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1. Unfortunately,
it is not obvious to many people that with tension-filled shoulders, we are
not able to lift the arms freely or maintain good posture. Therefore,
everything including balance, power, and precision will suffer.
2. The
sight of tense shoulders in a fight is a signal of your fear or nervousness.
That unwillingly provokes more aggression.
3. Tense
shoulders substantially reduce nerve conduction, and thus, reduce the
sensitivity of your arms and hands.
4. With
time, due to reduced circulation, tissues in the arms lose their suppleness.
As a result, tension in the shoulders leads to “dry” forearms and small
fists.
5. Tense
shoulders cause faster fatigue and low endurance in a fight and in
exercising.
6. Shoulders
restricted by tension change our coordination of movement. Rather than smooth
and steady movements, we get gaps of weakness. Practical judging of distance
becomes distorted.
7. Shoulders
held with tension give you a false sense of security. While it may feel strong
to you, it is a fragile structure, easily destroyed in real confrontations.
8. Tension
in the shoulder girdle tends to accumulate. As it builds up, it leads to
potential injuries to all of the joints in the body.
How do we resolve this
problem?
First, we have to notice that it exists. And second, we need to have the
desire to correct it. Of all the drills
Systema offers, slow core exercises are the best for reducing and breaking up
tension. Slow pushups with breathing (see Chapter 5 of Let
Every Breath) are a great
practice.
Start to remove
tension from the shoulders with your breath as soon as you assume the pushup
position, before you initiate movement. Gradually lower through all parts of
the range and overcome tension and irritation smoothly. Watch for the weakest
element – the most challenging parts of the range on the way down and on the
way up.
Combine slow pushups
with shoulder rotations. Rotate them forward and back on the way down and on
the up. If you are not able to rotate your shoulders as you are doing
pushups, start with moving them up and down, forward and back, and progress
to rotations as your skill improves.
Practice pushes at a
close distance. Use one and both arms in a smooth and precise way to control
your partner. Gradually progress to strikes. Make sure there is no rebound
impact of your pushes and strikes into your shoulders. (see Chapter 7 of STRIKES:
Soul Meets Body)
Another good drill is
stick circles. Hold a long stick with both hands as wide apart as possible.
Slowly rotate the arms over your head and as far as back as you can for a
good stretch, but no strain.
Moving and stretching
across the ground is also very helpful. Go up and down from the standing
position to the ground and back up without leaning on your hands, move and
roll across the ground in various directions without using your hands. Try to
keep your movements smooth, your shoulders tension-free, and your back
straight when the position allows it. This makes the body softer and
stronger, more agile and collected.
Do postural exercises
to keep the shoulders down and back. Keep your pectoral muscles stretched and
your rhomboids strengthened. Do not over-pump your biceps and keep the
triceps toned. Keep your back straight not just in training, but throughout
the day. Watch your posture all of the time, while walking, standing,
driving, sitting at a computer, eating, even sitting on the couch.
An excellent way to
reduce shoulder tension and improve posture is the combative body health
practices. The bodyweight massage and tissue annealing can be done every
class, as shown on video. See The Combative Body part 2 on DVD or Downloadable film.
Keep in mind that most
sports instigate the desire to win, and that inevitably leads to tension in
the body, especially neck and shoulders. Negative emotions and stress also
make us draw the head and shoulders in.
Stay aware, breathe,
relax and look at the bigger picture. As we say in Systema “Train
hard, breathe easy.”
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