# Why Systema?



## NYCRonin

Ok. 
One of the 'skills' I have aquired from my studies is the ability to open pandoras box. (Ahh, Pandora - what a woman, I could tell you such stories!)

I will ask the forum members who practise Systema the following:
Why? Why this, of all training methodologies; did you decide this was the 'one'.
Of all the 'gin joints in all the world' - why did you come to this one? What keeps you here? What do you seek to attain here that you could not find elsewhere?

Now, here is the kicker question - if you care to/dare to answer:
What could cause you to leave our community?

I am sorry to restrict the answers to come from the Systema community - but I did not post this to the general MA community for a reason.
Please forgive me if you feel offended or left out.

Dear sweet Pandora - her box is wide open and I do not expect many answers from the effort.

It might, though; be very interesting.


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## NoSuchChick

Well, I chose Systema because it had a combat background which makes it real, but it could be learned without having to go through Ranger school.  By this, I mean that it is a full contact martial art: no punching air, bags, or other objects.  You know if you've hit someone, and you know if you've been hit.  It's more honest.  

Likewise, you don't have to be beaten to a pulp, and brought to "submit" to a "master" as a matter of course.  You respect your instructor and seniors, not because they have a different colored piece of clothing, but because they can hit you harder. 

I like the fact that this is not a martial art you can go and "do" for one hour a week, and then forget about until the next class.  The work starts seeping into your muscles, and you find yourself moving in different ways in your everyday life, and in this way your life is enhanced.  You really do live it.

Why would I ever leave Systema?  I don't think I ever would stop doing this martial art, unless I could find a martial art which was more encompassing; and I don't expect that to happen (but I do keep an open mind).   Regardless of what may happen in the Systema community, or with individuals or organizations, you can't take the knowledge of Systema away from a person; and so even if I didn't have buddies with whom to practice, I would always have Systema in my body.

Oh, and NYCRonin: watch out for that Pandora, she gets around!

Jennifer


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## NoSuchChick

Sorry to post again... misread your second question:

"What would cause you to leave our community?"

People.  Like any community, if the people or the politics became bigger than the art I would probably work solitary or find another community.  But that is the same with any art.  It always comes back to the people and the politics.

Fortunately, Systema has a great core group of old-timers with hearts of gold.  These are my mentors (NYCRonin).

Jennifer


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## TAZ

I'll take up the challenge of answering this one...

Why did I take up Systema over every other art?

The impact it has had on my overall life is so very difficult to encapsulate into a post and to be fair when I made my decision to train in the system I had no idea at just how far reaching the effects of that choice would go. So lets break the answer down into 3 parts..

why the initial choice?

I was looking for an art that was effective for me to defend myself and those I hold dear. I was not concerned about looking good or flattering my ego with a coloured strip of cloth, that someone else told me, meant I had achieved a certain proficiency.
The system had a complicated simplicity that instantly attracted me the movements seemed to easy (how wrong I was), the informal approach to training and the fact that these people were smiling while getting hit. In fact that raises another key attraction for me...I was told at my first lesson that we expect to get hit..this is not magic. There was a truth and honesty in the people training there with no one kidding themselves that 'yes that would work in the street' when it clearly wouldn't.

How did it evolve?

The more I trained the more I learnt how little I really knew. Each lesson was like  being a kid in a candy store..with little nuggets being uncovered each time and each nugget slowly forming a larger picture. My whole perception changed..less agressive..more aware..happier.. the permiation into my everyday life was beneficial...and like no other art before me..I had a fire burining inside me to assimilate new experiences and knowledge like never before. Another key reason that my enthusiam  grew is the wider systema community..the openess, the willingness to share, the depth of experience..the system has proved a great leveller for people from all different walks of life..there is one truth out on the mat or in the street and the people in this community strive to rediscover this truth everyday.


Why do I still train and plan to conintue to train?

The sense that I am a continual beginner, each day I learn something new about myself and 'my systema' the way the principles can be applied for me. The benefits it has brought to other areas of my life and continues to bring..and importantly the people I meet and have yet to meet.


