Some of my Russian classmates don't speak English. Large portions of our class are taught in Russian so they can learn, too. They are obviously recently emigrated to the U.S. If they have a natural advantage, it hasn't been apparent. Maybe it takes a few years for this advantage to manifest itself. How long does a Russian stay in the U.S. before the "advantage" wears off, anyway? I want to warn my Russian classmates to get cracking before they become "domestic" Russians and lose this yet-to-be-revealed advantage.
This is the first I've heard that personality, open-mindedness, and diligence are to be found in greater quantities in Slavic culture than anywhere else. Charming though they may be, I never thought of Slavs as having more personality than other cultures. So Slavs are the best, huh? Well, there's something to admire about ethnic pride, to be sure (assuming you are Slavic, I've no idea). I personally don't put much stock in other people's ancestors. I've known very bad people from good and even noble families, and downright heros who are the offspring of criminals. Maybe I am descended from warriors--it was once the pastime of the nobility and some have tried to tell my one side of the family was noble, because of the prefix of the original surname. But I don't care. Maybe they had a great big bloody castle and the biggest host you ever saw. Maybe they were Nazis. I'll never know, they're long gone. Maybe I have the Slavic blood AND the heroic predecessors, I mean, 2 out of 4's not bad, that's half an advantage, anyway.
Or does being born in NY negate all that because I'm domestic? Is there a System for calculating this advantage? I'm Slavic by descent and let's say for the purposes of tallying advantage, I also have the heroic ancestors. But I'm not Russian or ROC, just a Russophile. But my co-worker speaks fluent Russian and is familiar with the culture. However, he's not Slavic, he's from Uzbekhstan and he's Jewish. Then I have another friend who is neither Slavic, Russian, ROC, but maybe she has the heroic ancestors, I never asked (did I mention New Yorker's don't give a rat's *** who your ancestors were? Pardon for being crude but I am domestic and that is the local dialect, you see.) But she has her degree in Russian studies, has traveled there, speaks the language fluently, and is certainly the most knowledgeable about Russia of any of us. So who has the biggest advantage if we all took up Systema at the same time? Would it be the one who has most recently immigrated to the U.S.? Is this closeness to the Russian soul that gives the advantage a geographic, spiritual, cultural, or simply genetic closeness? I really want to know so I can get a better idea of how this increasingly hypothetical advantage is measured.
I take particular umbrage at your remark, "Next time you see Mikhail Rybako ask him about this." I twice posted to this thread that
I am far from the sources of Systema, by which I thought it was understand I've never even met Mikhail Rybako. Did you not know I've never met Mikhail Ryabko? I think you know this, but pointed it out anyway just to be snarky. More than anything else in your post, this remark strikes me as hostile.
I haven't met Mikhail Rybako, so what do I know of Systema? Suprisingly, I agree with you there. That is why I twice mentioned that I am far from Systema's sources. Honestly, if you told me to Shut Up I'd take less offence than this remark. Unless you really meant to say, "You should ask Mikhail Rybako about this," which is good advice, but the sly use of the word "Next" indicates that you are saracastically implying that my visits to MR have been frequent although you know this is not true.
Going by what others have said of him, which is by no means definitive, and videos and printed interviews--also not a deciding factor as these can be edited, but that's all the info I have available to me--it seems MR would say that ROC will give you an advantage in everything. Not just Systema, but life. He is passionate about his faith, isn't he? But has he ever said that converting to ROC will give you an advantage in Systema? Or do you also have to be born to ROC, in which case, my Russian Jewish classmates lose a little of their overall advantage,
All right, so Systema can't be mastered by anyone. I guess you just have to be born to it. You've made this quite clear, fine I'll remain a dilettante. If that's Systema than perhaps I am not a student of it, I'm just a student of my teacher, who says that respect is given as it is earned. I'd throw in my lot with that approach over the other in a heartbeat.
Your closing says I am welcome to visit you in Serbia but the body of your message says quite another thing altogether. It's ironic that I only just discovered the Serbia training opportunities through
http://www.russianmartialart-serbia.com/ and had really enjoyed browsing the site and fantasizing about the day I'd visit. I had wanted to visit Moscow but after looking at the site, I thought Serbia looked like fantastic opportunity for my first visit to Russia. I really wanted to see all the historic sites described and to take advantage of the great training, the surrounding country, and the beautiful facilities. I still think it's a great opportunity, but it's one which is no longer an option for me. I won't say never, because I can't divine the future, but a certain analogy about a large icy particle of precipitation and the blazing underworld springs to mind.
Pardon me if this post is too abrasive, I have five generations of Brooklyn in my bloodlines and that gives a huge advantage when it comes to insulting people.
-Rachel
artyon: Allrighteethen!!!
