classes

Come to one of our weekly classes listed below and find out for yourself the true benefits of Systema.

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Coming out of dangerous situations with minimum damage is 60% awareness, 20% stress management, and 20% skills. This is true for a confrontation on the street, or in a boardroom – get the toolkit to deal with both!

Systema Classes in London

UPDATE as of 5 Sep 2023

 

The world changes and we change with it.

This is now a private club. We are no longer open to general public. if you read to the end, you will see that this is not the same as “you cannot train with us” 

We changed our curriculum so that it won’t be interesting to anyone who wants to punch harder, and wants to know “will this work in a real fight”. MMA experts, John Wick fans, Krav Maga vs Jeet Kune Do ninjas, BJJ apostles, Aikido followers- we love you all, and we are not in competition with you. We just do our own thing. And, for the record, we have great respect for the martial artists who have chosen their path and turn up to training every week, whatever style they practice.

We know that everyone is different, but we think pre-judging people based on their ethnicity, looks, religious choices, or sexuality is silly. Evaluating and judging people’s behaviour though, is what you need to do to stay alive.

If you want to learn to fight while attending one class a month, we are not the right school for you. In fact, we are not really about fighting.

What we do now.

We are teaching the management of violence to people who are not in the business of violence.

To clarify: people in the business of violence are bodyguards, soldiers, pilots, snipers, police, etc. For the rest of us, violent encounters are something we see on TV, and something we’d rather not participate in.

Our goal is to significantly increase your chances of surviving an encounter with violence.

Please note that this is very different from winning a fight.

Think about a special forces unit behind enemy lines, discovered by enemy and surrounded by superior force. The goal of the SF team is to disengage the enemy with minimum damage. Not to win, not to destroy the enemy, but to survive.

We have special tools and training methods that we believe nobody else in UK has, they are designed to help you fine tune your operating system to handle stress, including the extreme stress of combat, while keeping you relatively safe- though not as safe as sitting at home on the couch.

There is still plenty of contact in class, tons of partner drills, but it’s not quite sparring.

Dealing with common street weapons is also covered.

Now – about this being a martial art with Russian roots.

It’s open season on anything Russian. We accept this.

There are many things that come from a variety of cultures- we like some of these cultures and political systems, and we strongly disapprove of others. You buying an iPhone, or enjoying a trip to the  Great Wall, or studying Chinese martial art does not make you a supporter of Chinese Communist Party.

Just like listening to Tchaikovski, reading War and Peace, or studying martial arts with origins in Russia does not make you a supporter of the current regime in Russia.

Equally, being a British citizen does not obligate you to approve of the current government sitting in Westminster (it’s quite ok to look forward to the next election!), or to love fish and chips (personally, I think that properly prepared fish and chips is awesome).

And a thinking man is under no obligation to support glorification of Nazism in any form.

The Outpost

I think of this club that we started 23 years ago as an outpost. A safe place in the jungle of insanity, where a man can come and remind himself what it’s like to be a man, a warrior, a protector, and a brother. Women are welcome too.

Our focus now is on divorcing the word “toxic” from the word “masculinity”. We are a place where for the 60-90 minutes of training we all become brothers. Your brothers will help you learn, keep you honest, and keep you safe. Your brothers will not try to prove to you who is the real alpha, and the concept of Highlander  “in the end only one will remain” is alien to us. For us, masculinity means to take responsibility for your words and actions, to be the protector, and to want your country to prosper.

Located in the City of London, short walk from Liverpool st, Aldgate, or Tower Hill tube stations.

We fully cooperate with police and other security services.

I read all this fluff, and I still wanna train with you. What can I do?

Our school is no longer open to general public, if you wan to join, please get a recommendation from you current teacher, an introduction from one of our students, or an interview with the instructor. That is now a pre-requisite for joining.

Over 18 only, please.

Also, the classes need to be pre-booked and pre-paid. Yes, even by you. If you book on a session, and don’t come, you don’t get a refund.

 

Peace to all.

Please message David (WhatsApp or Telegram, 07768 073 917) to discuss joining.