What would stop me training?

Valid question and the answer sprang to the front of my mind as I read it...dilution and commercialistaion of the art. By dilution I mean changing the way we train to make it more appealing to the masses..losing its roots for the sake of the $ (tied into commercialisation). Commercialisation is breaking the art into a series of saleable packages that lose sight of the arts routes and it purpose. I can best explain this by a question I was asked the other day.. 'Dave why dont you teach a womens self defence class?' I answered that the classes that I teach will teach anyone to defend themselves irrespective of gender and to teach a 'women' specific class would force me to dilute the art to suit the market..something I am not prepared to do..the art works becuase of what it is...

One final thing that attracted me, kept me here but would be one of the reasons I would leave...the absence of politics..the infighting of people within their own style so prevalent in other arts.

Please excuse my ramblings that turned into a novel...but the question intrigued me..and I just let the words spill out..

Dave


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## TAZ

oops its catching NSC..

I missed one question...what was i hoping to find here that I could not find anywhere else...

I came looking for, found and discover more each day that which I was truly seeking...





Myself.


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## ABN

Why Systema? I was immediately impressed by an art that showed nothing but work. No dog and pony shows. No cult of personality built around an unapproachable "Master" who could be found on countless photos in the dojo, but who never seemed to actually be there. As a professional soldier it is also quite something to learn from an instructor who has seen the elephant. Countless tools run full page ads talking about how they trained SEAL Teams, or did "classified" work for Top Secret Counter Terror units, or ran the weekly Bingo game at the DELTA Force compound. 
  The art itself also suits me and my lifestyle. I've already been through basic training, I don't need the break you down and then build you back up mentality that seems to infect most of the schools in my area. I like the reality of contact. Pain isn't necessarily a bad thing and training to hit your target always made more sense to me than throwing a punch off to the side of your aiming point.
   I like the lack of a rank structure. You're respected for your capabilities and devotion to the art. Newcomers are embraced here not subjected to white belt hazing. 
   Finally, it's the people. from the first day I logged in on the board you all have been nothing but helpful and welcoming. Even when I had dumb questions your patience was quite appreciated.

What would make me leave?
When it stopped being useful or when I stopped growing in the art.


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## ABN

> _Originally posted by NYCRonin _
> *
> 
> Dear sweet Pandora - her box is wide open*


 :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: 


bite your tongue Andy, control yourself, remember to breathe, breathe......


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## TAZ

better wide open....then half open or half closed...depending on how optomistic you are...:asian:


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## jellyman

"Why this, of all training methodologies; did you decide this was the 'one'."

Up until my first year, I wasn't sure this was the one, but I was pretty sure it was better than what I had learned so far - we were delving into areas I had only read about until then, but now these concepts were being made real - I just didn't realize how real. Then I sparred someone else besides my instructor, and everything fell into place. My body reacted, and I sort of sat in the back seat, bemused. That was when I was convinced this really worked for me.


'Of all the 'gin joints in all the world' - why did you come to this one?'

Word of mouth - Furtry, to be precise.

' What keeps you here?'

If I don't get my minimal systema fix, I find I become ill and my old injuries flair up (no lie!). The more I do it, the better I feel, and the healthier I become. Beyond that, it's a lot of fun, and there's so much for me to learn, which I also think is important for mental health.

'What do you seek to attain here that you could not find elsewhere?'

Systema to me provides all the benefits of a combat sport with all the completeness of... systema! Although in the beginning I would have said jujutsu, but now I see systema as being more comprehensive than that - a much wider scope. Put another way, unlike most battlefield arts, systema is alive and used by real warriors today. Not only that, but it involves 'high-leve'l skills that most H2H courses never even touch on.

Now, here is the kicker question - if you care to/dare to answer:
What could cause you to leave our community?

