In the past I have studied a few different types of MAs, such as Judo, Kendo, and mid-evil sword play. The one thing that they all had in common was that for me it felt to routine with all of the katas, I also felt that in most real world applications that it would not be a practical system of self defense. In most forms of MA you are taught a very fixed set of movements, however I found that for myself there was no teaching on how to break up the moves and learn to react and not think. With Systema it teaches you how to react to your adversary, environment, weapons, and even crowds in a way that you are more relaxed with and in a way that your body moves naturally.
As I first started to watch videos on Systema I was intrigued by it by how free flowing it was; as well as the thought of learning to stay relaxed as opposed to tensing up. With staying relaxed I have seen that is very easy to control where your adversary is going by using the force of energy that they are already exerting.
One of the things that I enjoyed the most of all is that is fun, there is a humor almost that goes with the training and with that also bonding with the ones your train with.
If you are looking for a system for learning self defense, or for a hobby to get you out of the house I truly believe that Systema has something for everyone in it.
I have had a fascination with martial arts in general since I was very young but never got involved other than reading about it until I was over 40. The effects of age drove me to seek a physical activity I thought I would enjoy and continue. Karate seemed the most obvious choice since I had friends who involved in that study. I enjoyed the workout and the physical challenges but there seemed too much structure for my tastes so I was never entirely satisfied. With time it became more of a chore than something I looked forward to doing. It just did not seem to fit my personality and I began to wonder if there might be another art I would enjoy more or one that might complement my Karate training in a way to make it more fun again.
I have had a passion for military history and especially unconventional warfare for as long as I can remember. So, it was no surprise that my search eventually led me to Systema, an art perfected by the Soviet and Russian special forces units. Not only did it seem to fit my passion for unconvential warfare study, the free form and unstructured study seemed to fit my personality as well. I attended a couple of classes and, frankly, I wondered how in the world anything we did related to fighting. Despite that feeling, there was something incredibly appealing and I was hooked. It was not long before I decided that I really wanted to concentrate on studying this art and give up Karate.
Sometime later, I am still fascinated with this art and still looking forward to the next class. The freedom and creativity one is able to express through Systema is unlimited and the more I work the drills, the more I realize their connection to real life situations. Some may be uncomfortable without the structure and, I admit, it is a little scarey at times. But the rewards have been great and I would highly recommend it to anyone whether your interests are the same as mine or not.