Man, I'm so done.

Search www.youtube.com for Ryabko, Vasiliev, Systema, or whatever similar names come up and browse through some clips... Ryabko had me laughing out loud 🤣.
Even the stuff presented as "serious" didn't sit right with me—especially the knife work and the grappling. Having multiple opponents at once felt incredibly naive...

For starters: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvF17Wd4Fz4

Jujigatame said:Just go to www.youtube.com and search for Ryabkov, Vasiliev, Systema, or whatever similar stuff and just browse through some clips... I was honestly cracking up watching Ryabkov 🤣.
Even the stuff they present as "serious" didn't sit right with me, especially when it comes to knife work and grappling. Dealing with multiple opponents seems way too naive in those videos...

For starters, check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvF17Wd4Fz4

I checked out that link and, well... I don't even know how to put it. 😕 It looks strange. They eliminate opponents far too elegantly for it to be realistic. I realize it's just a demonstration, but even Hollywood stunt choreography isn't that polished 😬. And everywhere you look, people claim certain Navy SEALs units practice this... I don't know. Either the guy is so incredibly skilled and drilled that he can just "play around" with attackers, or it's all just highly choreographed garbage.

You really ought to try it on yourself to see if it holds up 😬...

hiddensailor14 said:You really ought to try it out and see for yourself.😬

👍 👍
It feels way too staged to me... this guy acts like he's reading minds, and the attacker knows exactly how it’s going to end and precisely how they need to hit the mat.
Plus, I don't think he's holding any real stances... even when he's pulling off those levers or takedowns, his knees are barely even bent. - then again, I didn't watch the whole video, just couldn't be bothered to sit through the entire thing.

Systema is wild. When I caught that heavy hit, my hand was shaking for like 15 seconds straight, and the knife just flew right out of my grip. This is just a demo, but man, if those techniques can make your arms go numb, imagine what they do to your head 🙂.

I still find it most impressive when someone completely dismantles an opponent using pure mental strength.

...hey guys, if you check out systemwork, they teach more than just basic techniques. You can actually learn how to execute those moves from the Crown... you know, that stuff where you just catch someone completely off guard with a sudden strike!!!👍

I might be wrong here—but this actually looks pretty decent!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uuq50...elated&search=

...I haven't watched the whole thing yet... but... there’s a lot of performative choreography going on. You can tell they’ve put in the work; they're catching those tight windows of relaxation and just flowing right past the force. Like I said before, I'm only skimming this, so it might just be the end of the technique, but we'll see.

Mark Wilson39 said:I might be wrong, but this actually looks pretty solid to me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uuq50...elated&search=

And that’s a wrap on our buddy over here preaching about the power of positive thinking! 😁 👍

Mark Wilson39 said:I might be wrong, but this doesn't look bad to me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uuq50...elated&search=

That Pole who does those great reports (comparing UFC to military systems, etc.) just commented on parts of this video (I think there are links in the MA humor section)...
The whole demo is staged for show, and while it looks impressive, the defenses against multiple attackers seem a bit naive—they're clearly choreographed. That’s not even mentioning the deer antlers or the one guy with a staff fighting four or five people armed with sticks and halberds. You can see the rehearsal in those segments where the guys in suits defend themselves with such total nonchalance.

I managed to download just one clip I actually liked, which covers attacks in a hallway, by a car door, in an alleyway, and a mugger demanding cash... the techniques used there are similar to "classic" self-defense, basically modified Jiu-Jitsu.
As for the rest of the "beyond physical" stuff—all that Aikido nonsense where people fly through the air from a single touch, combined with that overly calm, indifferent posture—it doesn't sit right with me. Especially regarding knife defense; they don't control the blade, and the attacker just stops after the initial swing, allowing himself to be attacked while keeping only one hand active, which is a massive mistake. All those highly rehearsed scenarios just aren't my thing.

In my opinion, combat sambo and sambo are a much better Russian mix.

Joseph Johnson6 said:A quick word on this colleague discussing the "power of thought."😁 👍

The whole "power of thought" thing is clearly just Ryabkov being a smartass🙏 . What’s more concerning is that in many training videos and demos, I see traces of what we might call "physically weak" self-defense methods—techniques that would leave a naive, predictable attacker flying through the air or getting leveled. I'm pretty skeptical of this principle. And I'm not alone; it's not just me, but various respected figures—masters and coaches from established combat sports who actually understand how fighting works—who feel the same way.

There are guys out there who are legit fighters—UFC, No Holds Barred, whatever—who’ve actually trained under those two main instructors, and they swear these guys are absolute beasts...

The issue is, they haven't really figured out how to pass those skills on to anyone else (yet).

I haven't seen it firsthand—but I like to see everything and try it all, so if they ever come near my neck of the woods, I'm going. Either way, their videos are pretty solid if you just want to watch and get a bit worked up. 😬

...In any legitimate field of study, you’ve got the stuff they hand down to students, the fluff used to present the subject, and then there's the actual core—the backbone of the discipline.
That core... honestly, it's the only part worth a damn about the whole subject... no matter what field we're talking about... or what that core happens to be!!!

Jujigatame said:The whole "power of the mind" thing is obviously just Ryabkov playing us 🙏 , but honestly, what bugs me more is seeing hints of those "weak physical" self-defense moves in a ton of training clips and demos. A naive, predictable attacker would get absolutely leveled by them... I’m super skeptical about this whole principle (and it's not just me—I've heard plenty of pros and high-level coaches from actual combat sports say the same thing).

Hey, look, there's also the flashy stuff they show off, but I think that's mostly for show. That said, I've felt it myself—those soft, limp hands can actually do some serious damage if you catch someone right.

Justin Watson58 said:...in any solid discipline, there are things you pass down to students, things used to present the field, and then there are the core principles that actually form the backbone of the science itself.
That core... well, that's really the only thing worth having in any discipline, regardless of what it is... no matter what that essence might be...

🤣 Come on, give us something concrete, even if it's just one post...🙄

🙏

Jamie Fowler2 said:but since I like seeing and trying everything, if it's ever nearby, I'll go.

That's true... at the end of the day, everyone experiences reality differently. Some techniques just don't click for certain people, and others learn to fight effectively in their own way. The only thing that matters is that they don't start rambling about having "the most effective military combat skills in the world."

Rarely do I actually find myself agreeing with what Gerald Smith76 has to say.

The "dirty" Jiu-Jitsu stuff is legit, everything else is just choreographed nonsense.

At least this shows how much garbage they used to teach in the military back in the day...

Jujigatame said:It’s true... everyone perceives reality differently—some techniques just don't click for certain people, and some folks learn to fight perfectly well using entirely different methods... the only thing that matters is that they don't start peddling nonsense about having the "most effective military combat skills in the world."

There’s no point in being polite... if you think something is garbage, then just say it's garbage!
This is truly difficult crap... just awful!

Robin Palmer3, don't be like that. You're just sounding a little jealous now.😬 😘 🤣 😍 😁 👍

dennis said:unknown, don't be like that, you're acting all unknown right now😬 😘 🤣 😍 😁 👍

The reason he’s feeling unknown is simply because he’s the one who actually needs to gear up in athletic wear and basketball sneakers, while the folks in suits are busy handling the business side of things.