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Post by purr on Jul 14, 2022 18:34:54 GMT
RUSSIA'S MOST FEARSOME SECRET WEAPON
I came across it while rummaging through the English language sections of Amsterdam bookshops some four decades ago, modest red on white booklet titled Spetznaz, authored by a Russian defector (wrecking my old brain for the name right now, called himself Victor Suvorov or sumtin) spilling the beans on Sovjet society and Armed Forces, and he described in detail how his former country recruited for its Special Forces, Spetznaz, broke them in, rigorously weeded out the weak and cycled them through a brutal training course to produce some of the toughest elite soldiers on the planet.
Weird stuff in there. For example on how to speed up hand to hand combat training, they shut in a recruit with a huge feral dog, giving him nothing to defend himself with other than his army shovel. This was presumably the fast learning system for Spetznaz shovel fighting. Now and then an aspiring Spetznaz got eaten by the dog, meaning this candidate was unfit for special operations.
What struck me the most was the author's contention that the shovel was believed to inspire more fear in an opposing force than firing an automatic weapon. Bullets might miss, hit or kill you before you realized what is happening. But when that shovel gets swung or thrown by an expert there's an instinctive reaction, instant calculation of the impact coming your way, that makes its targets try and duck for cover rather than do battle.
In video above post Vladimir Vasiliev, Systema Masterteacher, demonstrates a unique Martial Art once exclusively taught to Russia's most elite soldiers, now viewed and practiced world wide, not as a military art, but as a shared resource of physical and mental health and civilian self protection method. Systema, as presented by Vasiliev and one other true Systema great, Colonel Mikhail Ryabko, is not about warmaking but instead bringing people together all over the world. Systema is absolutely amazing, seeing it for the first time you'll refuse to believe your eyes, you will laugh, and that's fine.
I am really unsure if I can capture Systema in just a few sentences. I'm familiar with many of the MA taught in the West, and it does not compare with any of them. Maybe a little like Aikido, but then without the visualized/projected Ki (internal force), the formalized wide stances, circular motion and the thousand ways of throwing your attacker.  Or maybe it's nothing like Aikido or anything we know outside of Russia! Systema has you stand, relaxed with legs at shoulder width, knees slightly bent, arms ditto at your sides, mentally and physically alert and ready. An attack is met freely and playfully by the smallest evasion possible, kicking or striking at the balance, pain areas or vital organs of attacker, using multiple of his leverage/turning points like joints, neck, hips and knees to compress, twist or injure/break the targeted body part. All this is done with the hands, the body as weapon. But Systema transposes seamlessly to knife play, sticks, wooden (bokken) or steel sword, an umbrella, your pen or pencil, your SHIRT, Indiana Jones' horse whip, cooking spatula, pots and pans, garden tools and anything really like any small shovels handy.
By now you've picked up on me seeming to suggest that the most fearsome weapon is not the Cobalt nukes, not tactical battlefield nuclears, not the Hyperbaric bomb or Russia's Hypersonic missile but the lowly shovel, orginal use: dig a hole. Let's dig deeper: it's not the shovel itself, but the secret Systema underneath that weaponizes an innocuous tool, or the unarmed human body itself.
I could kill for an Oreo right now.
IF YOU GIVE A BEAR A COOKIE
Time to put in that shovel as if we mean business, dig down to the heart of Mother Russia. At heart Russians are people just like Americans, the Dutch or Ukrainians, human beings, our brothers and sisters. We could be friends. But for the past century they have been singlemindedly gearing up for war. Soviet military doctrine lacked our Mutually Assured Destruction concept, they planned to win a nuclear war. President Putin's ominous posturing and in the case of Georgia, Crimea and Donbas/Ukraine military invasion into his neighbors' territories has the people and governments of the West bewildered. Surely economic sanctions will bring mr. Putin to his senses. Or maybe he'll be satisfied with only this region or that (and happily stop). NATO will deter him, yes?
Well, I think Putin wants to win. He continues to push into Ukraine until somebody stops him. (And nobody, notably including the mighty United States has the cohones to do so.) So Special/Spetznaz Operations are a GO. This president orders war while standing on the shoulders of a military giant, the Russian warrior spirit. It is so effective and dangerous, not because we are any less or different, but because we are UNDERESTIMATING what that nation is capable of. We are secure within an 'America-bubble'. The Ukraine war amazes us, we fail to believe what we are seeing, close our eyes and hope wish pray soon things will be back to normal. Vladimir Putin will be a nice man again.
