Systema - History

History

There is no historical "real name" for these arts, a fact which can lead to some confusion. In a sense, the name "Systema" (the system) can be thought of as a generic title comparable to "Kung Fu" ("one who is highly skilled" or "time" and "effort"). The most likely version is that the name Systema was taken from the name given in Russia to a similar martial art before that, the Systema Rukopashnogo Boya (System of hand-to-hand combat).

At least in Mikhail Ryabko's Systema, "The System" is a reference to the various systems of the body (Muscle, Nervous system, respiratory system, etc.) as well as elements of Psychology and the Spirit.

As there have been and still are a number of different fighting styles common throughout the Russian military and special forces, like Alpha, GRU, Vympel, several other names and nicknames are commonly mistaken for Systema. For example, some troops and special forces personnel train in "bojewoje sambo" (combat sambo), which is a separate art. Also, troops would refer to whatever was taught as "rukopashka" (Russian slang for "hand to hand"), or "machalka" or "boinia" (Russian slang for "fighting" and "beating"). The name "Combat Sambo Spetsnaz" was coined by the Soviet government, even though those are different styles.

Joseph Stalin's personal bodyguards were practitioners of Systema. Ryabko was taught the system in the army by one of those bodyguards. After Stalin's death, Systema became the style of fighting employed by some Special Military Operations Units for high risk missions in Spetsnaz, GRU and other government facilities. There were and are a number of different combat arts trained throughout Russian special forces units other than Systema.

It is due to the Soviet Union's strict ban on non-sanctioned traditions, and the sensitivity of special forces training, that it was not until after the cold war that Systema became known. Systema's pre-Soviet Russian heritage is only recently being rediscovered.

It is likely that the roots of Systema are lost in ancient and family arts, changed by military and contemporary needs and rediscovered and adapted by each instructor and practitioner.

Some claim that Systema's Russian martial arts heritage dates back to the 10th century and was practiced by the Bogatyr (Russian heroes/knights).

Other than the schools of Vladimir Vasiliev and Michael Ryabko the majority of Systema schools trace their lineage through Aleksey Kadochnikov to the work of Mr V.A. Spiridonov and the intensive research and development project carried out by several generations of hand to hand combat instructors at the Dinamo training facility in Moscow between roughly 1920–1980. If so, that would place Systema in the same stream of military close-combat training as combat SAMBO and related styles such as SAMOZ, which was developed by V.A. Spiridonov. If this theory is correct, the stylistic influences on modern Systema would include numerous national martial arts styles, military close-combat systems and indigenous Russian combat styles as well as aspects of sports science, biomechanics and sports psychology as these disciplines were incorporated into the Dinamo close-combat research and development project during the 20th century.

The head instructor of the Ukranian school of the Federation of Russian Martial Arts has stated that special troops used to guard missiles learn Systema Kadochnikova and the head of Combat Lab Russian Martial Arts Northwest, met an instructor from a border unit who taught Ryabko Systema to his unit. This gives some credibility to the concept that Systema is used by special troops, but it is definitely not the case that all Spetsnaz troops learn Systema with Combat Sambo being used by both GRU and Vityaz Spetsnaz troops.

Also, another theory suggests that Systema is in fact a modern internal system, which is based on Chinese internal martial arts like Taijigong, Taijiquan and others. Russians were interested in Chinese internal martial arts long before WWII, but intense research was done in the 50s and 60s. Moreover, masters from China visited Russia in that time, taking part "in experiments and teaching soldiers". However while there are some similarities in approach the training methods and basic principles of the Russian arts and Chinese arts have considerable differences.