Modern Systema, Russian Martial Arts

REAL Martial Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico

This excellent article was written by Martin Wheeler.  Martin is a Systema teacher based in LA.  I have trained with him in Santa Fe and have the highest respect for him.  This article describes why Systema is what it is.  It answers teh questions I often see on youtube from people who believe a martial art is only a real martial art if it is in UFC or challenged by MMA fighters.  Read and see why Systema is what it is and not something else.   

Over the recent years I have read with interest on the internet back and forth as to the validity of training in Systema by observers who have only viewed experts in the art on YouTube or video. Usually a comparison is made to the most visual of fighting arts, mixed martial arts or MMA. The same types of questions are posted over and over again, “Why do they train slowly? Why does this look way too easy? Why did that guy fall over and seem unable to get back up?”

And I have read with equal interest the various ways in which the art is defended by practitioners of Systema. Not that they are not valid questions, they definitely are, it is just I rarely hear these same questions from anyone in seminars, classes, or in sparring sessions, no matter what their background or what speed they work at.

Just for the sake of balance, I began in the martial arts at a tender age and have studied in many full contact environments from boxing systems to grappling systems, to clever weapons based and ‘street-fighting’ arts, and have enjoyed sparring, fighting and training for the last thirty years with anyone who’s paths I have crossed from beginners to world-class full contact fighters. I was a bouncer for ten years and I am currently contracted to share my views on close-quarter-combatives with professionals from elite security services around the world, as-well-as MMA fighters, Systema practitioners, traditional martial artists and civilians.

So why, if I have studied all these other full contact systems with relative success, would I choose Systema?

For me that is easy to answer. It’s because I have tried it. I am just one of many who brought whatever I had in my little bag of tricks to test Vladimir Vasiliev, or heaven forbid, Mikhail Ryabko, when I first met them. And I have yet to see anyone who did not come out the other end of the experience the same as I did, that is to say, confused, in pain but with a profound insight into the fact that something fundamental had changed.

To put it mildly, there is a lot more going on with Systema than meets the eye. And if there were not, if you could really just see what was happening by watching it on YouTube, then it would not be very good Systema.

Mixed martial arts are dramatic, fast and superbly visual. The best method for two pugilistic grapplers to go at it since the gladiators of old Rome. You can see what is happening and the results are self evident. It hosts some of the best conditioned and most versatile athletes in the world.

I love to watch it, I love to train in it and always enjoy working with anyone from that world. And in my opinion, anyone who trains in MMA who is even half decent, man or woman, is to be taken very seriously.

So I hear you ask: Well, if Systema is so good why isn’t it in the UFC? And I think that is an excellent question.

But I might ask: Well, if the UFC was any good why don’t they throw a knife in the cage?

As unrealistic as that is, maybe you get my point? The dynamic of a fight would change immediately if a knife were indeed tossed into the cage. You would see two highly trained fighters having to immediately adapt to a completely new set of rules or die almost instantaneously.

I think anyone would agree that eating jabs from a skilled fighter, possibly the least lethal of MMA striking attacks, sucks, but by comparison is quite pleasant compared to a single knife wound.

When I first trained with Vladimir he stopped me in the middle of a sparring session and said in his own inimitable way, ‘Martin, I know men that you would take to pieces in the ring’. Of course, stupidly beaming with pride I thought he was complimenting me, until he turned away to attend another student and added flatly… ‘But they would kill you.’

And there’s the rub. Almost every visible strategy, philosophy and motion that is great in an MMA sport environment is useful in the street and even on the battlefield. But only useful. Whereas everything in Systema is purposely designed for both of the later environments, is not visual, and has been proven as effective in those arenas as MMA has in the cage. Systema’s structure is intentionally designed to appear structureless, and the speed of the action although registering as slow to the eye is actually a highly developed relational timing, deceptive due to the Systema practitioner remaining calm.

