SYSTEMA

[naitreid]

Has anyone taken SYSTEMA (The System, or, The Russian Martial Art) classes?
If yes, how were they? What did you do on your intro class?

[Bubba Elvis XIV]

Can't answer your questions at all but if you go let me know how you get on...I'd be interested to know.

I've done some Sambo* (another Russian combat sport)...but not even seen Systema.

*yes, it is really called that.

[naitreid]

Well, I can't really say when I will have time to check it out here in helsinki (or if I will check it out at all), but once I do, I will post on how it was...

Anyways, if interested, check out their finland branch website here: http://www.systemafinland.com

Just note that Systema has very uncommon principles and concepts that might look weird and strange at first look .


However, I might consider another combat system, something more known, if I find systema to be too "mystical".
Maybe something like Krav Maga or Silat.

Are you still practising Sambo? maybe another martial art?

[Bubba Elvis XIV]

Yeah - I know the gym.

Krav Maga is good and worth looking at. I have trained silat...I wouldn't recommend it if you are looking for a self defense system. It's very 'flowery' and not practical at all. If you are just interested in doing a martial art...then of course, silat is fine as it is fun and interesting.

You really have to think about what you want from the art and then find an art similiar to your needs / wants.

I did sambo in a gym in Tokyo about 10 years ago...It was an MMA gym and there was some other classes for styles related to MMA. I used to go for the leg locks as they are one of sambo's specialities.

No, I don't train anymore...I trained for years and then got bored, I got sick of being in a certain place at a certain time etc etc...and I'm full of aches and pains (I can hardly type due to a shoulder injury and can't walk without limping ). I am thinking of going to kali/escrima. I trained it before and it's a great art. I would try Sytema too, but to my knowledge there is no gym in Turku.

Have you trained anything else?

[naitreid]

Krav Maga looks as one of the more practical systems, and most likely thats what I will choose.

I did some Hung Gar Kung Fu and a little Wing Chun kung fu, but not to any considerable skill (the Hung Gar forms and the Chi stuff gave me WEIRD strange feelings in my arms while performing, so I quit, it was not for me, I really liked Wing Chun though, the technical, simple, and biomechanical approach to fighting, but I moved to another area and never tried to look for another instructor, it is very hard to find a good/authentic one, as I have noticed many martial arts schools teach crap that would get people killed in a street fight).

Anyways, I am still very young and just got interested in martial arts and combat a few years ago only, so I am new to fighting/defense theme (lots of theory knowledge, very little practice ).

[onkko]

(the Hung Gar forms and the Chi stuff gave me WEIRD strange feelings in my arms while performing, so I quit, it was not for me,

You did quit too early! That was fireball loading.



Ill get my coat.

[Bubba Elvis XIV]

I did some Hung Gar in Liverpool. It's ok. Wing Chun is good, with the right teacher. I did JKD for years and trapping is part of the system. Although Lee did move away from it in later years. People do tend to trap for the sake of trapping when a 'cross' is the only thing needed. You find trapping in silat and escrima too.

as I have noticed many martial arts schools teach crap that would get people killed in a street fight

There is a simple reason for that (as well as a lot of crap instructors)...Most martial arts aren't combat arts...there is a reason why karate is actually called karate-do...judo, aikido etc etc. 'Do' meaning 'way/path'...Most martial arts techniques are impractical, out dated and the training methods are useless.

Quite simply...think of the reverse punch in a lot of martial arts. People train to defend against it. No one is ever going to punch you that way in a self defence situation, so why train techniques to defend against it?

I also blame the belt system...getting a balck belt gives the right to teach...whether you really know the art or whether you have used your art or not. The black belt is still quite magical to the general public but it means sh!t in the real world of crack heads and knife carrying psychos. Mike Tyson doesn't have a black belt. Elvis did.

Geoff Thompson said something like 'You don't fight world war 3 with World War 2 weapons'...If you are interested in real self defence techniques, philosophy, street/combat psychology etc etc. Geoff Thompson's work is really worth looking at.

[naitreid]

actually, Geoff Thompson's book "Watch My Back" was a book that got me first interested in self defence/combat.
This book changed my thinking about martial arts and made me finally understand that just having a black belt in TDK or Karate just won't do it in the street.
I am looking forward to read more of his writings.

I also liked Bob Breen's book "Fighting". I found it to be similar in principles as Bruce Lee's JKD system.

But still, I think is not about weather a person studies Muay Thai, Krav Maga or some other combat style, but it is all about how much effort he puts in to the training. I am sure you heard this phrase 100's of times .
It is even possible to use Karate to be VERY effective in street fights, but it is simply uneconomical and unpractical to study it because it would take MUCH more years to get to that level than with a modern combat system.
I actually have a friend (he is South African) who has been studying Shotokan Karate for about 18 years, and once, during a trip in Zambia, he totally MESSED UP about 6 attackers alone... all needed hospitalisation, two of them will never be able to walk again (this Karateka is lucky that Zambian laws allow such style of self-defence LOL). Just one example that even the martial arts like karate can be extremally deadly as long as studied for a long enough time under a good teacher.

BTW, where are you from originally? I am quite lost, you said something about studying Sambo in Japan, then about doing Kung Fu in England, and now you are in Finland.....

[Bubba Elvis XIV]

Yeah, "Watch my Back" is a good read. I just lent that to a friend. Geoff's theory books are pretty good...."3 Second Fighter" etc..."The Fence" is worth checking out. I met Geoff a long time ago at an MMA event. Nice guy. His idea's were quite shocking 'back in the day'. I remember he once said that if he had to pick 3 "styles" that he would are effective on the door, it would be boxing, judo and rugby. It caused a lot of controversy at the time. People know a little bit more these days.

Yes, true...It's not the art but the way it is trained and the martial artist doing it. But there is systems that are purely designed for 'real' self defence and systems that are more affective for self defence. If you are spending time learning an art then adapting it to make it relevent, then it is time wasted. If you spend 45 mins learning kata, then 45 mins putting the kata into a practical, contempory situation....Just seems pointless if your goal is to learn self defence (if that is your goal). Just as it would be pointless to train like that if your goal is to learn kata because you are interested in it.

Bob Breen is from JKD...so that is why the principles are similiar I think he is more of a silat and escrima guy these days
Breen was taught by Dan inosanto. Dan brought escrima and silat into the JKD mix as he believed they are similiar in theory. Apparently Lee only learnt escrima off Dan as he wanted to use it one of his films, but he had no time for weapon systems.

Paul Vunak was good and worth checking his stuff out..but he got more into sniffing coke. It's kinda funny to watch his videos as he's pretty tough on his partners. He worked with the Navy SEALS for a while and knows his stuff.



i am from the Uk, i lived in Japan for a year. I went there to train Shooto really. I trained with Nakai Yuki...If you have seen Rickson Gracie's 'Choke' video, you will know who I mean. Where are you from yourself?

Oh! Good old you tube.



Nice video of Dan inosanto doing silat.

[naitreid]

I am from Lithuania (I heard Lithuanians got quite a bad reputation in most countries LOL).
Lived in Africa for a few years (thats were I got interested in Martial Arts), and now came to Finland.

Damn, I really wouldn't want to get an elbow strike from the Paul Vunak guy...

[Bubba Elvis XIV]

Lithuania...Love the place!

Vunak is a bit of a beast!