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!
First class of 2021 is 22 September 18:45-19:45. Pre-booking is essential! Fitness First Devonshire Sq 9 Devonshire Square, London EC2M 4WY
Fitness First Devonshire Square is located less than five minutes walk from Liverpool Street station.
UPDATE as of 21 Sep 2021:
Our first class indoors will take place on Wednesday 22 Sep 2021 18:45-19:45 at FitnessFirst Devonshire Sq. The price of one class is £20, numbers are limited to 15 people, so pre-booking (and paying upfront) is required.
Please message David (WhatsApp or Telegram, 07768 073 917) to book your place.
No class passes are available yet, no discounts yet, and no 1.5 hr classes- yet. Please bear with us, things should improve in about a month.
And now back to our normal content.
We make the following announcement in the beginning of almost every class:
How Much?
We want to encourage you to train. The more committed to training you are, the cheaper it gets.
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.
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 this is your first class, and for whatever reason you feel that what we do is not right for you, there will be no charge for the lesson. If you want to get a better feel for what we do, pay 20 pounds and train with us for two weeks, as often as our schedules allow it in that time. After that you can sign up for one of the above packages.
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.