Recently I was invited to introduce the concept of Systema to an overseas Special Operations Unit. While there, I was shown a video of various instructors that had been invited to train their operators and show what they had to offer. Among them was a top MMA coach from Pride. I asked what they thought of his training. ‘Excellent’ the Colonel said ‘but for us, virtually useless.’

This is in no way disparaging to the Pride coach, he was obviously excellent. But the fact remains, what is good in one arena is not necessarily good for another. Systema is not designed primarily for a sport environment or a sport mentality anymore than MMA is primarily designed for a battlefield environment or a combat mentality.

One could train for twenty years in Jujitsu, for example, and be an amazing grappler. But if you were to introduce just one more opponent into the fight you would not be doing Jujitsu anymore. It is simply not designed for fighting two opponents efficiently at the same time, even on the ground. It is primarily structured to fight one opponent at a time.

I am not saying the Jujitsu fighter would not prevail, I am merely suggesting that if he had to fight two or more possibly armed opponents at the same time on a daily basis then his training might soon start to look, at least from the outside, like Systema. And then armed with that knowledge, the way he worked against a single opponent again would also dramatically change. After ten years or so it would look as alien to another Jujitsu practitioner observing it from the outside as Systema does now after centuries of refinement.

Systema, as a martial art, in the form it exists now is primarily designed for real life application, it works for unpredictable situations (such as multiple opponents, various weapons, uneven terrains, poor lighting, confined space, etc.) for professionals in the military, law enforcement and security, for someone who’s got to fight while injured or wounded or has to protect a woman or child, for someone who is older or in a poor physical condition. Training and fighting in Systema is designed to avoid injuries, and even heal your old ones. And that requires a very different bag of tricks, look and feel to a sport fighting art.

Although, as Vladimir once remarked with that casual profound quietness ‘Systema just happens to be a martial art’. And to have any understanding of that gem, one cannot merely observe it from the outside…

Martin Wheeler, Systema Senior Instructor, U.S.A. Martin is teaching regular Systema classes at The Los Angeles School of Russian Martial Art. He has trained in the martial arts for over thirty years ranging from Boxing, Grappling, Weapons fighting, Kenpo Karate and for over 10 years in Systema. He is contracted to teach SWAT teams and Special Operations Units and is also produced Hollywood screenwriter.

Genesis of REAL Martial Arts

The Genesis of REAL Martial Arts

REAL Martial Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico
www.realmartialarts.org

The genesis of Real Martial Arts is that it is designed for real people who may have to deal with uncomfortable situations or violent encounters in the real world.  We focus on skills that will be effective in a real world violent attack and other stressful situations.

These skills include empty hand skills such as striking, deflecting, grappling, standing and on the ground.  We cover skills for ranges that include contact where a person is being grabbed and hit, close distance where striking and hand held weapons are often utilized and projectile distance where firearms and other means of delivering a projectile to a target are common.

Our teaching approach is different from what is commonly seen in martial arts schools and combat sporting gyms.  People learn better and remember more when there is a creative element of self discovery involved. Ideas, concepts, principles and feelings are all integrated into our teaching methods.  Learning becomes a mind-body experience that allows for integration of knowledge and skill in a holistic manner.  This type of discovery allows for anchoring of new information into the system as a whole.

It is just like in school.  If all you did was remember a bunch of information for a test you likely forgot most of it two weeks later.  If you created a science project or wrote a poem or painted a picture that is a part of you and will stay with you the rest of your life.

Training in martial arts is similar.  Students are often taught to replicate their teacher, to remember moves and techniques that have little meaning as a way of learning.  Some styles have hundreds of these and students have to remember names, sequences of movement, attacks and the appropriate response all in the name of moving up in rank.  What is interesting is when you see most of these students spar or fight they use very little of these complicated movements and resort to basic skills that work.

In REAL Martial Arts we have no ranking system and students are told not to replicate the teachers. Students are encouraged to feel it out.
What feels natural to you?
How does your body want to respond?
OK, lets develop those natural responses and movements and see how they work.
These are things you will hear in our classes.

