Russian Systema - Philosophy According to the Vladimir Vasiliev, one of the foremost Russian Systema
instructors in the west, Russian Systema has a another name which sums up the central aspect of its philosophy,
namely “know yourself”. Another tenet of the art is the principle of non-destruction, in contrast with outright aggression. The aim is not to be the toughest guy in the room although, with practice, you may well become such. The aim is to be able to effectively deal with whatever hand to hand combat situation arises and to do so without fuss or bravado or crushing your opponent's spirit. Russian Systema aims to bring the individual to place of high level functioning in the three aspects of life:
There is a correlation here with elements of Chinese martial arts specifically the internal martial arts Tai-chi, Bagua and Xing-yi with their emphasis on developing the mind and the spirit. It is true that Systema is a method of living that involves a focus on spirituality but equally health and physical culture. It aims to develop a true, authentic fighting technique, a strong impervious spirit and a body that is full of health and vitality. This is not to say you have to want to be a monk or a priest to study it, but there is an underlying idea that there is something bigger and more powerful than you that is in charge of things. Again this is no different from the omnipresence of the 'Tao' in Chinese martial arts. In Taoism, the energy of the Universe is everywhere and within everything. Negative emotions during fighting lead to rash and impulsive moves and this can lead to defeat or injury. The Systema philosophy argues that tension is a product of fear and fear is simply an obstacle to using self defense and fighting techniques. In 'the System', the mind should be clear and free from negative emotions which will only inhibit judgment and decision making. |
