# Side rolls <--->



## Pervaz (Feb 26, 2003)

A friend of a friend is having difficulties in rolling sideways - even looking at it I cant see what he is doing wrong - he keeps ending up on his back as a  "dead turtle".  Any tips - apart from kicking him every time he makes the mistakes !!


----------



## Jay Bell (Feb 26, 2003)

Kick him harder!   

No...seriously...the side roll in Systema is, in my opinion, by far the most difficult.  You should be rolling across the meat of your shoulders....so if he's ending up flat-backed, he's rolling across the wrong part of the back.

Keeping the spine aligned (form), it's almost like you just topple to the side, keeping that straight alignment....then going from the meat of one shoulder to the other and up.

Does that make sense?


----------



## GouRonin (Feb 26, 2003)

Vlad has a great excercise where you roll and in the middle of your roll you change direction. That really helped me with rolls and learning how to gain control of them.


----------



## Kwan Lee (Feb 26, 2003)

If you wish to obtain control of your movements in rolling, try getting very comfortable standing on your shoulders--yes, the "meaty" parts or the back of your traps.  You will look like youre standing at attention, but on your shoulders, much like a yoga shoulder stand.

When you can remain relaxed in this position, which has everything to do with breathing, muscle control, and structure, start walking forward and backward.  You can do this "walking" very slowly, shifting your weight back and forth from shoulder to shoulder, or you can "scoot" by moving your shoulders a short distance after slightly unloading one shoulder onto the other.  Scooting is of course a quicker movement than the teetering described in the other method.  Both require control/balance.

Once you have this down, "walk" sideways.  Then, go diagonal.  Can you make a circle in place?  Play around with it.  Try working with weapons in this position as well.

Having control at this inverted position will help you in transitioning through your rolls, when you do them slowly, whether they are frontward, backward, or sideward rolls.

Hope this helps.

Kwan


----------



## Pervaz (Feb 28, 2003)

Thanks for the tips guys (if not I will kick him harder !!)

P


----------



## Rommel (Feb 28, 2003)

I agree with Kwan. The important thing about rolling is to start of SLOWLY and break it into smaller parts. Have your friend start on his knees. Start with a front roll and then change the angle by small increments practicing on both the right and left sides. Then have him graduate to a standing position but with his body very close to the ground and do the same thing. Another important point is to be relaxed and not afraid of the roll. If he's landing on his back, it might be because he is going too fast.


----------