If there was no one to train with, it would be hard to do much besides conditioning. I have asked myself what I'd do if for some reason systema was no longer an option, and it's a tough answer. There's so much of what I used to do that I no longer agree with, and it would be hard for me to bite my lip...


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## Jackal

> I will ask the forum members who practise Systema the following:
> Why? Why this, of all training methodologies; did you decide this was the 'one'.
> Of all the 'gin joints in all the world' - why did you come to this one? What keeps you here? What do you seek to attain here that you could not find elsewhere?



One word

Truth.

The first second I saw Vladimir, I thought (to be honest) the movement looked strange, almost silly.

The first second I *FELT* Vladimir however, I knew this was truth, this was honest, this was real. I cant make that claim for any other martial system in which Ive trained (of which I have a decent list for my age). Systema was what Id been looking for in all my years of training. It successfully dissolved the art and just left me. I always felt that I was tripping over myself with every other system I previously studied. From day one in Systema, I could employ everything Vladimir taught me. After my first week in Toronto, I finally got it and was able to start training for real. I have no reason to look back (well, maybe to chuckle, shake my head and be thankful for my good fortune). 

Through this system, I have met the finest group of people that I could ever hope to train with. Fellow truth seekers, of which the world seems to have so few. I know Ill always have people to train with and learn from as long as theyre all still out there.




> Now, here is the kicker question - if you care to/dare to answer:
> What could cause you to leave our community?




I could never stop training in The System. It is my system now. Ill take it with me wherever I go. As for leaving the communitythe one thing that could ever turn me away would be dishonesty. Not personal dishonesty; let people act as they may so long as they do me (and my own) no harm. I mean dishonesty of the training. Watering down, commercializing, and lowering standards to accommodate hobbyists. That seemed to be the plague of many a popular martial art. I have left more than one school and sadly, more than one community because of that exact thing happening.

To my fellow truth seekers...thanks for existing. Before Systema, I'd thought I'd never find you.


-Jackal


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## khadaji

Why? Why this, of all training methodologies; did you decide this was the 'one'.

A good friend of mine was the instructor, and also primarly the teaching style.  Personaly teaching style is very important to me.  Most places use a methode that is just not very compadible with my personality.  I hate all the formal stuff like bowing, and then having to memories all the words of some other language that describe the moves.  I am not good at language stuff, and when you mix differnt arts it gets confusing.  Eventualy becasue i just cant remember what one move is called I am not permited to progress in training.  System seems to accept that you can full well punch even if you can't remember the name of that punch.  

Of all the 'gin joints in all the world' - why did you come to this one? What keeps you here? What do you seek to attain here that you could not find elsewhere?

Its useful, I pregressed farther in one year of systema then all my other arts I tried.  Also It added to my sword work in Fencing.  I developed a wonderful mobility.   

Now, here is the kicker question - if you care to/dare to answer:
What could cause you to leave our community?

Well, I have left it.  But not by choice.  There is no longer anyone in Minnesota who teaches it.  There is only 6 of use who have had a yearexperience here.  I want to continue, but I am only able to train on my own.


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## Todd

As I read each  Rob's questions, the answers to each question came to me immediately in the way that I wanted to write them down....then I scrolled down and read Jackal's reply and then said sonna of b*tch. Jackal, you wrote exactly what I was thinking, so now I won't answer those questions.

I will open that proverbial box and say that yes Systema will be watered down. Lately, I have seen the aikido people trying to align themselves with Systema(Hey! it's just like aikido, Russian Aiki etc.) and I feel that this would be a mistake to let this happen. In *my own opinion* Aikido has been so water down over the years that most Aikidoka couldn't fight there way out of a wet paper bag. Don't mistaken our "Soft Work" for " your Gentle Way". Systema is, and always should be a brutal and efficient combat system, period! Not some "hobbyist martial art.

I know these comments will not sit right with most people, so be it, but they are my opinions and viewpoints. Only time will tell, but I can assure you that my vision of Systema will remain pure, and that is brutal and efficient.


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## NYCRonin

Interesting responses - so far...so good!

