It's a very hard style with rapid punching that flows very well with no stops. They have tournaments all over Russia and overpower their opponents. One of the assistant instructors here in Toronto named Alex showed me some of it. Very cool. Vlad used to teach elements along with systema and often he uses it in demonstrations. It's also called the Hill Fighting Style if my memory serves me correct.
Thanks for that Rommel..Someone is sending me a video of Borba in action..and I will try to post a link of it when I manage to download and get a server for it - from what he told me it seems to a fluid boxing upper body art (or maybe it was my interpretation !)
It's amazing, but only recently did I realize that Vlad's style is a mixture of Ryabko, military style (Kadochnikov?), combat sambo, Slavyano Goritzkaya Borba and buza (and not to mention Uncle Peter's style) depending also on who of his assistant instructors is teaching. One of these assistant instructors just informed me that the old style they used to teach before was more like Kadochnikov, but that it has changed. I could also see the change in the 2 1/2 years I've been here. The style taught here in Toronto is always changing (for the better). There is definitely some kind of evolution taking place. Even Mikhail's students commented how they liked the variation. I spoke to one trained by a Dr. Sergei from Russia (one of Mikhail's top students) and he is here only for a month to attend the seminar and he says it is also different. He loves it by the way.
Uncle Peter was a gentleman that Vladimir studied combat concepts under when he was younger. Peter showed Vladimir techniques for dealing with samurai in one or two steps...
I honestly don't have much information as far as details. But it seemed(seems) to be a foundation of Vladimir's work at times.
I was working some Borba the other day with Jesse, an affiliate Systema instructor from New Jersey, he had picked it up while visiting Toronto.
Fascinatinfg stuff. The circular strikes transitioning into deflecting body protective movements...very efficient. The fists also are used to 'hook'/deflect a straight blow, The hooked fists also can be used to effect limb breaking locks. All done circularly.
I see its influence in Vlad's early work and he still demonstrates such movement in seminars I have attended.
The guy who showed Jesse some Borba is a close friend of mine named Alex Kostic. He is one of the top assistant instructors here in Toronto and really understands the concepts-A great teacher.
Alex REALLY know his stuff. He has a wide experience having started with Vladimir in 1995, making him one of the original set of students. Very smart and good guy too. If you have the chance to take private lessons with him, you will leave with a WEALTH of knowledge and see your systema improve IMMEDIATELY. Both Brian King and I can attest to this.