Seminar Reviews

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all at RMA for such a wonderful time at the Summit of Masters. I found RMA through the excellent book "Let Every Breath". My goal for attending the seminar was to better understand the Russian Breath System. What I got was far more than I ever dreamed of. After dinner, at the very first evening session, Vladimir, Mikhail, and Konstantin presented us with various Russian Systema training drills. I quickly realized that I had no clue how to breathe correctly, and that I had stumbled on to a treasure house of knowledge. Each and every day we were skillfully led through the multitude of studies this great martial art has to offer. RMA's unmatched depth was demonstrated to underscore each and every aspect of Systema. Vladimir's legendary martial skills, Mikhail's mastery of the Systema skills, and Konstantin's profound lessons on the psychic floored us all. These true GENTLEMEN were very approachable for pictures, questions, or just a friendly chat. What I walked away with was a life changing experience. Everything from start to finish was handled first class. To Valery for sacrificing her family's summer, to Alex and Sergei for getting up early each and every morning with the warm up exercises, and to John and all at student services thank you for a great week. I will be there at the next one in ' 08, excited to reunite with my new found seminar friends. Thanks again to the entire Summit of Masters staff for a fantastic week.

Vladimir came back to Montreal in grand fashion for a truly humbling seminar. We were fortunate enough for his seminar topic (Escapes From Holds) to coincide with the release of his newly reworked DVD of the same title so we had the beautiful advantage of previewing the video in advance, working the material with him live and then being left with that awesome DVD to reinforce what we had learned. The pace was fantastic with an even wider variety of high ranking practitioners from other styles participating than usual. Vladimir's teaching style continues to evolve so quickly and with such vigor that I can't help but be motivated to double my own training and teaching efforts. With a few simple principles, we learned not only how to counter every conceiveable hold with confidence, but also improved our overall health and harmony in the process. Outstanding and further substantiation of why I train in this awesome art. Thank you.

The seminar was well organized. It opened on Friday with seniors Vladimir’s students Jim King and Sonny Puzikas. Jim and Sonny did very good job on warm ups and showing basic and advance applications of the Systema to the crowd preparing us for Vladimir’s work. The demonstrations were necessary as 80% participants have been Law Enforcement Officers (LEO) and did not know or knew a little about Systema. Jim’s and Sonny demonstrations taught us what to expect new day. The Saturday and Sunday were overloaded with material by Vladimir with LEO applications. On Saturday, Vladimir warmed us up and showed basic exercises of moving the body out of the way, protecting your carried gun by the movement and LEO applications such as: drawing and working with the weapon to control the aggressor’s body using pistol body parts. After that, we started to do team work exercises such as: Simultaneously move to the suspect, control and restrain teamwork, control and restrain on the ground, using open points on the body and body position to control the suspect. The great exercise was Knife-Pistol and Granede, when you need to avoid shooting, stabbing and granede releasing when fighting on the ground with two people. Next day, we had running warm ups, with different cycles of breathing. This exercises waked up and make everybody be able to move relaxed, than we learn how to receive and deliver strikes, strikes in open ( from gear) body spots, short strikes. After that, we work with the knife in different positions: standing sitting, laying .New teamwork was showed on a protection, restrain and control by the team suspect on the ground with the knife. On request by many LEOs, Vladimir showed restrain and control work with the rifle or tactical carbine. It was invisible, fast and brutal, but everybody likes it and we work these move to t restrain and control the restrain and control seminar’s end. Indeed, I would like to thank you Ken J. Good, Mark Warren, Vaughn Baker, Jim and Marry King, Sonny Pizikas for organizing this even and their hospitality in Independence, MO as well as all LEOs, RMA students and all people with whom I worked out those days. I am grateful to Vladimir and his family to give an opportunity to see one more side of the Systema applications in the real world.

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This was my first seminar with Vladimir and I didn't know what to expect. What a treat! Everyone was helpful. The mood and the attitude of everybody was great. It felt like I fit in. Vladimir answered any questions you had. Can't wait to make the next seminar.