To me.... but you must tell me what you are thinking, Systema is not just a wonderful, brilliant martial art. It reveals how Russian warriors have been designing and reinventing their warmaking capabilities in many areas. NATO, in particular its European member nations, need to up their game, maybe collectively grow a pair. Should we go beyond sanctions and buddying up to Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to really help Ukraine? If not, Ukraine, however courageous, may be facing a war of attrition against an implacable superior force. Russia will go on until it 'wins'. And too late we will realize we have given Ukraine to Putin.
He'll be wanting a glass of milk....next...
purr
Should we go beyond sanctions, humanitarian assistence and buddying up to Ukranian pres Zelenskyy to render real assistence to Ukraine?
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Post by SysConfig on Jul 15, 2022 5:33:33 GMT
I'm sure our woke new transgender armed forces will do just fine against the russians. we did great against goatherders in afghanistan...and if the stories from mercs that left ukraine so quickly are true..it would be a really really short war.  The only humane thing that can be done is send the Ukrainians lots of bodybags..and let the Russians finish de demonizing the rest of the country..With the number of POWs the Russians have they can rebuild pretty quickly..England in wwii kept their free labor a bloody long time releasing some back to Russians for trials..ukranians..would you believe it? anyhow .I'm sure lots of shovels and picks that would come in handy that can be gotten from recycling some of the himars sent.  |
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Post by SysConfig on Jul 15, 2022 17:49:49 GMT
Have no fear..the spetz are totally unprepared for what awaits them ..they have lost before it even starts..Some of you are familiar I was warning about this kind of stuff years on UCB..before it became fashionable....as a it began creeping into every aspect of peoples lives..and here we are...are we not pleased now?
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Post by purr on Jul 21, 2022 18:54:12 GMT
I'm sure our woke new transgender armed forces will do just fine against the russians. we did great against goatherders in afghanistan...and if the stories from mercs that left ukraine so quickly are true..it would be a really really short war. The only humane thing that can be done is send the Ukrainians lots of bodybags..and let the Russians finish de demonizing the rest of the country..With the number of POWs the Russians have they can rebuild pretty quickly..England in wwii kept their free labor a bloody long time releasing some back to Russians for trials..ukranians..would you believe it? anyhow .I'm sure lots of shovels and picks that would come in handy that can be gotten from recycling some of the himars sent. Nobody in their right mind messes with an Afghan goatherder anymore, Sysconfig ...point well made and well taken. This is not a matter of say Russia's elite troops and US SEAL teams or Delta mixing it up on the battlefield however. Nothing like world championship Soccer. Not even Russian invaders against Ukrainian repelling forces (because Putin seems to fight a 'war by attrition' that is won by one superior resourced force outlasting the other). I believe the Russian pres is testing the will of NATO (read: America) to engage in war with the Russian army. Forget about Europe (with the possible exception of UK and France) who are more fearful of being weaned off Russian gas than feeling any obligation to defend, to fight for the people and nation of Ukraine. Europeans wish for the problem to just go away. The milk of human kindness is flowing in Europa however: the humanitarian effort to help Ukrainian refugees is unprecedented, the Dutch citizenry alone donated more than 106 million euros in funds to offer asylum, show hospitality to Ukrainian refugees to numbers well exceeding 25,000 Ukrainian guests being welcomed and made to feel at home. I see lots of Ukrainian families walking our streets and cannot help but feel happy and proud we're there for them in their darkest hour. Germany and Belgium do the same. We can do 'nice'. But Europeans hang back for America to do 'war', and then we will fall in behind the big dog.
I wonder if you noticed the last image in threadstarter, Sys, and considered what it suggests. Imo president Biden has been fully briefed by his generals what he can do to compensate for Russia's advances in Ukraine militarily, as well as its potential consequences and various escalations. Clearly he does not WANT to go to war in Ukraine, it is not in his or US interest, although there may be a threshold of mass slaughter of civilians where Biden decides that inaction will negatively affect his 'legacy', his chances at re-election not to mention making him and his Great Nation look unethical and even like a wuss. Putin's trump card is 'battlefield nukes', low yield tactical nuclear weapons deployed within Ukraine to which the US has no proportional response (so then you must escalate, uhh... to what?). Even worse than a goatherder. In my family, apart from hotly debating all this over dinner, the strategic conundrum has me praying for Biden and my mom praying for Putin.  These two professed Christians desperately need God's wisdom fersure.
