THE BOTTOM LINE by Major Konstantin Komarov What is most important in any art? For an artist, musician, or poet, it’s inspiration: the state of the soul, which can hardly be expressed in words. Yet, without it there is no art, only craft. So, what is the key to martial arts? Is it strength? Agility? Read More …
I don’t know that I’ll ever get tired of the new words I can create with the word Systema. Swim-stema just works. My wife Karla has been a swimmer since early childhood and now has me hooked. At first, though, I felt like a fish out of water– in reverse. I’ve been “afraid to go Read More …
It’s been too long since fellow Senior Systema Instructor Martin Wheeler has visited Colorado, but fortunately Hollywood didn’t keep him away this weekend. You know I’m not one for meticulously writing a review explaining every little drill Martin taught. That would be a particularly “un-Systema-like” review. Rather, I’ll recap what Martin was trying to teach Read More …
HOW TO TEACH SYSTEMA Interview with Vladimir Vasiliev Question: We can see that Systema keeps rapidly growing. Many people enjoy practicing Systema and eagerly share it. It would be helpful if you gave some guidelines and directions to those who teach Systema as Certified Instructors and those who share Systema training informally with friends, colleagues Read More …
There are four types of Systema students. Which one are you? 1) The “No Previous Experience” Student 2) The “Convert” Student 3) The “Improve My Original Art” Student 4) The “Bruce Lee-Mindset” Student 1) The “No Previous Experience” Student The “No Previous Experience” student is just that, a person who has not studied any martial Read More …
You may have seen the BIG NEWS recently, that Toyota, the World’s #1 Automobile Manufacturer is having some significant safety issues with its cars. First, due to design flaws, their floor mats are getting in the way of their brakes. Then, much worse, the brakes on their Prius models were discovered to, how shall we Read More …
I was going to write about a topic near and dear to my heart, but I figured I’d get back to this whole Striking is Love, blah, blah, blah thing first. (Here’s a topic that can go on for days) As I talked about last time, standing there and letting someone hit you is not Read More …
If you practice Systema for any length of time you will invariably run into the “Would that work against someone who resists?” question or its variant pronouncement, “that wouldn’t work against someone who resists!” Here’s a quick explanation to keep you from foaming at the mouth while wanting to scream, “It does too, and even Read More …
I’m watching the Minnesota Vikings play the Dallas Cowboys. On a recent play, Brett Favre was about to be sacked by a charging DeMarcus Ware, who came in unblocked from the right as Farve was looking left. Just as he was about to be sacked, Favre dropped his shoulder and fell to the ground. Ware Read More …
When I began martial arts training, heck before I began martial arts training, I was astute enough to know that being hit wasn’t much fun–from first-hand experience. That’s exactly WHY I started learning martial arts, because getting hit hurt and was not the kind of thing I trolled the streets as a kid asking people Read More …