Vladimir brought his "A" game as usual this time around, upping the intensity on conditioning and contact. As the Montreal Systema community continues to explode, the experience level was obviously higher, bringing us in very different directions. The focus was on "Close Work" and we covered a wide variety of uniquely Systemic drills for improving biomechanical efficiency, including absorbing pushes into walls, converting rolls and falls to the limitations of confined spaces and counter attacking from the wall. Vladimir then expertly showed how all of the skills we had developed in these sets were immediately applicable to close range sucker punches, with fantastic solutions to the hook punch and upper cut. We continued with work against punches and kicks while being simultaneously grabbed, into non-telegraphic striking and surprise takedowns and topped off a perfect day with knife defense at extremely close range. Simply fantastic. The 65 students in attendance are grateful for the knowledge you left us with.On behalf of the Montreal gang, thank you so much for your incredible teaching and generosity.

Vladimir's seminar in Charlotte covering Mass Attacks was simply amazing and enlightening. Many of the drills were about how to handle terrible situations such as how to defend yourself from getting stomped to death when you are on the ground and several people are kicking and stomping you. The training was very realistic and covered what happens when multiple attackers get you into a bad situation. Thank you again Vladimir for bringing this art to North America. Sincerely, Richard Clear Systema Instructor Tennessee

I'm new to the Systema art and found this seminar to be AWESOME! I felt the skill and knowledge the instructors provided during these three days to be incredible and I plan to attend another seminar as soon as I can feel my legs again. (Really sore) The knife fighting portion of the seminar I found to be most interesting because I've really never trained with knives in the past and it is very applicable to a street situation. I would highly recommend this seminar to anyone interested in learning more about the Russian martial art. Sincerely, Jim Hosty

I had a great time at Vladimir's session at the Chicago Seminar! I've studied martial arts (Hapkido) for a lot of years, but I'm totally new to Systema. So I wasn't sure exactly what to expect. Like I said, it was a great time. Everyone I worked with was pretty cool and laid back. The more experienced guys were more than happy to give pointers, and Vlad was really good about working the room too and giving us tips. Up to this point my only exposure to Systema was from the DVDs, so for me the highlight was watching Vladimir work LIVE. His knowledge of body mechanics and the way he flows is really amazing. He makes it all look effortless--definitely something to shoot for. I'm already looking forward to the next seminar and I'm hoping I can hook up with some folks here on the North/NW side of Chicago to train with.

I know I sound like a broken record but what else can I say other than watching Vladimir work is amazing. Feeling him work is even better. Great semina and lots of new faces. I wish it could have been longer, but then I always do. Rather than review a bunch of drills I thought I would pass on a tiny bit of insight that I gained from this seminar. We were doing the drill where #1 is on the ground, #2 & #3 walk at #1 and he moves to avoid without using his arms, just body motion. After this drill Vladimir told us that our motion was good but that most of us were not creating a target. Our motion was not coordinated with the attacker, hence we had to speed up. Actually he said it differently but I can't remember his words, hence I wrote what I took from his comments. Leap forward to the end of last week. For the last several months I have been having a bit of difficulty with one of my students when he attacks. He tracks his attacks but to call him a heat seeking missile is incorrect, he is genuinely trying to attack successfully. I have always felt that I was doing something wrong, hence I haven't corrected him. I tried being more patient and waiting on his attack. This showed limited success. In the end, I had to speed up my motion, even if temporary, to avoid his attack. This of course is incorrect. We where training together last week, when I remembered what Vladimir had said about creating a target for your attacker. Bingo! I learned that I not only needed to be patient but I also needed to give an obvious target for my attacker to focus on. Once I started doing that it was all so easy. I experimented back and forth between giving a target and not giving a target and the results convinced me. A big thanks to Vladimir for sharing such great insight. Take care. Mark J.