Systema - in Popular Culture

In Popular Culture

• William Gibson mentions Systema in his 2003 novel Pattern Recognition and its 2007 sequel Spook Country. In Pattern Recognition, the bodyguards of a wealthy Russian are said to be practitioners of Systema, a martial art that was, to date "...restricted to KGB, bodyguards and the special forces..." and said to be derived from Cossack dancing. One of Spook Country's main characters is trained in Systema and uses it to defend himself as well as ostensibly for other purposes related to self-control and confidence. It is made clear however that what he calls Systema is a codified body of skills and knowledge that borrows the name alone from the real-life fighting style.
• In the manga Akumetsu, the titular character was shown to be proficient with this form of combat.
• In the 2011 novel Carte Blanche written by Jefferey Deaver, the character of James Bond states that he is a practitioner of Systema. He says it is the main fighting style he learned in spy training. Bond describes the art as open-handed, with a focus on elbows and knees.
• In the anime Hayate no Gotoku, Nagi's supposed "sister" has been trained as a Systema master.