Sunday, June 25, 2006

Russian Systema Self-Defense - What is it?

Is it shown at the link below, filmed at the school of a truly great fighting master?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQDuCRMGJ3Y

Or, is the authentic Systema demonstrated at the link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_-5MY7qFWA&mode=related&search=

See how different they are. It is tempting to say "There are as many Systema's as there are practitioners." True to some degree. But the two video clips above show mutually contradictory approaches. It is tempting to say "Training mode is not the real art. True to some degree. But the first clip shows sparring style, mutliple continuous moves, jabbing, parrying, twirling around etc.. The second clip shows the classical single-motion elegant quick takedown approach, as always exemplified in Mikhail's movements.

All people on all clips above are doubtless real hardass, kickass real-world fighters. But only one clip can be "right" about what is Systema. Ignorant onlookers would say of the first clip: "It has some reality, but where is the Systema?" The same ignorant onlookers would say of the second clip "It sure looks like Systema. But are the attacks and defenses real-world credible?"

I do not know the answer.

Saturday, June 03, 2006

Yes, I know what you are talking about - the concentration of all your thoughts in the moment, the rush of adrenalin, the profound peace of simply existing when you could be dead the next second.

Combine it with a belief in something, and you have most repeat soldiers.

But it's bullshit. It passes the minute you are hurt.

In Iraq, most of the repeat offenders are there for the money.

And then you have the sick ones; there have always been sick ones.

-Kostas Dervenis