PATRICK VAN HET NEDEREND, DISCOVER YOURSELF THROUGH THE BODY
How often do you feel like the world is putting pressure on you? In our latest FewGoodTalks episode, FewGoodMen.co founder Jiri Rakosnik sits down with Patrick Van Het Nederend, the owner of SomaticHUB Amsterdam, to explore a different perspective on facing challenges. They discuss how the key to navigating pressure isn't to fight it, but to understand yourself better.
Patrick, who's been involved in martial arts since he was a kid, shares how these practices helped him become a more centered, and ultimately, a better man. He learned that true strength isn't about being aggressive; it's about being present and self-aware. He found a mentor in a Systema teacher who treated him not just as a student, but as a human being—seeing who he was on a personal level which inspired his own approach towards his students.
Fight Yourself, Not the World
One of the core lessons Patrick learned is that when things go wrong, the first fight is always with yourself. We often blame the world for our problems, but what if the real issue is how we react to them? In Systema, he discovered that “there is only a problem if you decide there is a problem.” This simple idea encourages us to relax and roll with it.
Patrick explains that during practice, you confront your ego and pain head-on. This process allows you to open up and "experience everything as is," constantly scanning what a situation gives or takes away from you. Once you understand where your energy leaks you can recover from a freeze response by using body awareness, breathing techniques and releasing the tension.
Find Your Freedom
Key mantra of Systema is: Do not look where you are stuck but where you are free. It’s easy to focus on what holds us back, or on our pain and the obstructions but that will never set us free, only amplify the suffering. Systema proposes a powerful mindset shift to focus on where you are free and to start acting from there. "Know thyself" isn’t a one-time revelation; it’s an ongoing awareness of your current situation. Your baseline changes depending on how you start your day. The goal is to get a sense of that baseline and adjust as you go, even while you’re in the middle of a task.
Practice outside and apply it in the gym
The principles you learn in a gym are meant to be practiced in your everyday life. When interacting with others, for example, you can sense where their tension is and try relax them first using mirroring technique and both body and energy practice. Patrick uses the example of being a bouncer, a job that requires working with people without judgment or ego. The best approach is to operate from an "honest heart"—not to trigger revenge, but because it's the right thing to do. When people feel that your actions are justified, they’ll accept them.
Reclaim Your Body and Power
Many people come to SomaticHUB because they want change. They might feel robbed of their strength or unable to stand up for themselves. Patrick and his team use bodywork to help people release stored emotions and restore their energy flow. He describes this as enduring pain so that your body can come alive, recognizing that your body is always trying to talk to you. The goal is to reorganize your body’s functions so it can heal itself and become a healthy, fear-free vessel.
Ultimately, Patrick believes that people often prevent themselves from healing by trusting a doctor's schedule over their own intuition. He wants to change this mindset, empowering people to trust their bodies and minds. It’s about believing that you can do a better squat than before, rather than accepting that you will never be able to squat again.
For men in particular, Patrick emphasizes the importance of finding discomfort to grow. Avoiding pain prevents you from truly growing up and understanding yourself. Embracing these challenges helps you become a better man and a beacon for others. It’s about initiating yourself into the next phase of your life, leaving old limitations behind.
Ready to find your own path to self-discovery? Tune into the full podcast to hear more from Jiri and Patrick!