Students internalize the skills through their own filters and abilities.  They gain understanding of their inner responses to stress, fear, human interaction and conflict.  They have the opportunity of self discovery and learning from the inside out.  The results are uniquely theirs and no one else will respond exactly the same way.  This creates an internalized understanding of what is happening and how to use their natural abilities to their highest advantage.

Skills are different from techniques.  A technique is a certain kind of strike or block, maybe a kick. Techniques are also a series of movements that are applied in a very specific manner against a specific attack.  A skill is understanding the trajectory of a strike and how to use movement and deflection to change the direction of the strike.  Skills are adaptable and can be used in hundreds of ways to address the immediate situation. Techniques are often static and applied under certain conditions that will never be replicated in the real world.  Skills allow for adaptation and change, they grow as the knowledge of the student grows.

Skills and knowledge go hand in hand.  As the body learns to feel the movement the mind understands what is happening.  This integrated approach of body-mind learning is integrated into everything we do at REAL Martial Arts.  Facilitating the learning of our students is our highest priority.  We encourage exploration and personal input, not replication and mimicking of others.

Our students learn about themselves and how to handle stress in a beneficial way.  They learn about their natural responses to events outside of themselves and how to solve problems to their advantage.

REAL Martial Arts is much more than a martial arts school.  We help people develop skills that they will use in all aspects of their lives through the training methods and the study of martial arts and combat science.  

For further information contact:
Raven Hicks
REAL Martial Arts
Santa Fe, New Mexico
505-913-0199
raven@realmartialarts.org
www.realmartialarts.org

Way of the Warrior

REAL Martial Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico
I love this picture.  A warrior riding in the mist toward battle.  Most of us would run the other way and hide.  A Warrior does not create conflict and go into battle for no reason but they do not hide from it either.
In Law Enforcement there is an analogy used to describe three different groups of people.  There are the wolves.  These are the predators, the ones who take advantage of the others, the ones who create havoc and destruction, who steal and harm all for their own personal gain and satisfaction.  This is a small but powerful group of people who prey on the weak.
The next group are the sheep dogs.  These are the protectors.  The ones who have decided to stand up to the wolves, to protect the ones who can not protect themselves for some reason.  These are the young men and women who have chosen an honorable profession and place themselves between the wolves and the sheep, the third group, everyday.  They are our modern warriors, law enforcement and military personnel who will fight for those who cannot, or choose not to.
There is also the civilian group of sheep dogs.  These are people who take personal responsibility for their own safety and the safety of their family and loved ones.  They are strong and courageous people.  They are people who study martial arts, self defense, who arm themselves with skills and knowledge and know how to deal with the wolves and keep them away.
At REAL Martial Arts people learn how to be sheep dogs.  They learn how to deal with conflict, they learn how to control and use their fears to their advantage, they learn how to deal with a wolf and protect themselves and their loved ones.  They acquire the skills and know how to deal with violent confrontation, they know how to neutralize a threat and get to safety.  They are Warriors who are not afraid to ride into the mist to protect those that they love.
The third group are the sheep.  They are nice people who go to work everyday and have families.  They walk around and do not see the wolves.   They call the sheep dogs and ask for help when a wolf attacks.  They are either unwilling to take steps to empower themselves to be able to fend off the wolves or pretend they do not exist and go about their merry way.  When something bad does happen they call a sheep dog to deal with it.  They are nice people, normal people, there is nothing wrong with being a sheep.
I certainly am not one.  Never have been, never will be.  I am a sheep dog and proud of it.  Which one are you?  I hope you are not a wolf.  If you are a sheep then I offer you an opportunity to become a sheep dog.  It really isn't very hard.  Look at yourself in the mirror, then look around you at the ones you love.  Now ask yourself, is it worth knowing how to deal with a violent situation and how to protect your loved ones?  If you answered yes, then you may have a sheep dog hiding inside of you.  Let us help you bring it out.
Join us for sheep dog training, Tuesday and Thursday evening at 7 pm at The Martial Arts Training Center, 932 Railfan Road, Santa Fe.
If you are already a sheep dog come and join us, we would love to see you there.
For more information call me at 505-913-0199.

