Systema is a Russian martial art. It's not a sport. There are no forbidden techniques, everything is allowed and there is no competition or belt system such as karate , jiu-jitsu , judo or aikido . There are general principles by 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 remain relaxed.
- Movement is the first form of self-defense, dodging a kick is better than taking it. The credo is to be as mobile as possible. If possible, run away as fast as you can.
- Structure is the third pillar. This refers to a person's attitude, the defense is aimed at causing it to collapse. A hand to the chin will throw someone off balance much faster than a series of kicks/punchs. Breaking a finger can also immediately end a fight.
- Relaxation is the fourth pillar, many techniques that are performed on you become a lot less effective if you receive them gently. Drunk people do this automatically due to the influence of alcohol, the trick is to be able to do this in a normal state.
Principle of Systema
The fourth pillar (relaxation) does not make Systema inefficient, the credo is therefore: 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 dictates 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 practice is done in slow motion, but in practice it just goes at full speed. Depending on your level, you can slowly increase the speed to full speed. Many techniques are so efficient that it is better to perform them slowly anyway. There are no prohibited techniques. Women can easily train on an equal level with 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, you will have to find out for yourself how far you go in defense and that is a confrontation with yourself. The fact that you could get injured also requires preparation. You must keep in mind that you will never remain 100% fit during a fight, your techniques must be tailored to this. A knife fight, for example, is more likely to involve something unexpectedly stabbing you than someone threatening to stab you. Other situations may be that you are very tired or are threatened by several people.
Slomotion
It can be confusing that in videos on the internet you almost only see slow motion systems and people who fall to the ground relatively easily. This has a very practical reason: performed at full power, there is a good chance that you will leave the training hour injured. But in a controlled manner, hard hitting on each other's bodies, strangulations can be performed and clamps can be placed to get you used to the stress 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's fine. Hitting the face, ears, pressing eye sockets or bending fingers, nothing is prohibited. Free sparring is therefore only possible if you are able to protect the body of the other person and yourself from serious injuries.
Beginners
Systema is suitable for beginners and advanced students to learn effective self-defense. This is of course said of every martial art, but systema is characterized by learning a personal style. We work with general principles and no techniques are taught, which the practitioner will develop themselves. So there is no training for exams or katas. Beginners quickly feel at ease among people who have been training for a lot longer, due to the absence of a clear hierarchy. In terms of fitness: if you ensure a good basic condition (in whatever way) you build on it by doing a lot of ground combat, 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 receives an 'ego boost' as he progresses. In systema the idea is that you give the opponent the impression that you have mastered him and you put an end to it completely unexpectedly. The credo is not to stand out, let the attacker believe that he is winning. So you don't stand ready in a karate position, rather as if you don't quite understand what it's all about and aren't really interested. If he realizes that you can defend yourself, he will be alert (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, some systema instructors are represented by the European Systema Association led by Andreas Weitzel (Augsburg, Germany). A lot of knowledge is currently being spread by attending seminars given all over the world.