I have to stop, it is my bed time. Just trying to get across the west is faced with Russia's unique form of systematic warfare, that is: Systema on a global scale.
purr
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Post by SysConfig on Jul 22, 2022 10:24:47 GMT
Hi Purr..was hoping to see you share your riding a tractor fighting the good fight! Still looking forward to that.While the Dutch WEF proxy government plans on land grabs , so does Gates, and Black Rock www.zerohedge.com/markets/blackstone-prepares-record-50-billion-snap-real-estate-during-coming-crashBiden cannot be briefed.he does not have the mental capacity..unless this has been all an act. But I don't think so. Even if of sound mind..like the baffoon in Uk...it doesnt make a difference..the structure is built like the resilient cockroah, or starfish even, cutting of a member, it keeps going..Sri lanka is wef controlled..Draghi was a near death blow for the European project..UK alternatives..all WEF.. while Russia is only using 10 or so % of its forces..the real deal is Odessa..and its quite prepared to throw in thrice the number they have now. I agree its attrition, or as I look at it..softening up..Odessa is the crown jewel..literally..it takes that it has the ENTIRE black sea..its game over for Ukraine..No sea access..we can send all the big guns (all operated by americans by the way..That's whose running this show) and Russia does not care..that was the message of the Vinitza bombing..killing very high ranking Nato folx. Russia had warned everyone. It fell on deaf ears. I know you agree, that hard heads make for soft behinds, .You make a great point about tactical nukes as Russia a zillions of Neutron warhead missles that are AM and can disable incoming nuke missles..as well as knock out large formations of tanks..with very little effect on buildings..ie low radius and move in the new apartments quickly. Putin has the west, if it had Balls, by both of them. Right now its an uncomfortable squeeze..tomorrow..I can only cringe at the thought. That is a great systema..muy bonito) Sys |
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Post by thelmadonna on Jul 23, 2022 17:40:46 GMT
Adding this here for Purr and all
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Post by SysConfig on Jul 23, 2022 23:04:52 GMT
Adding this here for Purr and all Mein Gott! All that Nitrogen..how can those poor people even breathe ?! The girls in the cookie shop were cute.. |
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Post by purr on Jul 25, 2022 19:11:38 GMT
MOVEMENT AND SHORT WORK
Back in the day when dinosaurs roamed the earth, oh.. well.. when I was ridiculously young, fit and foolish, my most beloved Sifu (teacher of Chinese martial arts) interrupted the normal lesson for a brief aside, presenting as if he made an off-hand remark from a wandering mind. He told us he remembered his teacher showing him a few techniques from "an art that cannot be defeated", sadly he was taught no further than these few movements and basic principles, as he demonstrated them briefly to the class exactly once. Normal training for me was challenging enough, this man liked to take us to and beyond our mental and physical breaking point. And when you kinda survived that session and returned to the next class thinking you were now tougher and more prepared, he raised the bar so you ended up being destroyed again. And so on and so on. Like I said, a most beloved teacher, this is the truth. So I shelved his aside referring to a mysterious art that cannot be defeated, and only kept it fresh in my memory because I was in near constant agony during his lesson. Pain I suppose, of many kinds, sharpens the mind, teaches you to PAY ATTENTION.
In those few seconds, and only then, I was shown a version of Systema that perhaps formed an earlier fork in the road of MA evolution, at some time during the past 1000 years entering Russian awareness from China or India or god knows where. Ryabko and Vasiliev in their Systema History video claim that Russian warriors through defending against invaders from all sides absorbed their enemies' fighting secrets, and that may well be true. Colonel Mikhail Ryabko developed his own uniquely Russian Systema over the course of his life and military career, while Systema remained the exclusive domain of Spetznaz, Soviet / Russia's elite soldiers.
The vid in this post is a departure from its purely military application. "Movement...." shows how you may use Systema for legal Self Defense, for improving one's fitness and health and to have fun learning a wonderful martial art together.
This video of course highlights the problem you and I have when just walking the streets minding our own business and just like that a life threatening situation presents itself. We usually are unarmed. Unless, perhaps, if we're Texans walking in Texas that is. Now let me assure you I'm no Systema practioner, nor master of any old art that cannot be defeated, I merely have viewed Vasiliev's and Ryabko's videos on Youtube. I was surprised, enjoyed tremendously and felt and honestly feel THEY ARE THE REAL DEAL!