Anyone else 'of the community' care to respond?

Please note - my asking the above is not just academic.
I have my reasons for posting the questions - and the reasons will become clear as this thread grows.

Rob


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## Jay Bell

Why Systema?

Because it felt right.  Even watching it gave me a feeling that I always longed for in previous training...and never came close to scratching.  A lot of people from my previous training had (and still do) an enormous problem with me leaving for Systema.  However, the choice was for me.  

Why would I leave?

If politics and backstabbing/trashtalking became an everyday part of life, I'd have no problem at all walking away.  I did it before...


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## Furtry

Rob, stiring it up again I see 
1) It works
2) It works
3&4) Ditto
5) If it didn't work:shrug:


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## TAZ

Furty,
       each time you manage to put systema into your answers..minimum effort maximum effect.

ROBG, where would be with out the likes of you asking the questions no one else will..

Dave


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## David

> _Originally posted by NYCRonin _Why? Why this, of all training methodologies; did you decide this was the 'one'.



I stumbled into Systema from an online Krav Maga board, actually.  Some people were badmouthing the System, and then one of the senior/respectable board members came in and said "Uh...guys...let's end this discussion, I just went and 'sparred' with a Systema guy.  He took me apart!  Nothing worked against him!"

As was to be expected my eyes went googly and proceeded to shoot out of my skull - until that point, Krav Maga was the most efficient, useable art that I had ever found.  I did a few internet searches and wound up on Arthur's recently deceased Web Board.  A month later, I set up my first class (I'm not going into the first class, mainly because it consisted of everyone else doing the work, and me standing there gaping or lying on the ground gaping or listening to an explanation, gaping.  I don't think I've ever gaped so much - I mean, it's SO SIMPLE!  SO OBVIOUS!  The one word to describe it is "duuhhhh."  And yet, despite all the simplicity, I couldn't do it :-D.  I tried the dirty little streetfighting tricks I had learned a while back on all the students, and simply couldn't do anything but fall a whole lot.  I thought about nothing else for the following week, until my next class.

Why did I stay?  I wanted to be 'sure,' so I kept looking for something "better" for a few weeks after my first class.  I simply didn't find anything that looked "normal" - after what I had seen, it was all contrived and complicated and WRONG - the human body didn't want to DO all that stuff to defend itself!  In my meager 16 years of life, I have never found a community quite like this, which is another reason I have vowed to stay for ever .  The people are intelligent, they understand the body and the mind, and, well, they're simply friendly, warm, good hearted people!  I had never found anything like this; such nonjudgmental and simple respect.  They didn't need belts.  They didn't need bowing.  It was all in the movement.



> Now, here is the kicker question - if you care to/dare to answer:
> What could cause you to leave our community?



Fakeness.  If it became a Russian McDojo - teachers being rushed through certification courses, the UNDERSTANDING being rushed.  If the community became  huge, and the intimate/instant friendships were to cease.  If the "you're a systema guy!  No way!  Sure, stay at my place!" went away.

As someone before so perfectly said:  If it became fake, I'd simply pack up my Systema and leave.  There is no use in studying false knowlege and instilling false security.  That's how people die before they should.

Sorry for the massive rant.

-David


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## NYCRonin

Rant accepted - excellent post, David.

I am still hoping that a few more community members will join in, paricularly some of my better known collegues.
I know some of ya hate when I post a question like this - just trust there is a purpose. Dont be shy or conspicuous by your absence...please be generous with your experience and opinion. (Even if its to say this whole question is a waste of time).


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## Jay Bell

> I know some of ya hate when I post a question like this



Not I...you've always had great questions to talk about, Rob.


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## Furtry

> _Originally posted by TAZ _
> *Furty,
> each time you manage to put systema into your answers..minimum effort maximum effect.
> 
> ROBG, where would be with out the likes of you asking the questions no one else will..
> 
> Dave *


I'm just too lazy to type alot:shrug:


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## TAZ

lol:rofl:


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## erich

well, I am systema adjunct, a student of Viktor Sirotin's in Seattle rather than Vlad's, but here is my answer.   

