Itās a question I get asked every time I say I train in it. One of the many things I love about Systema is that it is hard to define. While there are many who are probably more qualified to answer, Iāll try to define it with the limited experience I have.
The short answer is it is a Russian martial art. Perhaps more accurate a description would be a relaxation-and-breathing based combat system. But anyone who has practiced for a while knows that both are oversimplifications - it goes far, far deeper than that.
Systema revolves around one phrase: āKnow yourself.ā It derives from the Russian Eastern Orthodox philosophy that everything that happens in a personās life, good or bad, is leading them on a path to self discovery.
The rest of the art stems from this truth. To the outsider looking in, weāre hitting, swinging chains, and dropping 15lbs training balls on each other for fun. And we are. But weāre also paying attention to how our bodies, and the bodies of our opponents, are reacting to the stimuli. Am I holding my breath when he drops the ball? What muscles are tensing when he throws that strike? Where is her weight distributed when she moves like that? In this position, is it easier to take him down by hitting his lateral and relaxing his arm, or rolling his head backward?
And itās not just the body we pay attention to - our mind plays a HUGE part. Fear, anger, pride, self-pity, despair all create undue tension in the body. Thus, finding the origins of these feelings and overcoming them is essential to proper movement. Knowing how to move is important - overcoming yourself so the movement comes from a place of peace and humility is more so. Those who learn the technique and movement will never match the skill of those who go deeper and face their darkness.
This is why it is important to constantly test oneself in Systema. Do as many push ups as you can while holding your breath, and feel the fear and pressure build up, the muscles spasm, the body fighting you to breathe. Stand on one leg while you brush your teeth, feel where your tension goes, try to find a way to relax. Learn the weight of your car door. Can you close it with a finger? Is the window big enough to worm your way out of it, if need be? Turn off the light when you go to bed without using your hands. Where does your tension go then? Spar with someone in a pitch-black room. How do you react? Are you more jumpy, more tense? Constantly check yourself. Why do I stop breathing when Iām angry? Why does my leg tense up as Iām standing? Why do I avoid performing my responsibilities day-to-day?
Poke. Prod. Experiment with yourself. Go deeper. Breathe easier. And you will only scratch the surface of yourself and Systema.