I'm fully cognizant of other viewers and martial artists being dismissive of Systema, calling it fake, lacking 'pressure testing'/competitive sparring and overall plain weird, due to its very different look, moves and (apparently absent) footwork. My enthusiastic endorsement of this Russian art comes from seeing it through the prism of my own lifelong every which way MA exploration, and receiving formal training in two 'family-style' traditions: Wing Chun and Indonesian Penchak. I have come to believe that a high order, effective style/art/system(a) should be super simple, economical with energy, and use an opponent's force against them. Russian Systema fits the bill spendidly is all.
I'll end with describing a little more of what I see in those Youtubes. Systema's footwork consists of walking and standing up in a relaxed and alert manner. Kicking the Systema way means you learn to use your legs and (bare) feet as your arms and hands, precisely disrupting another's balance, or pinpointing an area to cause pain, compression and/or injury. Blocks are subtle evasions. Strikes/punches are percussive impacts, pushes and throws that utilize immense force from a body conditioned to be many times stronger than it looks. Most important: Systema prepares to fight asymetrically, like unarmed against armed/multiple attackers and does so in an unstructured or playful manner. That's what happens if you have a art that 'works', there's room to Think, to Play and use Strategy as the fight fights itself.
Just sayin.. Ukraine has a problem...
purr
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Post by purr on Feb 17, 2024 2:41:08 GMT
I still think Systema is a gem, and especially if you've already passed through your own learning path, depending on whichever training/schools/styles you had access to, the videos in this thread may inspire viewers to discover new inroads into the Martial Arts. I just came across two more videos demonstrating useful self defense skills. The first shows a rare Wing Chun grappling method. And below that a classic, 5 super SIMPLE techniques derived from the Fairbairn-Sykes system (WWII hand to hand combat). Enjoy...!
purr |
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Post by purr on Mar 25, 2024 20:02:01 GMT
Here's once more Vladimir Vasiliev, Masterteacher of Russian Systema with a 'Virtuoso' demonstration of his art, this time taking the fight to the ground:
Vasiliev's interpretation of defending oneself with the ground in one's back is remarkable because his technique calls for total relaxation of the legs, using sensitivity and spatial awareness to wreak havoc on the balance and vulnerable targets of a standing attacker. Guy moves in 3 dimensions, plus 1... his fourth dimension in this case being not only time but STRATEGY: moving way ahead of the opponent's movements. purr |
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Post by purr on Mar 28, 2024 17:21:52 GMT
This thread is geared to anyone curious about high quality and effective Martial Arts, but especially if you're a serious practitioner, already well underway on the warrior path, desiring to better yourself, searching for principles, 'hacks', the sweetest secrets that apply universally regardless of style or method. In the video below Peter Consterdine, Karate 9th Dan, reveals a rare 'internal power' principle: using the hips/pelvis to generate extreme punching force. I'm not a Karateka, however this works just as well in Wing Chun Kung Fu or other pugilist fighting forms. The real deal if you wonder how to deliver one hell of a punch.
purr |
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Post by purr on Mar 28, 2024 17:44:01 GMT
Here's all-round MA vlogger Kevin Lee, introducing his viewers to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Sensei Alan Baker, an incredibly unassuming, laid back self defense / law enforcement tactics teacher, who in my view on closer examination turns out to be one of the most impressive, no no, scariest repositories of warrior wisdom on the planet. Youtube below includes techniques in use by US Navy SEAL teams. Enjoy...!
purr |
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Or maybe it's nothing like Aikido or anything we know outside of Russia! Systema has you stand, relaxed with legs at shoulder width, knees slightly bent, arms ditto at your sides, mentally and physically alert and ready. An attack is met freely and playfully by the smallest evasion possible, kicking or striking at the balance, pain areas or vital organs of attacker, using multiple of his leverage/turning points like joints, neck, hips and knees to compress, twist or injure/break the targeted body part. All this is done with the hands, the body as weapon. But Systema transposes seamlessly to knife play, sticks, wooden (bokken) or steel sword, an umbrella, your pen or pencil, your SHIRT, Indiana Jones' horse whip, cooking spatula, pots and pans, garden tools and anything really like any small shovels handy.
The only humane thing that can be done is send the Ukrainians lots of bodybags..and let the Russians finish de demonizing the rest of the country..With the number of POWs the Russians have they can rebuild pretty quickly..England in wwii kept their free labor a bloody long time releasing some back to Russians for trials..ukranians..would you believe it? anyhow .I'm sure lots of shovels and picks that would come in handy that can be gotten from recycling some of the himars sent.
These two professed Christians desperately need God's wisdom fersure.