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PYP 066: Glenn Murphy on Systema, Subverting Fight or Flight, and Remaining Human No Matter What

glenn-murphyIn addition to being a bestselling science author, musician, and tiger-handler (really!), Glenn Murphy is an instructor of one of the most powerful, esoteric, and valuable martial arts ever developed: Systema.

[powerpress]

I first heard about Systema about 10 years ago, watched some Youtube videos of Systema master Vladimir Vasiliev, and promptly decided that the whole thing was a hoax. There was just no way Vasiliev could be strolling through a crowd of attackers and take them down without breaking a sweat. (See below for an example.)

Then I met Glenn, who teaches Systema in North Carolina. About 3 seconds into our first class, I was convinced.

My 15 year old son and I have been studying with Glenn for about six months now, and the practice has changed our lives.

In this interview, which unfortunately sounds like it was conducted in an echo chamber (thanks, Chapel Hill library study room C, with your glass walls), Glenn helps me unpack the wholistic nature of Systema, and its ability to strengthen and heal body, mind, and spirit.

We discuss:

  • the profound differences between Systema and other martial arts
  • the single most important element of Systema (that anyone can practice anywhere, anytime)
  • the problem with “psyching ourselves up” to go into battle (whether literally, or in dealing with everyday stressors)
  • “that's easy for him to say” – how to bring meditative awareness into the hard parts of life
  • why we slouch and shrink as we age – and what this has to do with chronic fear
  • the importance of knowing ourselves before we can respond effectively to our environment
  • the modern fear of contact and how to overcome it for our neurological well-being
  • the primacy of deep massage as a modality for healing and growing
  • and much more…

Enjoy, please share, and leave your comments below!

Links

NCSystema.com – Glenn's System school in the Triangle region of North Carolina

YouTube player

RussianMartialArt.com – Toronto-based center of Systema training in North America – find accredited teachers, buy DVDs and books, and find out about workshops and seminars

GlennMurphyBooks.co.uk – Glenn's author site

2005 clip of Vladimir Vasiliev demonstrating work with multiple attackers

YouTube player

Dr Howie Jacobson

This podcast is a labor of love and a way to give back to the world that has given me so much. That's why there aren't any sponsors (except me :).

My day job is helping leaders and their teams master their mindsets to remove all obstacles to heart-centered high performance.

Here are three gigs that I do:

1. Trigger-Free Leadership: Executive and Senior Leadership Mentoring and Facilitation

I work with high performing executive teams in organizations — and executive teams that need to become high  performing. My focus is mindset mastery, because it’s our mindsets that either support high performance or get in the way.

At this level, everyone’s got the skills and experience to excel and contribute at the highest level. What holds people back is mindset stuff: specifically the triggers that get them out of creative engagement and into fight-or-flight defensiveness.

My practice is all about teaching people to respond differently to those triggers by updating old maps — essentially removing the glitches that the triggers grab onto.

2. Executive Coaching: Quick Wins for High Performance

I work with individual executives and leaders, one on one. The program is called Quick Wins for High Performance, and what we do is, we work strategically on one or two areas that are holding you back and keeping you from performing at your best.

We reverse engineer the presenting problems — too much work and not enough time, underperforming employees and teams, maddening organizational inefficiencies, etc — and identify and rewire the suboptimal mindsets that are behind those problems.

The work is all about updating your mental maps so your actions and responses are always appropriate, proportionate, and strategic.

3. High Stakes Conversations for Fast Growing Small Business Teams

I help small business teams have high stakes conversations with skill, humor, and grace. When people feel safe, they can do their best, most creative, most collaborative work.

So that's what I do. If you'd like any of those results, drop me a line and tell me about yourself.

You CAN Change Other People!

Well, that's what Peter Bregman and I claim in our provocative book of that title.

What we really mean is, you can bring out the best in the people around you. If you think you're powerless to help people change, it's because you've been going about it the wrong way.

Discover our straightforward, replicable process here: You Can Change Other People.

