A knife and the understanding on its many uses, the effects of it use (physically spiritually and mentally) on all involved from the wielder to the person(s) the blade is being used on and even the witnesses are explored and examined. I have found that a live blade is a wonderful tool to promote movement (especially the feet) and to work on breathing and learning about fear and how it effects us individually (while both the attacker and defender, either or both may be armed with a blade) It is also interesting to see which blades people are drawn to, which that they enjoy using, it speaks volumes to those that see and listen LOL

*Brian wrote*



> Good luck with your seminar!


 
Thanks brother!

See you on the floor soon
Friends
Brian


----------



## Brian R. VanCise (Jan 6, 2007)

Let us know how it goes when it happens!


----------



## Brian King (Jan 6, 2007)

> Let us know how it goes when it happens!


 
Will do. I do not have to tell you Brian how much work goes into hosting a successful seminar and the weekend after this seminar I will be traveling to Montreal to attend a seminar taught by Vladimir Vasiliev on Saturday and a Martin Wheeler seminar on Sunday, lol, so it may be awhile before I can post a review. 

This is Mannys third trip out to the Northwest (but our first seminar focusing on the blade) and he is an extremely popular instructor. At last count we have eight Systema instructors attending and we have people coming in to train with us from as far away as Chicago, Oregon, California, South Carolina and B.C. Canada!! Being open and available to participants of any style or experience level makes our seminars popular with many martial artists from around the area as well. With a growing local Systema community, with people willing travel thousands of miles to once again train with us and with many experienced martial artists from many different arts all training hard together with the goal of improving each other, this seminar has all the makings and potential of being a successful conference and I am so looking forward to the work and experience. 

See you on the floor soon
Friends
Brian King


----------



## Brian R. VanCise (Jan 6, 2007)

Brian said:


> Will do. I do not have to tell you Brian how much work goes into hosting a successful seminar and the weekend after this seminar I will be traveling to Montreal to attend a seminar taught by Vladimir Vasiliev on Saturday and a Martin Wheeler seminar on Sunday, lol, so it may be awhile before I can post a review.
> 
> This is Mannys third trip out to the Northwest (but our first seminar focusing on the blade) and he is an extremely popular instructor. At last count we have eight Systema instructors attending and we have people coming in to train with us from as far away as Chicago, Oregon, California, South Carolina and B.C. Canada!! Being open and available to participants of any style or experience level makes our seminars popular with many martial artists from around the area as well. With a growing local Systema community, with people willing travel thousands of miles to once again train with us and with many experienced martial artists from many different arts all training hard together with the goal of improving each other, this seminar has all the makings and potential of being a successful conference and I am so looking forward to the work and experience.
> 
> ...


 

Sounds great!  Have alot of fun and try not to stress over the behind the scenes seminar work.


----------



## Brian King (Jan 10, 2007)

> "Sounds great! Have alot of fun and try not to stress over the behind the scenes seminar work."


 
StressI am very blessed to have instructors and students that are more than willing unasked to step up and take care of many of the little behind the scenes details that make for a successful seminar so my stress level for seminars is relatively low, sides they are so dang fun. Now having a full time day time job, also a corporate office maintenance company, and a martial arts school and vending machines here and there and a new business in the makingsnow that produces some stress but mostly lack of free time and sleep LOL

Brian King


----------



## erich (Jan 23, 2007)

I posted this on the same seminar sticky in the Russian MA section.  Sorry for the double post:
--------------

Just a quick note to say that this was another terrific seminar hosted by Brian and SystemaNW.   The 40 or so in attendance worked hard, sweat buckets, got banged up, twisted up, carved up, and ultimately left quite exhausted and satisfied.

Manny moves with the effortlessness, creativity, and intuition that are the hallmarks of high quality systema.  He presented a series of skill building exercises moving from unarmed to solo unarmed/vs. attacker with knife, to multple knives and multiple attackers.  These exercises were puncuated with illustrative live examples of him working with a partner or partners, but the majority attendee of time was spent doing hands on work while Manny patrolled and offered insight.  Always the emphasis was on the movement, and awareness and not on technique; and reality was served with frequent reminders about the extreme danger to life and limb when working against or with a knife.

I noticed significant improment in the movement and timing of myself and other participants over the course of the weekend.  Now I just have to keep this feeling.

Manny is a relaxed, composed, and insightful guy.  His presentation was concise and understandable and he managed the testosterone level of the group perfectly such that even though we went through a number of highly charged exercises everybody kept working honestly and with a minimum of ego interference.  Manny is an exceptional instructor with a great way of conveying a style (systema) that is quite different from what many are accustomed to.  If you wish to expand your martial horizons (in blade-work or anything else) he is well worth seeking out.

Finally, a well deserved plug for Brian and SystemaNW (Kaizen & Curt).  He puts on consistantly great quarterly seminars that are well attended by people from many different backgrounds and experience levels.  The systema instruction is always excellent, the work is honest, and the attitude is friendly & positive.  For those unfamiliar but interested in systema the seminars are a great way crosstrain and familiarize yourself with the system, for old hands these are a chance to go a little deeper and to see some new/old friends.


----------



## Brian King (Feb 11, 2007)

Thanks Eric for the write up! It is always a pleasure when you and other area martial artists show up and share our work with us. I heartily agree that Manny is well worth the effort to seek out and learn from.

The main lesson (one of many but the one I am still thinking about many weeks after the seminar has ended) is the feeling of moving from your soul- a feeling- a movement I have experienced a few times in my life but not recognized at the time. LOL one time I now recognize was during the first Systema summer camp when some stranger buried his shovel into a tree inches above my head while I was falling amongst the very wet leaves (there was a constant downpour of rain occurring at the time). My roll and return to my feet to begin again the wild dodging and chasing drill was very smooth and very fast and honest, done with movement from my soul as I was scared almost witless LOL With the drills and exercises that Manny shared with us I will now be able to take this feeling and explore it and make it my own (eventually LOL) 

Thank you Manny and all those who continue to help me on my journey. I also want to thank all the Systema and other Martial art instructors who continue to support us by showing and sharing with us from their wealth of experiences. This seminar we had nine certified Systema instructors or instructors in training on the floor doing the work as well as many instructors from various other martial arts. So many that Manny was able to hold an impromptu to but very much appreciated (2 hour) class for instructors aimed at improving our instructing before the Sunday portion of the seminar begun. For this seminar we had participants from Chicago, South Carolina, Oregon, California, and Canada as well as many from our club and others in the area. Without people willing to take the time out of their lives, without them willing to share their experiences and face their expectations, take their bruising and give the same pain to others- how empty would be our training. So many grateful lessons taught to me by so many people, impossible to thank or even recognize all; I can only hope to continue taking my own bruising and giving out the same with the hope of sharing and learning past lessons and future lessons together with the same good natured brutality and helpful intent that all were sharing this weekend. Thanks all who attended and/or offered their support and well wishes. 

See you on the floor soon
Friends
Brian King


----------

