Although Systema is usually classified as a martial art, there is much more to it, trainer Dmitry Mamedov told Sputnik Mundo. People who practice it say that the emphasis on self-knowledge, not on competition, is what makes Systema different.
“It is a combination of technique, knowledge and understanding that can be useful in self-defense and in daily life. It is an integral system,” Mamedov stressed.
“The purpose is not to win a competition or destroy an enemy or build your personality. On the contrary, the purpose is to know yourself and overcome yourself,” the trainer added.
When Systema emerged, many martial arts were banned in the Soviet Union, but martial traditions of the Cossacks and other peoples of Russia continued to live on in the culture of the country. In the late 1980s the Soviet government tasked Alexey Kadochnikov, a researcher from Krasnodar city, with studying and restoring the martial traditions of people, who “have been protecting their borders, their families, and their motherland for many centuries.” There were others who contributed much to the development of Systema, of which Alexander Retuinskih and Mikhail Ryabko are notable figures. The goal was to use this knowledge in training Special Forces soldiers.
Systema, based on ancestral knowledge, was spread among secret agents, aviation pilots and military staff as an “invisible weapon.” When they used it in fights, their rivals could not identify it as any kind of martial art, Mamedov explained.
In the 2000s Fabián García, a soldier in Argentina’s Special Forces, went to Russia for general training and to learn Kadochnikov’s method. He was so fascinated with it, that when he got back to Argentina he decided to continue practicing Systema, not Eastern martial arts, because the world view Systema is based on is closer to the West. García often went to Russia to improve his skills.
“Unlike eastern martial arts such as karate or taekwondo, Systema is comparatively fast to learn, because it does not impose so many rules, prohibitions, and competitive activity. For example, there are no “belts” showing off your place in the hierarchy.
“If you come to a Systema training session, you won’t know who is who. You can spot a master who conducts the training, but you'll never know the ranks of the apprentices at a glance,” Mamedov explained.
“Usually, in three months people know enough to train the newcomers. Since competition is not important, any of apprentices who have learned some useful technique are eager to share this knowledge with others,” the trainer added.
Moreover, Systema is learned from games, something borrowed from the ancient Cossack tradition where “hard training” is replaced by games instead.
“Apprentices get new knowledge and skills from games. We do not use violence against each other. However, when they have to apply their knowledge in serious fighting they can easily do that,” Mamedov said.
People who practice Systema in Argentina are very different: from young folks of Russian origin to those who have no connection with Russia and just took an interest in its martial arts and traditional culture, and even those who cannot practice other martial arts for health reasons. According to Mamedov, the advantage of this method is that it is easy to adjust to any personal needs.
Systema schools can be found not only in Buenos Aires, but also in five other cities across the country. Each school currently trains 30-50 people. The popularity of Systema is growing in Brazil as well.
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