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 …

Recently I’ve had that funny feeling on 3 separate occasions–where I ran into someone whom I couldn’t quite place.  I ran into the Context Problem.  I wasn’t in the place where I met these 3 so I couldn’t put their faces into the correct context to recall who they were. I know you’ve been there Read More …

Why People Quit Systema Merry Christmas, however you celebrate it. This Tuesday will be our LAST CLASS OF 2009.  We re-open for class on Tuesday January 5th, 2010. I’ve often thought of taping every class and having someone transcribe all the conversation, including the end circle, because there’s much wisdom to be shared there. Here’s Read More …

Periodically at the school we teach a Full-Force Women’s Self-Defense Course.  One of the elements of this course is that we have guys in protective body armor attack the women as full speed and strength.  For those who have never been attacked this can be a traumatic experience.  This is where Systema comes in. I Read More …

Of the common human values Freedom is pretty high on my list.  When I moved to Colorado in 1997, after training in Kenpo et al since 1984, and opened my own martial arts school I felt free to explore any martial art I could get my hands on, and I did.  Upon arriving in Colorado Read More …

The End Circle at the close of Systema class yields some insightful one-liners from students. The above quote, “I know Systema works because I am doing it wrong,” is a paraphrase of a comment routinely given by student Andrew Walton. It is one of my favorite quotes and here is how it originated. I would Read More …

Systema is a martial art that can be practiced safely throughout the entire span of your life.  I know many people who are well-past the age of “cage fighting” who are exceptional at Systema.  The breathing, relaxation, mobility and strength training keep our bodies going for as long as possible.  Within the scope of Systema Read More …

So what purpose do explanations serve and to what extent should you rely on them? As a teacher of a psycho-physical discipline my rule on explanations is just enough to improve performance.  Anything more is simply too much talking and not enough work.  Enter the “Karate Nerds.” The Karate Nerds are the guys who want Read More …

One of my fondest Systema memories is the first day of the first training trip I took to Russia.  There was a small group of us with a scholarly translator who never dealt with the military or martial arts.  I didn’t speak Russian and none of the Russians spoke English very well either.  Yet we Read More …

All too many times I have been on the floor with a high-level Systema instructor (Mikhail, Vladimir, Martin Wheeler), watched them demonstrate beautiful movement and then stood there scratching my head as I observed students not only using far too much tension, but deliberately doing so.  Were they seeing the same thing I was?  Where Read More …