Didnt SBG'S Europe affiliate have an altercation,or something like it? I ask because I am curious about Systema
I'm pretty sure I already know the answer......but I'd love to hear Matt's thoughts on Systema, even though he's done countless lectures on just that sort of martial art already.
Altercation has what to do with your curiousity again?
As to Matt's thoughts on it? I think you already know his thoughts
about aliveness and if not, check out our home page.
As to Systema, check it out for yourself then compare and contrast
with what you know is functional.
-Luis
Luis,Altercation was probably a bad choice of words,I read part of an old forum piece(not here)about Karl checking out some Systema school or seminar out.
I hate when Luis does that.
Gossip squasher!
Just kidding.
The most common Systema in North America is from Mikhael Ryabko and Vladimir Vasiliev. I looked into it a few years ago, so I'll take a shot at your question. It sounded great; no kata, just drills and sparring. Research turned up a couple problems for me: outrageous moves and a supernatural component. Unfortunately, many Systema guys act as if one is out of line for questioning instructors who advise people to kick guns out of attackers hands and use plenty of no-touch techniques.
If you can borrow a copy of Vlad's TRS tapes-- DON'T BUY THEM!!!-- you can see him advise students to capture a punch between your chin & chest then duck behind the opponent and take him down by putting chin pressure into his shoulder blade. The material goes downhill from there. Their gun disarming tape shows how to kick the gun out of a perp's hand and the knife tape shows pinning the flat of a blade onto your stomach and disarming your opponent by twisting your waist. Both Ryabko and Vlad practice getting an opponent to target their hand and thus getting him so off-balance as to fall down: probably not gonna work on anyone with a blood alcohol below .15%. Ryabko advises against straight punching because you'll go blind!
Then their "Psychic Energy" is just one of the most outrageous things you'll ever encounter. They've been laying off these claims lately as Systema spends more time in the West. Despite their claims, "Psychic" isn't a misnomer or poor translation-- I think it's exactly what it sounds like. Their forum used to be filled with stories of psychic work like moving people by waving a finger at them or putting them to sleep by cuddling them like babies. There are seminar reviews of Ryabko doing magic things like draining people's energy into the mat or making himself invible to them. Occasionally, a no-touch story will come up on their forum, but nowhere near what it was 5-6 years ago. Their official Systema Guidebook advocates staring in a mirror with a candle lit behind you to discover your spirit animal. These are just the tip of the iceberg.
If these things don't bother you then you may enjoy Systema. Otherwise, it's probably been hyped too much.
"Their official Systema Guidebook advocates staring in a mirror with a candle lit behind you to discover your spirit animal."
Oh geeeez!
I agree it looks strange but russia is a tough place I doubt these guys could foul around for so many years and fake people. Even Pavel (the Kettlebell guy) has respect for Vladimir.
Everything I wrote is true and I'm sure Vlad can fight. That said, SBG probably isn't the forum for a Systema debate so we should probably take it elsewhere.
Pavel has produced some very crappy MA oriented videos... so I perosnally don't take his opinion on MA as gold...
Pavels books are al awesome I repect his opinion. Don?t get me wrong I like BJJ/MMA and I like the stuff SBG puts out (can?t wait for FJKD 3) but I think that maybe systema has more to offer than you can see at first.
"Their forum used to be filled with stories of psychic work like moving people by waving a finger at them or putting them to sleep by cuddling them like babies."
Like Crocodile Dundee and the water buffalo? Cool!!!!!
Sometimes I think that for a lark I will make some crazy nonsense up off the top of my head, and see if people will just blindly follow along. And then I see a Systema video and I realize fuck it, thats already been done.
When it comes to the human populations inabilty to think critically sometimes you just have to say. . . WTF?!
Karl was a flashlight, but it grows the same as mushrooms.
For anyone above who has attended a systema class or seminar...do they provide the kool aid? or do you have to bring your own? is it pre-mixed??
I apologize in advance if this seems harsh, but I wonder what sort of techniques would this guy/style show to incapacitate a man with a bomb strapped to his chest? Are these instructionals for hollywood stunt-double wannabes or real people in real life/death situations? I just don't understand it.
If straight punching causes blindness, wouldn't boxers be running around with canes and coffee mugs full of change after a few years of training in the gym?