Systema, Russian Martial Arts

REAL Martial Arts Training for Combat
A look at Systema, Russian Martial Arts

Spirit Warriors Martial Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico
www.martialartssantafe.com 

I attended a workshop with Martin Wheeler this past weekend.  Martin teaches Systema, Russian Martial Arts.  He has an extensive martial arts background and is an excellent instructor.  Except for still being bruised and sore I had a fun and very educational experience.

On my drive home with my friend Ken, who also attended, we started talking about the difference between most martial arts training in technique based styles and what we had just experienced.  To put in a little context here, I have been studying martial arts for over 25 years.  I have run the course from traditional, culturally based arts to more advanced, modern combat sciences.  Ken has studied Shotokan for 7 years.

I came up with the analogy of Systema working on the core operating system, while most martial arts are working on a technique based programming level.  Just like in a computer, the operating system has to be in place, strong and able to handle anything you throw at it.  If the operating system fails, nothing else works.  Technique based styles function at a much simpler level just like computer programs.  You can add one for kicking, punching, grappling etc.  However if there is no grounded and comprehensive operating system that unifies the whole, it is just a bunch of separate disconnected programs.

Systema's core operating system works on basic principles, not individual techniques or a series of moves put together to respond to a certain stimulus.  It is much more comprehensive in it's approach.    Four of these principles, that I understand, are relaxation, movement, structure and proper breathing.  Drills are designed to emphasize some or all of these areas of development.

Relaxation.  I like to think of this more as no unnecessary tension.  People often confuse relaxation with the wet noodle type of relaxation that is also counter productive to good martial arts.  Relaxation means responding to something with exactly the correct amount of tension needed to move the body, avoid an attack and neutralize the threat with the least amount of energy needed.  Unnecessary tension creates openings for attack, slows down movement, requires more energy to do the same amount of work and is completely unnecessary.  A relaxed body moves faster and more fluidly, responds to more subtle cues and avoids injury when it gets hit.  It is similar to the drunk driver who does not get hurt in a crash because he does not tense up, but just moves around with the impact.  Noticing tension in your opponent also creates openings and opportunities for attack.  Reading a persons tension, lack of mobility and targets is what makes a Systema practitioner so precise and deadly.  No action is wasted and it is not based on preset attacks and defenses that will never occur in the real world, it is based on reading what your opponent is actually doing and taking advantage of that opening right now.  As you advance in your practice and are relaxed and fluid in your own body you can also create the tension and targets you want in your opponent by manipulating them and gaining control over them with little effort.  One of the biggest creators of tension is fear.  There are many ways to dissipate fear.  This however is an extensive discussion that can not be properly addressed in this article.  We will do so in a future article that will be devoted entirely to fear and how to use it to your advantage.

Movement is vital and absolutely necessary. Allowing the body to move naturally and without restriction is the best way to avoid being hit and to hit without giving away your intention and using surprise and stealth to your advantage.  If your opponent can't see whats coming he can't respond to it.  The only way to do this is to be relaxed.   When you move there is a level of relaxation that makes it hard for others to perceive what is really happening.  Movements are smooth, non-aggressive and difficult to read.  Your attack has already landed before it is observed, therefore your opponent has no opportunity to respond.  There are no fighting postures or stances.  There is no telegraphing your intentions.  Action is taken with such finesse that your opponent does not even know what happened.  Fluid, natural, unrestricted motion is a trademark of Systema.  Others often make the mistake of thinking Systema is weak and has no power.  That is until they get hit by a Systema practitioner and didn't even see it coming, or get frustrated in not being to hit back because of the illusive, relaxed movement of their Systema opponent.