-found it by dumb luck
-stuck around because it was deep and felt so natural and right, and most of all because there was no bs (belts, outfits, ceremonies, board breaking, organizational politics etc)
-Will never stop systema (how can you?) but would not be interested in being part a "systema organization" that incorporated the aforementioned bs.

I fear this bs will eventually (hopefully not for at least 50yrs) creep in as a result of organization.  We should all be very thankful for this opportunity to be so close to a pure & un-adulterated fighting and survival art with such incredible teachers.   

OK - this has put a question in my mind.  Off to start a new thread.


thanks Rob


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## woda

The question, in my mind, is why wouldn't you take Systema?

-kicks
-knees
-punches
-elbows
-joint locks
-holds
-ground work
-grappling
-weapons
-throws
-health system
-multiple attackers
-works regardless of age, size, strength or gender
-deals with fight fatigue, fear and adrenaline control
-high learning curve
-doesn't rely on muscle memory
-consistency and continuity
-no stances
-no katas
-personally customized

Everything is there. All incorporated into one single system. No cross-training and having to adapt philosophies or switch between them in the middle of a fight. 

There's always someone stronger. Or tougher. Or who has seen more **** than you have. Relying on these things is a good way to get seriously hurt. My jobs aren't as violent as some RMA members, but I've been in enough fights and chases and weapons situations to know what doesn't work. A knife doesn't care how much muscle you have. BJJ is useless against weapons or multiple attackers and adrenaline has failed me close to as many times as it's helped me. 

In fact, it was after a situation at work where I'd ended up in a "2-part" fight with someone that I realized the limits of adrenaline. After winning "round 1 (and foolishly taking it easy on him - stupid 'minimum force') " there was a lull in the action (not even very long). The subject had given up, but subsequently refused to be handcuffed. I experienced a massive adrenaline dump and fear crept in. "Round 2" started and I got my *** handed to me though he agreed to stop fighting if he could walk back uncuffed. With much humility I agreed. 

I don't run that fast, but sometimes I feel like a gazelle during a chase. Other times I feel like I have 45lb. plates strapped to my legs and I'm in quicksand. My point? Relying on adrenaline is unreliable at best and suicidal at worst. It affects different people differently and differently at different times and situations.

Systema offered not only a comprehensive H2H system, it offered me the philosophy I was after. When you look at history's greatest athletes, they often say the same thing as to why they're so dominant: because that have the ability "to slow the game down in their head" or "they're able to see the whole ice (or field, if you like)." I believe Systema does this. You're trained to deal with any situation from a physical standpoint, but you also learn how to keep control and make adrenaline work for you by staying calm and relaxed - which is when your reflexes are at their fastest anyways. 

Trust me, it takes effort and a lot of anger to always be violent. When I first started work, I'd choke people while screaming at them at the top of my lungs. So much easier to control someone with ease and mininum effort than it is to beat them black-and-blue. You need a strong stomach for that. But the anger eventually goes away and then what?

Also, the art adapts itself to everyone's own physical abilities. Tall or short, squat or lanky, it becomes yours. No two people do it the same way. 

So after about 300 hours of internet research, I decided Systema was the real thing.

Leave? I side with those who mention commercialism or watering-down the art.


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## NYCRonin

Erich
   It was a pleasure to meet with and converse with your teacher back at the seminar in Seattle. I was quite impressed by his mannner - I hope to see him again one day.

We are moving along well with this thread - and some answers are just what I believed they would be. Anyone else care to 'step up to the plate' and take a swing at the questions?


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## UKgirevik

My journey through the martial arts over the last 20 tears has taken me from traditional Karate through Wing Chun , competetive Muay Thai and Escrima. Each step on the way represented an increase in freedom from the rigid Japanese to the free flowing Phillipino arts despite training hard in all these systems there has always been nagging doubt in the back of my mind, I suppose Systema was a logical progression for me.

