Systema worthwhile?

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KeithC

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Does anyone have first-hand experience with Systema as a fighting system? I'm a MA newbie & still trying to find what "fits" best. Krav was an excellent choice but I was spending twice as much time commuting to the school as I was training. Frankly, I punked out.

There's a local school that offers Systema training and my initial impression (free class) was that it seemed as instinctive as KM. A little weird, but still straightforward and, for lack of a better term, comfortable. Almost the Aikido version of Krav.

Web searches don't turn up much that's useful. I either find glorified ads for it or people having a pi**ing match over whether it's all hype and no substance. I can't put too much on the fact that the instructor wiped the floor with me because if it was all that difficult to do, I wouldn't be looking for good training. :D

So... any feedback or reviews? Is it worth my time and money or should I suck it up and get back to KM?

Thanks much,
Keith C.
 
KeithC:

I have no direct experience with "Systema" but I have had the distinct privledge of training with Scott Sonnon (www.rma.tv & www.subjectcontrol.com).
Scott is the prime mover behind ROSS in the US. I was very impressed with the elements of ROSS that I was exposed to during a law enforcement defensive tactics seminar that Scott taught. ROSS and Systema share a common heritage and I would expect that there is good to be gained from Systema.
 
Thank you, Paul. It can be a little overwhelming for a newbie to sort the data from the hype. Input is appreciated.

Much obliged,
Keith
 
If you get some gear and a partner, then you could do some of the KM training on your own. Then again, you could do this with any system. You'd still have to travel for real instruction, but you could practice as much as you wanted to at home.

I do a little of this, but I'm far too lazy to do the kind of grueling training that I do with the KM instructor driving us on. Getting a good partner could have a similar effect, though I really like having someone who knows what they are doing to correct me when I mess up.

I don't know Systema from a hole in the ground, but it probably can't hurt to do a test run. Maybe take some more classes and see if you like it as much. Do they stress the hell out of you like in a KM class?
 
I'm going to an RMA (Russian Martial Arts) knife training held by a company called Systema from Germany soon. Don't know if its the outfit you mean, but I'll post a review.
 
There is a world of difference between Ross and Vasilevs Systema. Ross is heavily based in Russian Sambo while Systema has its roots in ethnic fighting styles of old Russia. Theres more fluidity in Systema, as well as a lot of mystique. Ross is also well thought of. You pay your quarter and take your ride. Vasilev has a lot to teach, having instructed Russian Spetnaz troops in the deadly arts. I see some fluff in some of it, as in almost all of the styles, however, Vasilev is no joke. He's a fighter who knows his business. If you really want to see some knife work, get his knife fighting videos. Scary what he can do with a blade. You can do lot worse than Systema. Of course, if you really want to learn to fight fast, nothing beats a good WW2 combatives course.
 
Wingnutz: I've only taken the one class and did *not* get any of the cardio warmup or stress drills (although getting my a** handed to me was a pretty good "stress drill"). And I'm with you regarding having someone around who *knows* what they're doing so I can be corrected when I screw up.

Gunter: Don't know if there's a direct affiliation (other than being a RMA) but I look forward to reading your review.

4DIR: I was just trying to see if I was *getting* taken for a ride. Guess only time will tell, although I was favorably impressed so far. Like I said earlier, I'm a newbie. I've found "official" websites for RMA and Krav - is there anything similar for WW2 combatives? Something that could give me places to check out, training-wise?

Unless I come across something *more* impressive in the next week or two, I'm going to "pay my quarter". I'll give it a few months and post a review of the training, if anyone's interested.

Thanks again for the feedback,
Keith C.
 
Do a search for American Combatives on the net. They have several affiliated schools around the country. Headquarters is in W. Va. . They'll teach you enough in 3 days to handle 99 % of your problems.
 
Two Websites to check out ROSS and Systema:

Vladimir Vasiliev's site
www.russianmartialart.com

Scott Sonnon's site
www.amerross.com

[I posted the wrong URL before!]

There are numerouis articles on both sites discussing the background and history of Russian Martial Arts.

ROSS is much more than sambo. Sambo is a component of both Systema and ROSS. Systema does tend towards the "mystical" in some aspects of their training while ROSS prefers a more "grounded" understanding, but they do share much in common.

I am a big WWII combatives fan. Unfortunately, there is no "official" WWII combatives site. These sites will give you some good information to start.

www.gutterfighting.org,

www.ghca.org.

www.americancombatives.com
 
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Dang, guys! Thanks for all the info. I should've saved time and stopped at this forum before I started "dabbling".

Keith C.
 
Keith,
I think you are on the right path. If you want to learn how to fight and win, learn WW2 combatives. This is not the sort of stuff that you lay on a rowdy at a party. It was designed to be learned quickly, in a few days, and to inflict the most damage possible on an enemy adversary. There are no defenses. Only offenses. It is pure aggressive mindset and action. Will it make you look good? In a word NO! You'll look crude and vicious but you'll look better than the other guy:eek: Then theres room to branch out and pick up Systema, Ross or whatever. I guarantee you those Systema guys won't look so intimidating once you learn Applegate and Fairburnes techniques.
 
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