Music

The Plant Yourself Podcast theme music, “Dance of Peace (Sabali Don),” is generously provided by Will Ridenour, a kora player from North Carolina who has trained with top Senegalese musicians.

It can be found on his first CD, titled Will Ridenour.

You can learn about Will, listen to more tracks, and buy music on his website, WillRidenour.com.

Gratitudes

Thanks to Plant Yourself podcast patrons – Kim Harrison – Lynn McLellan – Brittany Porter – Dominic Marro – Barbara Whitney – Tammy Black – Amy Good – Amanda Hatherly – Mary Jane Wheeler – Ellen Kennelly – Melissa Cobb – Rachel Behrens – Tina Scharf – Tina Ahern – Jen Vilkinofsky – David Byczek – Michele X – Elspeth Feldman – Leah Stolar – Allan Kristensen – Colleen Peck – Michele Landry – Jozina – Sara Durkacs – Kelly Cameron – Janet Selby – Claire Adams – Tom Fronczak – Jeannette Benham – Gila Lacerte – David Donohue – Blair Seibert – Doron Avizov – Gio and Carolyn Argentati – Jodi Friesner – Mischa Rosen – Michael Worobiec – AvIvA Lael – Alicia Lemus – Val Linnemann – Nick Harper – Bandana Chawla – Molly Levine – The Inscrutable Harry R – Susan Laverty the Panda Vegan – Craig Covic – Adam Scharf – Karen Bury – Heather Morgan – Nigel Davies – Marian Blum – Teresa Kopel – Julian Watkins – Brid O'Connell – Shannon Herschman – Linda Ayotte – Holm Hedegaard – Isa Tousignant – Connie Haneline – Erin Greer – Alicia Davis – Heather O'Connor – Carollynne Jensen – Sheri Orlekoski of Plant Powered for Health – Karen Smith – Scott Mirani – Karen and Joe Crabtree – Kirby Burton – Theresa Carrell – Kevin Macaulay – Elizabeth Rothschild – Ann Jesse – Sheryl Dwyer – Jenny Hazelton – Peter W Evans – Dennis Bird – Darby Kelly – Lori Fanney – Linnea Lundquist – Emily Iaconelli – Levi Wallach – Rosamonde McAtee – Dan Pokorney – Stephen Leinin – Patty DeMartino – Mike and Donna Kartz – Deanne Bishop – Bilberry Elf – Marjorie Lewis – Tricia Adams – Nancy Sheldon – Lindsey Bashore – Gunn Marit Hagen – Tracey Gulledge – Lara Hedin – Meg from Mamasezz – Stacey Stokes – Ben Savage – Michael K – David Hughes -Coni Rodgers – Claire England – Sally Robertson – Parham Ganchi – Amy Dailey – Brian Tourville – Mark Jeffrey Johnson – Josie Dempsey – Caryn Schmitt – Pamela Hayden – Emily Perryman – Allison Corbett – Richard Stone – Lauren Vaught of Edible Musings – Erin Hastey – Sean Owens – Sagar Naik – Erika Piedra – Danielle Roberts – Michael Leuchten – Sarah Johnson – Katharine Floyd – Meryl Fury – for your generous support of the podcast.

Disclosure

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4 comments on “PYP 066: Glenn Murphy on Systema, Subverting Fight or Flight, and Remaining Human No Matter What

  1. Rosemary Guy says:

    As someone who has taught tai chi for ages, I’m reaaly excited by this podcast and how well some of these ideas are expressed. I’ve always loved using massage in my classes too but since I’ve taught older people have incorporated this in different ways. I’ll review how I do this after listening to this wonderful podcast

    1. Howard says:

      Thanks, Rosemary. Your tai chi classes sound wonderful – are they in NZ?

      1. Rosemary Guy says:

        Yes I amt thinking of coming to North America……Toronto, in your spring. There is a handsome man who’d like me to come now. I’d like to do some mixed workshops……some delicious WFPB food and education, some mind body things including tai chi. Could be fun

  2. Thank You says:

    Howard, Thank You for another information packed podcast. Keep them coming 🙂

    Thank You

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