Yes, I'm very comfortable with full contact, have chips in my bones to show for it. In my late 30's now and don't have the time to waste time learning an “art” form or any other sport for that matter.
My background is in judo, tae-kwon-do, hapkido and choy lee fut (kung fu) and dabbled with a few others. At the end of the day, I'm looking for the most lethal and efficient style.
Experiencing a lot of fights in the dojo and in real life have given me a gut feeling of what may and may not work. I guess I'm over the ritualized movements and techniques that don't actually apply when three guys are coming at you with baseball bats.
Systema makes sense to me. Although it is not void of technique, there are no katas, predetermined moves etc, which I find that you don't really use in a real fight where nothing is predictable. You can't stop your opponent(s) and say, “hey can you stab me this way, because that's how I've been trained to anticipate it?”
With systema, you have unlimited range and flexibility for any given situation. You have so much creativity and freedom of movement backed by strikes that carry more power than your usual ones. This is the same philosophy behind the one inch punch, now combine that with unlimited directional movement and you've got yourself something very special.
A lot of the other martial arts don't train you for real life situations where you have multiple opponents and un for-seen elements like guns, makeshift weapons etc. Most of the martial arts are combat sport – where there are rules to adhere to to get points but in real life they fall apart – take mma for example where you want to get your opponent on the ground. In real life, once you're on the ground your dead meat, not to mention, mma doesn't cater for multiple opponents. There's a reason why these martial arts are called sport. Systema takes into account your weaknesses and limitation, your previous experiences and any other styles that you may be practicing. You tailor it to suit your style and creativity. You also learn how to shoot and handle guns with stealth, what other martial art does that?
If Bruce Lee was alive today, I think he would be endorsing it as he was obsessive about efficiency and effectiveness, he was quoted as saying "Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves.
Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.” I believe systema ticks this box perfectly.
The main thing about systema that is different from all the other martial arts is that it doesn't involve tension. All the other fighting styles involves tension+explosive power whereas the power in systema comes from being as relaxed as possible. There are many advantages to this. You don't give signals that other fighters look for, like certain twitches or buildup of tension before striking. Being relaxed lends itself to a more powerful strike – if you have ever been punched by someone that knows systema, it will make you a convert. Since you are relaxed, you can fight for a very long time without getting exhausted and also make clear headed decisions because you are so calm. We learn how to take punches and how to heal quickly as well. With krav maga, how many rounds can you go before you collapse from exhaustion, with Brazilian jujitsu how many guys can you take on at any given point in time?
They are now training the secret services in America with systema. Obama's personal security team are being trained in systema. The Russians train their elite forces the Spetnaz in systema - I don't think you can get anymore real than that.
As a style, it's probably the ugliest out there. From an observer looking in, it looks like big joke, like Cossack clowns running around bitch slapping each other. It looks weak, pathetic and slow, but get yourself to the nearest systema class and ask to spar with someone full contact and they will make you a convert. If I had the option between a beautiful looking Lamborghini with a 50cc engine or a cardboard box that has the power of a rocket, I'd take the cardboard box any day. Looks can be deceiving especially with this martial art.
For all the doubters – better you hear it from other MMA boys...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er6vJHYmAYM