I think that Systema found me rather than the other way round. 
I often wonder what would have happened had I discovered this 10 years ago but I don't think that I would have been ready for it then and may have dismissed it as so many others do purely because it doesn't look like a martial art.

Every time I train the system I get the same buzz as when I first discovered martial arts

Would I ever leave the Systema family, hell no!, I've been freed why would I shackle myself again.

Nick


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## Clive

You don't step on or step off The System, it is a way of life.


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## Tom Gass

I was introduced to RMA through Erich. I was looking for something more realistic than the classical arts I had studied over the years. The first time I saw RMA, I was blown away by the movement flow compared to my previous experience. Ive always liked the concept of being able to use the opponents strength against him, the joint locks looked cool, and the class was never the samevery creative. Instead of a lot rote drills that seemed to make no sense, there were a lot of drills designed to develop more sensitivity to contact and learning to apply that sensitivity in a martial way. Of course theres a lot more to it but those were first impressions.  I studied it for 3 years. I got away from it kind of by accident. The group that I studied with is offered through a community college so the access is interrupted occasionally by quarters ending and other reasons. And I was a little frustrated with what I perceived my progress. Some good days, some bad days. I still enjoyed the class but I was beginning to wonder where I was going with it. During the summer break when class not in session between quarters, I contacted a guy listed in the ROSS website that lived nearby. We started working out and it turned out he was a world class teacher in tactical combatives. It was a different approach to self-defense than even the RMA I was studying in that it took into account the psychological and emotional issues that are present in a confrontation or self-defense situation. We worked on verbal diffusions, the psychology and emotions that course through one during these situations, and non-violent postures. Its not rocket science and yet hardly anybody practices it. Ive seen from some of the discussions that it is worked on or considered in Systema but it was missing from my other class. And again logistics play into it. Family obligations prevent me from studying as much as I want to so I pick my battles to speak. Occasionally, I am able to get over and work with Brian Kings group and that is always fun and rewarding. I expect I will always continue in Systema as long as it is available in some form and I have my Systema tapes. I like the thought processes behind it. I dont think I would ever get away from it but Ill continue to experiment with other training methodologies. There are good systems and bad systems but the instructor makes a huge difference.


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## Brian King

OK the why do you practice Systema question. This is the training methodology that freed up my potential. It allowed me to fail and to succeed at the same instant. It has changed my life. I AM a better person now!



> What keeps you here?



I continue to improve not only my movement but also my understanding of my own humanity and place in this world. It is fun and exciting every time I discover something new about my body and its movements. Every discovery shows me that there is much more to life. With every breath that I now take, I am grateful for it, and I try to use it appropriately as the gift from God that it is. Not greedy with it nor selfish or wasteful.



> What do you seek to attain here that you could not find elsewhere?



There are no secrets. Whatever we find here we could have found elsewhere. It is just this methodology vibrates at my frequency, making it more comfortable to seek and find here, than anywhere else that I have so far been able to experience. As far as attaining goes I will let you know if I am ever able to attain anything other than bruises. Everything else is turning out to be onion like. The more I get into something the more levels there are. 



> What could cause you to leave our community?



Well I dont like thinking along those lines. 1st Maybe If I was killed in some motor vehicle
accident or some other accident. 2nd if the community left me.

Off topic



> Occasionally, I am able to get over and work with Brian Kings group and that is always fun and rewarding.



Tom Gass it is always a pleasure when you walk in the door. Hope to see you again soon.
Erich will be guest instructing Nov 8th so you might want to swing on by.

See you on the mat soon
Friends
Brian


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## NYCRonin

Bri
  Good answer - and very much the 'you' I know. 
I thank all who have answered, so far, for being so willing to be so open.
Hopefully, some more will follow.


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## Pervaz

Rob,

After chewing the cud on this thread - the only truthful answer is I dont know ask me in 10 years if I am in Systema (do you like the cop out  ) - i studied another art for a little while and thought i wouldnt leave it but i did and so who knows ...