Structure is another core principal.  Structure does not mean over exaggerated stances or unnecessary  holding of positions.  Structure means proper alignment of the body is relation to what is happening.  Keeping the head up and spine straight are very important.  Moving the body as a whole from the core is vital to create power and avoid being hit with consequence.  Let me explain that last statement.  Being hit is not of concern.  If you are relaxed and in motion with proper breathing being hit is only a mild irritation, if that.  Being hit when you are tense, out of alignment or immobile can be another thing.  That is why it is so important to understand these principals and to perfect them.  Structure keeps the body strong and allows for fluid motion and power generation from various positions.  In Systema you learn to strike from almost anywhere, to catch your opponent by surprise and do the unexpected.  It is not necessary to be in a particular stance, facing your opponent at a particular angel in order to cause damage.  In fact it is preferred to avoid all of these preconceived ideas and to move with instinct and do what is natural for you.

Breath, the first thing we do in this life is breathe in, the last is breathe out.  Breath is life.  We all breathe.  There is however proper breathing and just breathing.  There are entire books written on proper breathing techniques for combat.  Systema has it's own version as well.  Breathing helps to create all of the previous principals.  It can also destroy them.  One of the first and most important things a practitioner learns in Systema is how to breathe.  There are literally hundreds of exercises focused on breath work and how to use your breath to create relaxation, strength and endurance.  How to use breath to reduce fear, expel tension and heal the body.  I believe breathing is the most important of all the principals we have talked about here.  That is why I saved it for last.  I want you to remember how important it is and to learn more about it.  Breathing is taught to soldiers, law enforcement officers, martial artists, it helps to contain stress and keep adrenaline responses under control.  It helps to heal the body and allow it to continue when injured.  Proper breathing is vital to relaxation and movement.  I think one of the best places to start is with the book written by Vladimir Vasiliev entitled "Let Every Breath".  It is comprehensive in it's description and shows you hundreds of exercised to do to perfect your own breathing.  You can also find lots of videos on Youtube with breath teachings as well.

I hope this very limited information about Systema has created a curiosity in you.  I have been studying Systema for about three years and the teachings have changed the way I do almost everything in my life.  Systema is not just an effective martial art, or combat system.  It's principles are true in all aspects of life.

Spirit Warriors Martial Arts
Raven Hicks
Santa Fe, New Mexico

Taking Personal Responsibility

More from Spirit Warriors Martial Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico

 www.martialartssantafe.com

Taking Personal Responsibility 

Taking personal responsibility for your own safety is the greatest gift you can give yourself and your loved ones. 

We all want a safe and secure world for ourselves and our children and it is up to us to create that world by taking the steps necessary to make it so.  Accepting responsibility is the first step.  Sticking your head in the sand and pretending that the world is safe and there is no crime or having the mindset that “It will never happen to me” are just delusions that allow us not to deal with reality.  The reality is violent crime has increased 500% in the past 50 years.  There are many ideas as to why this is occurring and many factors that can be blamed.  I feel however that the biggest reason is complacency.  People have become so selfish, so self consumed in their drive for personal satisfaction that they have failed to take responsibility for what goes on in their communities.  They blame economics, politics, social class, lack of police presence, religion and just about anything else they can think of.  This is much easier than taking personal responsibility and making a difference themselves. 

The police can not be everywhere, the politicians are too busy with their own power lust and our neighbors have their head stuck in the sand.  So it is up to you. 

What can you do? 

The first step is to become aware of what is happening in your community.  What types of crimes are being committed?  Who is committing them?  When are they occurring?  This creates awareness, the first step in self defense.  The second step is learning how to assess situations and how to avoid being in the wrong place at the wrong time, as they say.  When you are aware of what is happening and know how to assess situations you can make choices that will decrease your chances of becoming a victim of a violent crime substantially. 

Avoidance is always the best option when dealing with a potentially violent situation.  I had an experience a couple of years ago with a lunatic on the highway.  He started following me and yelling at me as we were driving.  I guess I offended his sense of honor or something.  He followed me for about 15 miles until we got to my turnoff.  When I moved to the right lane to take my exit he followed me so I got back on the highway.  I went a few more miles and then made a U turn at which time he yelled some racial slur and derogatory comment about my heritage out his window and kept going.  I could have stopped and pulled over got all offended about his comments about my parents and perhaps kicked his butt.  I have, after all, been a police officer and have a black belt.  The problem is he didn’t know any of that and he probably didn’t care.  He may have been armed or just been lucky and kicked my butt.  I guess we will never know.  What I do know is that I went home, happy and safe, and spent the rest of the evening with my family. 

