Body as a Gateway - Systema & Bodywork

If there’s one thing I’ve learned on the journey of self-discovery, it’s that a man cannot fully awaken his potential without being connected to his body. Really connected. Not just showing up in it physically, but listening, understanding, and working with it emotionally as well. The body is our anchor, our center of gravity, and often the place where our fears, stress, and even joy are stored.

This is exactly why Russian Systema and bodywork became part of the FewGoodMen.co curriculum. The principles we teach—staying grounded, being present, remaining relaxed, and navigating pressure with elegance and lightness—aren’t just abstract ideas. They are lived experiences, deeply tied to how we inhabit our bodies every day.

Focus not where you are stuck, but where you are free

I first discovered Systema during a phase when I wanted to test everything in our program on myself before sharing it with other men. Systema isn’t about brute force. It’s about learning to flow with pressure, to breathe calmly under stress, to stay relaxed and focused instead of tensing up. I remember being on the mat thinking, “I can’t even let a masseuse apply pressure on my quads after all the ice hockey I’ve done over the years,” and yet there I was, with Jimmy standing on my legs, forehead sweating, trying to breathe, and fully capable of holding him. That’s the magic of learning to focus when you are free, not where you are stuck—a principle that translates to conflict situations, moments of stress, and everyday life.

Systema taught me something subtle but profound: instead of fighting tension, instead of panicking or holding my breath, I could relax, breathe softly, and trust my body to respond naturally. Ice hockey had trained me to resist, brace, and tighten, but Systema showed me the opposite path: be present, stay grounded, and move with ease—even under pressure.

Enter Somatic HUB, run by Patrick van het Nederend. This studio gets us, a friendly environment, and world-class teaching in Systema and bodywork. Their workshops bring together international teachers, techniques, and wisdom that make the body a place of both discovery and healing.

Body is a Hard Drive For Stress

From a scientific perspective, our body is a vessel that stores impactful events in the tissue. This impact is called 'trauma'. These can be major traumas from your childhood, but also subtle situations from everyday life. Body builds a protective shield or armour that eventually, with much or long-term exposure, blocks your emotional and physical reactions, making you feel insensitive to the impact. Energy does not flow well. You could compare it to a dam of old branches and stones in a river.

Mammals have a natural way of unloading: after a stressful event they vibrate to release the built-up tension from the body. An antelope that escaped a lion’s attack shakes it off fairly quickly and moves around her business. Naturally, humans have this instinct too. Either through shaking (movement), crying (sound) or sighing (breath). Unfortunately, chances are that you have (unconsciously) learned to suppress it from a very young age, simply because it is perceived as 'strange' or 'inappropriate'. Instead of shaking the energy off, the body stores it. "Suck it up", as people would say literally, when it comes to dealing with difficult situations or emotions.

Bodywork: Reconnecting, Releasing, and Recharging

The bodywork at Somatic HUB is as diverse as it is transformative. It’s not just about relaxation—it’s about reconnecting with yourself, breaking through tension, and unlocking energy that’s been trapped in your body for years, so you can feel fully alive and present again.

For the FewGoodMen session we had a tasting of the following techniques.

1. Pravilo

Pravilo is far from passive stretching—it’s an active system designed to open, align, and strengthen your entire body. Each session is tailored to where your tension is trapped and where your body needs support. It combines controlled stretches, resistance, and focused breathing, activating muscles, connective tissue, and energy channels all at once.

For me, Pravilo unlocked stiffness I didn’t even realize I carried from years of ice hockey and sitting at a desk. It builds not only physical mobility and strength, but also resilience—the ability to stay relaxed under pressure, grounded in your center, and aware of your body at all times. It’s a full reset, and the feeling after a session is pure freedom.

2. Stick Work

Stick work is a more confrontational, but incredibly effective form of body de-armouring. Using sticks, deer horns, and other tools, Patrick releases pressure points around your temples, along the whole back, collarbones, rib cage, and iliopsoas muscles—from your navel to your hip.

This is where the body literally lets go of stored tension and emotion. The first time I tried it, I felt like a dam of old energy had cracked open, and circulation, breath, and focus returned almost immediately. Men in particular benefit from this type of work because it’s a rare opportunity to feel fully supported, to release emotional and physical blocks in a safe, intentional space.

3. Body Tempering

Body tempering is all about tuning your body like a finely crafted instrument. Using heavy rollers—sometimes up to 60 kilos—your muscles, fascia, and posture are gently pressured and stretched to release old tension.

What I love about this work is how it integrates with Systema principles. You learn to stay relaxed under intense pressure, breathe softly, and trust your body to respond naturally. Beyond just flexibility or recovery, body tempering improves fascial resilience, structural strength, and mental toughness. It’s a profound reminder that your body is your ally, not your enemy.

Together, these approaches do something rare in today’s world: they help a man reconnect with his body on multiple levels—physical, emotional, and energetic. They invite you to process stuck emotions, release tension, and feel the grounded power of your own presence. In a society where men often neglect or even abuse their bodies, this is nothing short of revolutionary.

Systema and bodywork teach men to inhabit their bodies fully, to feel safe in their own skin, and to respond to life with calm, grounded awareness. They are, in a very real sense, rites of passage—inviting you to confront pain, release fear, and step into a fuller version of yourself.

If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to stand grounded in your body, calm under pressure, and fully present in life, I invite you to join our next program. The body is your gateway, and your journey starts there.

Check out the FewGoodTalks episode with Patrick