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## Klondike93

After thinking about this for a few days, and not wanting to give the same answer as others I finally have something to add to it.

I was working with a Kenpo black belt at his first class yesterday, we were doing knife work. The particular drill we were doing was, when your partner began to stab you with the knife, you were to move your body in some way as to relieve the pressure from the stab. Then we took the drill to include take downs and this is when the kenpo black belt uttered the words. He said, "oh, your right, I would have gone another direction and it's so *obvious* which way to go. duh".  What he did was this: he was working a disarm and resorted to his kenpo which had me going one way, then right back at him and I stabbed him again. Then I pointed out if he would have just kept on going the direction he had me started in, he had an arm break and takedown in one.

I have uttered those words many times, "it's so obvious", or "it's so simple" and I never did that when I was studying kenpo or TKD. To me that is "why systema", it's so obvious and simple (yet at times so complex).


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## Josh

Man. Ya'll are lucky. I have seen from ya'lls experiences with it, that's it's a good art. I only like it, cause it's a SHADOW TYPE ART. And an art that really gives you the UPPER hand. I mean dang. Relaxing, Breathing, and moving is good stuff. But unfortuanately, of course, still, i have NO training. I mean, IF i get a chance to learn from SOMEONE, all i can say is, THANK GOD!!!!!!

Jesus LOVES YOU AND ME!!!!


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## kage110

Can a newbie step up the plate on this one?

I have only been around Systema since September last year but already it has had a profound effect on me. I am extremely fortunate to have found someone who has been training in the system for 20 or so years and is a highly skilled fighter and a humble and generous man to boot.

I attended another MA seminar last year and the guy running the show made a passing reference to the 'Russians' and how relaxed they were and suggested that I check them out. I went home and straight on the internet and found Vladimir's (or Arthur's; sorry I cant remember who it belonged to) old forum, did a search for my home town and found my teacher. That forum is gone now so I was extremely lucky to be in the right place at the right time. Or was I....?

My first lesson was incredible: I have never been so effortlessly thrown around in so many different ways, and I have a few years of Judo, jujutsu and ninjutsu training under my belt. I knew exactly what was being done to me but I didn't have a clue how to do it. I have also never laughed so much in training. Interesting enough I have introduced two close MA friends to my instructor and both had just as much trouble as I did, despite having years more experience than I do - that was amusing and it also put the lid firmly down on any doubts that I had about my instructors abilities (because any half decent practitioner could make me look like an idiot but not those two).

Since then I have stumbled my way through session after session slowly, I think, gaining an understanding of what is going on. However, every time I think I am getting somewhere the goal posts get moved and I find myself at square one again. But I am learning something, my whole perception of movement has changed immeasurably and I can see so much more in they way so many martial artists move. Pubs and clubs are changed experiences now as I can feel people around me and when they push past me in a way I never could before.

Being exposed to Systema is the most baffling thing that has ever happened to me, as well as being one of the most enjoyable. Having my eyes opened has not been an entirely pleasant experience as I have come to see everything I thought I knew turned upside down and given a good shake. It has also meant that the martial art I have been pursuing in one form or anther over the last 20 years has lost almost all of its appeal to me. Actually, I don't feel all that sad as how can you be sad when you discover a greater, brighter future?

Why would I ever leave Systema? Well, only if someone could show me a better way of moving, and I cannot imagine how that is physically possible.

Why would I leave the community? Well, other than through the internet I am not really a part of it yet as I am training in isolation at the moment. I hope to meet and train with a few of the people I have 'met' on-line and hopefully I will become even more part of this community in the future. However, if the community goes down the commercial/political route I will be bowing out again though that doesnt mean I will stop training in Systema.

Sorry if I have been a bit long winded, but what can I say, I like to write!


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## Clive

No secnario or topic is too obscure, everything is looked at, then depending on your own slant the opportunity too look deeper is present. :apv:


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