  

If all attempts at avoiding a situation fail it may be necessary to take action.  The actions I am talking about here are defending yourself and others.  They are actions that should only be taken under the most threatening circumstances and when there are no other options.  Self defense is your right.  It is also your responsibility.  It is your responsibility to learn safe and effective skills that can be used when your health and safety are threatened.  It is your responsibility to know your legal rights and what you can do without getting into trouble.  Using force against another person has to be done within the confines of the law.  If you use too much force you may have prevented physical injury but now face civil and criminal liability.  It is not an easy subject.  You must learn more than just the physical skills, you must learn how to protect yourself in all areas. 

At Spirit Warriors Martial Arts we offer a comprehensive program of self defense that covers all areas of personal protection, physical, mental, emotional, legal and financial.  Our programs teach you everything you need to know to protect yourself, your loved ones and your property in an increasing violent and uncertain world. 

Spirit Warriors Martial Arts

Santa Fe, New Mexico

What really works?

From Spirit Warriors Martial Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

I have studied martial arts for over 25 years.  I have been involved in traditional styles such as Goju Ryu Karate, Hakoryu Jiu Jitsu and Tai Chi Chuan.  I have also played a little with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and other sport oriented styles.  My true interests lie in reality based martial arts such as Krav Maga, Russian Systema as well as the Philippino and Malaysian stick and knife fighting systems. 

As you can imagine there are many different approaches and ideas as to what works best and how it works.  I have watched people do one step and three step techniques.  I have observed students learning rote memory attacks and defenses against completely impractical movements.  I have walked up and down the floor throwing punches and kicks into the air at imaginary opponents.  I have sparred with so much protective gear covering my body it did not matter what my partner or I did to each other, it didn’t work.  Thus the question, “What really works?”

I do not pretend to have the answer to this question.  That is why I am a student.  Tonight in class I was working with one of my students.  He has several years of martial arts experience and is up to what people would call a Black Belt.  He moves well, knows his stuff and trains hard.  We started off slow working with a wooden knife trying techniques and skills we have done before.  As we progressed the speed accelerated, the intensity increased and we both started getting cut, a lot!  If it was a real knife we both would have ended up dead. 

We worked on trapping, grabbing, redirecting, striking, you name it we did it.  When I have done this in the past with a cooperative partner it worked well and looked great.  I was the skilled warrior ready to take on any knife wielding attacker.  But wait, he wasn’t cooperative.  He didn’t stand still with his arm extended and wait for me.  When I moved he moved, when I attacked he defended.  Sometimes he attacked my attack.  OK something is not working here.  I am doing everything I have been taught from some of the best and my student is cutting me.  He is doing what I taught him and he is being cut and stabbed.  What are we doing wrong?  What are we doing right? 

I decided that I need to look at things a little different.  As I said earlier I have studied traditional, sport and reality based martial arts.  I have done all the things martial artist do when we train.  Most of it is a complete waste of time therefore we are very particular about what we do and how we do it at our school.  Even with this very realistic, practical approach we need to change. 

How are you training?  What is the primary focus of your school?  How does you teacher present the material to you?  Will it work on the street as well as it works in the dojo?  Will it work on a moving, aggressive, uncooperative attacker as well as it works on you compliant training partner?  We spend hours training and learning, make sure you are not wasting your time.  Take a good look at what you are doing and how you are doing it and ask yourself. “Does this really work?” 

Let me know what you come up with.  I would love to hear your stories, suggestions and comments.

Classes at Spirit Warriors are offered weekly in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  Come check out a class.

Raven Hicks

Spirit Warriors Martial Arts
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Martial Arts Santa Fe: What Martial Arts are to Me

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