 

 

And now back to our normal content.

 

We make the following announcement in the beginning of almost every class:

  • Please ask questions!
  • Please do not do anything you don’t want to do! Sitting out drills is ok; doing the exercises at your level (not someone else’s) is expected.
  • Please tell us if something hurts! Let us know of your injuries before the class, and please speak up if you are not feeling too great during the class.
  • Please stop any time you want to stop!
  • Please protect your training partner, as well as yourself, at all times!
  • Please communicate with your training partners, don’t be a strong silent type. Ask your partner to turn things down or up, and to give you feedback on your movement- and be ready to provide feedback to your partner too!
  • Please don’t break anything! We mean- anything- floor, walls, mirrors, your training partners, or yourselves! 🙂

 

How Much?

  • £25 pounds per session, pre-paid at the beginning of the month for the sessions you plan to attend.
  • Currently, no other options are available.

 

Is there a short cut? How quickly will I learn it?

Whether you go for private lessons or join our open classes and seminars, please understand: you need to pay for knowledge in something more meaningful than money. We are not information vendors. Internet is full of them, and you can buy any package you like that promises you unbelievable skills in 1 hour or less if you only buy a video, or a book. We believe that while videos and books help, the real knowledge can only be obtained by you with the help and guidance of a qualified instructor. You cannot learn diving without getting wet, and you cannot learn Systema by watching the videos 🙂 The speed of your progress depends on how much effort you put in, and on the level of your trust in us, and in the drills.

If there is a specific, explicit goal that you have, we can help you achieve it in about 20 hours. This is not to become an expert, or to obtain mastery, but to be familiar with the subject.

Newcomers are always welcome.

We used to say this. But now in 2023, to save us all time, let’s have a chat to see if what we do is the right thing for you.

If you do end up coming to class, please come to the class a few minutes early and meet the group before the class gets started, and bring the Understanding the Risks form with you.

 If you worked up the courage to show up- congratulations! We understand it’s a big deal to walk into the unknown! We will do our best to look after you.

 

Curious to see the “vibe” of the class? Click here!

Private lessons?

There are a few slots still available for private lessons. Before arranging for private training a face to face meeting is necessary, so that we can discuss your goals, expectations and constraints. This can be done after a regular class. Price-  similar to what you would spend on a doctor, physio, osteopath, or a golf pro. Just to save us both time: private lessons at 50 pounds for an hour do not exist.  Please send an email or an SMS to David to arrange for a chat.

Private lessons- update October 2019. 

Think of the private lessons as a Master’s degree or in some cases, a PhD – in anthropology, philosophy, mindfulness, leadership and psychology, think of it as a journey of self discovery that will change the way you interact with the world around you. Think of the cultural code that has been passed for many generations and allowed the tribe to survive in most extreme circumstances. If you want to learn just the ultra lethal aspects of self-defence, or how to levitate, and you are prepared to commit to training once a month- I am not the right instructor for you. In any case, please come to class first, most things are better discussed in person.

Shashka? What’s that?

Shashka (Russian Cossack sword) is one of the learning aids that we use. It’s a remarkable tool that will revolutionise your empty hand work, revitalise your soul and help you heal.

“The exercising of weapons puts away aches, griefs, and diseases, it increases strength, and sharpens the wits. It gives a perfect judgement, it expels melancholy, choleric and evil conceits, it keeps a man in breath, perfect health, and long life. It is unto him that has the perfection thereof, a most friendly and comfortable companion when he is alone, having but only his weapon about him. It puts him out of fear, & in the wars and places of most danger, it makes him bold, hardy and valiant.”

Paradoxes of Defence. George Silver 1599

Internet is full of videos of people twirling the long shanks, they are beautiful to watch- and we use some of the same drills- but please learn to distinguish between amazing performers and people training for other reasons. Both are featured in this video.

As wonderful a tool as shashka is, there are very few people in the UK that teach it, and even less that teach it correctly. I have seen some genuinely cringing attempts at teaching…

Shashka lessons in UK- live, or on video link. Yes, we sell them too.