Systema Training
by Martin Wheeler Published: March 26, 2017
Think fast, think on your feet, move your head, duck, punch - these are the words you will hear in most arenas of full-contact fighting. And if you want to win, it is excellent advice. Most martial arts require your brain to make snap decisions and act reflexively for the combatant to survive. But Systema is not most martial arts.
Tension makes you think fast. Or should I say, lack of recognition of your own tension makes you have to think fast. ‘Boxing’ is often thought of as striking, with pure striking skill as the key to victory. But this is only half the story. […]
Systema Training
by Martin Wheeler Published: April 19, 2013
A common question asked is: do you have to be Orthodox Christian or even religious in order to be good at Systema? The answer is no. But the concept of faith and religious philosophy in Systema is an intriguing one.
What is the purpose of faith in Systema other than the well known health and well-being benefits? I think there are many, and they are certainly worth exploring, as the heart of the art is more than certainly rooted in religious philosophy.
To me it seems likely that the concept of Systema has been around for a very
long time, a lot longer than the name Systema itself. […]
Systema Training
by Martin Wheeler Published: June 26, 2008
Like most of us, I spent my formative years traipsing from one dimly lit dojo to another to discover the arts we are all so passionate about now. Church halls, YMCAs, garages, boxing gyms, we congregated wherever some teacher had rented, begged, or borrowed to figure out how to beat, bloody, or force a tap from a willing opponent in relative privacy. And as much as I have come to love the smell of stale sweat that hangs in the air of any reputable training hall, there is nothing to me now like the smell of fresh air. […]
