Systema is a Russian martial art . It is not a sport. There are no forbidden techniques, everything is allowed and it has no competition or belt system like for example karate , jiu-jitsu , judo or aikido . There are general principles with which the practitioner of Systema learns to respond to an attack.
The core of Systema can be summarized in the following four concepts:
- Breathing is important for a good oxygen supply, but can also be used for a kiai in atemi. Especially in stressful situations, good breathing is essential to stay relaxed.
- Movement is the first form of self-defense, dodging a kick is better than taking one. Being as mobile as possible is the credo. If possible, run away as fast as you can.
- Structure is the third pillar. This refers to a person’s posture, defense is aimed at making them collapse. A hand to the chin will throw someone off balance much faster than a series of kicks/punches. Breaking a finger can also end a fight right away.
- Relaxation is the fourth pillar, many techniques that are performed on you become a lot less effective if you receive them softly. Drunk people do this automatically because of the influence of alcohol, the trick is to be able to do this in a normal state as well.
Principle of Systema
The fourth pillar (relaxation) does not make Systema inefficient, the credo is: receive softly and give hard. Many techniques from karate , jiu jitsu , judo and aikido can be used in systema as long as they are applied in the systema way. No one prescribes how a technique should be performed. It is up to the practitioner to find the best way.
Trainings may look 'soft' because a lot of the training is done in slow motion, but in practice it is just at full speed. Depending on your level, you can slowly increase the speed to full speed. Many techniques are so efficient that they are better performed slowly anyway. There are no forbidden techniques . Women can easily train at the same level as men (even though they have a disadvantage when it comes to physical strength), because the emphasis is more on sensitivity and effective techniques.
Mentality
Systema is also partly a mental exercise : Precisely because there are no limitations, one must find out for oneself how far one goes in a defense and that is a confrontation with oneself. The fact that you can get injured also requires preparation. You must take into account that you will never remain 100% fit during a fight, your techniques must be adjusted to this. A knife fight, for example, involves something being stabbed unexpectedly rather than someone threatening to stab you. Other situations may be that you are very tired or are threatened by several people.
Slow motion
It can be confusing that in videos on the internet you almost only see slow motion systema and people who fall to the ground relatively easily. This has a very practical reason: if you perform it with full power, there is a big chance that you will leave the training hour injured. But in a controlled manner, you can hit each other hard on the body, perform chokes, apply clamps to get you used to the stress that this entails. Free sparring is also an essential part of Systema, standing or in a ground fight. Low kicks, a knee to the head, high kicks, as long as you can perform it in a controlled manner, it is fine. Hit in the face, on the ears, press into eye sockets or bend fingers, nothing is forbidden. Free sparring is therefore only possible if you are able to protect the body of the other and yourself from serious injuries.
Beginners
Systema is suitable for beginners and advanced students to learn effective self-defense . This is of course claimed for every martial art, but systema is characterized by learning a personal style. General principles are used, and no techniques are taught, the practitioner will develop these himself. So there is no training for exams or katas. Beginners quickly feel at ease among people who have been training for a long time, due to the absence of a clear hierarchy. In terms of fitness: if you ensure a good basic fitness (in whatever way) you build this up by doing a lot of ground fighting etc.
No arrogance
The attitude towards the environment is also different from a number of other martial arts. For example, a black belt has status, and the practitioner also gets an 'ego boost' as he progresses. In systema, the intention is to give the opponent the impression that you are superior to him and that you will end it completely unexpectedly. The credo is not to stand out, let the attacker believe that he is winning. So you do not stand ready in a karate stance, rather as if you do not fully understand what it is all about and are not really interested. If he were to realize that you can defend yourself, he would be on his qui vive (or rather pull a knife).
Instructors
The most famous systema instructors are Mikhail Ryabko in Russia and his successor Vladimir Vasiliev in Toronto, Canada. In Western Europe, a part of the systema instructors is represented by the European Systema Association under the leadership of Andreas Weitzel (Augsburg, Germany). Much knowledge is still being spread at this time by attending seminars that are given all over the world.
