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    Een Viadimir Vasiliev Oe Ue Ea Ce Oru ens Ped Se ea) Selec eter ee tren ey Pee ee Peo ete ees) ‘Special Operations Units are groups with unique taining capabilties ‘& goals, working on the highest risk missions within KGB, GRU & other Russian government facilities & special divisions. Their traning is cruel, severe & profound. Ituncovers the entire spectrum ‘of human nature from the most horfic tothe mos inspiring tats. The four components of human condition - mental, emotional, physical ‘psychic ae taken to the limit & then developed in the astounding new ete usa Be en SS See De liev’s Guidebook complements his extensive video collection, Se ee Re eo ‘empower your self defense & actualize your best qualities inthe Det | ELE Re Maelo aa Wa Russian Special Forces | Inside Secrets of Soviet Special Forces Training by Vadis Vasiticw ‘with Ron Borland (©1997 Optimum Training Systems All Rights Reserved Optimum Training Systems 606 East Aceauia Visalia, CA 93292 209.732.5317 FAX 209-732-5537 Inside Secrets of Soviet Special Forees Training by Vladimir Vasilco ‘with Ron Borland his bok wx camped thong oven with Me Ft daring Jamar 197 satin by Ses Dinas. TABLE OF CONTENTS ‘ANote From Optimum Training Systems About Viodimir Vasiliy Russian Martil Art — A Brie History Soviet Special Forces Training Training Tips The Russian System of Combat — Some Philosophy. 10 Guidelines For Achieving Mastery In the Russian System Introduction to the Russian Health System In Conclusion 2a 35 4 a7 57 READ THIS FIRST ‘Note From OTS ‘he information in side Sects Soi Special Fires Tanngis designed to provide you with practical efficient techniques that can be used to Insure your personal safety. Training can be strenuous and insry my result if you don’ teat the material withthe proper care and respect Always consult your physician prior to begining any exercise or physi- ‘al training program, Should you experience any strain, stop immedi ely and seck the avice ofa icensed health cae professional Appropriate protection gear should always be worn when practicing any ofthe techniques connected with this book This mast include eye pro tection, head gear and groin protection, ‘Any weapons used inthis program are employed for education or dem fnstration purposes ony. Siuations depicted inthis book are also in- ‘enuded for educational purposes ony- None of the techniques described in this book or accompanying material should be employed unless your lie or physical well-being are in imminent danger Always, when posible, avoid any physical conffontation In the event of 4 hostile or life trestening encounter use only the force necessary to ‘op the threat and remove yourself from danger Ifyou are in question ‘of what actions may constitute “reasonable free” and “excessive force” ‘omtact your local law enforcement agency. Laws vary in each sate and jurisdiction. Individuals involved inthe production of this book and OTS assume 20 ‘esponsibility for any injury or damage resulting from the execution oF practice of any techniques presented Inside Sere Of Soi Spal Frcs Tring contains detailed instruction ‘of serious, potent techniques for personal safety and survival USE THE INFORMATION INTHIS BOOK ATYOUR OWN RISK! About Viadimir Vasiliev Viadimir Vasiliev spent 10 years with a Special Operations Uni (SOU)-the Russian Army Special Forces, During his decade with SOU he became a master of the Russian Martial Art, the fighting system that made dhe Soviet Union's elite soldier the most feared {nthe world. ‘The unit Vladimir served in was even more exclusive than our Navy SEALS. Very few in the Soviet military even knew of the training Viadimi and the others in his unit received due to inten- sive government secrecy about the unit. Bven fewer were allowed ‘raining in these techniques. In Soviet Russia, military service was compulsory: You had to do ‘your time with the Soviet Army. Most went inco the Regular Army ‘where their martial arts raining consisted of training in “Sambo,” ‘4 martial art based on traditional Oriental styles emphasizing jia- fits or kick boxing, ‘Others, the healthiest and most promising, were placed into Spe- ‘ial Forces unit The best ofthe best were placed into elite special ‘operations units. At fist the Russian authorities experimented with ‘fferent fighting systems from around the world to see Which was most effective. The unit Vladimir trained in specialized inthe an- ‘ent Russian martial ars, “This system was found to be superior to every other system tried by the Russian Special Forces. Not only could itbe practiced with ‘remarkably lethal efficiency. It was also incredibly mult-fanc- ‘ional. Ie provided results far beyond the others in any situation in ‘much shorter period of time. “The Russians were also concerned about training soldiers ina way that they could resist psychological stress. Asin the Viewnarn War, ‘many soldiers returned emotionally erippied ot had psychological ‘problems when serving in places like Afghanistan and Chechnya. One of the main goals of the taining in Vladimir's unit was 10 prepare the operators to endure any military operation and stay Sane and functional. The Russian Army wanted to train an elite ‘group that could be calle on at any time to go anywhere and, ina "moment, gear up to maximum Fighting readiness, As we'll discuss later, the raining was almost inhuman, certainly beyond anything ‘our SEALS or Delta Force undergoes. But the result was a soldier the likes of which the world had never seen before, [Even when there people became civilians, they were so skilled and. ‘tough that the Soviet government would call them back into ac- tion to secretly participate in a mission. Itmust have been strange for the friends anid co-workers of these people. They'd be doing their regular job in Russian society and then, suddenly, they ‘wouldn't be seen for several days. When they returned from some incredible mission, nobody would know where they'd been. Nor could they talk about what they'd done-They simply went back t0 work as ifnothing had happened, TThe people in these special units were so well-trained and effi- cient that the Russian Army couldn't afford to let them go. Even when they were out ofthe Army; they were on call Viadimir was fone af these people. His special area of expertise was hand-to-hand combat based on techniques acquired from the Russian Martial Art. His specialty \was fighting unarmed against opponents with weapons, sometimes soing single-handed against 6 attackers at once. Vladimir was in many actions and battles, most of which are stil considered clasified by the Russian government, Some were spe- I combat missions behind enemy lines. In other operations bed actin much the same way a SWAT team member does in our coun- uy, He also served asa bodyguard for high ranking individuals. His ‘experience ran the gamut from military to civilian applications ‘Unimately other SPETSNAZ operatives, KGB men, political body- ‘guards, elite paratroopers, metropolitan SWAT teams and others in need of hand-to-hand expertise came to Viadimir for training. “There's an old saying that says, ““Those who can’t do, teach ”Vidimir was an exception to this, He was not only a master of the Russian Arts. He also had the ability wo pass that mastery on to others ‘Much of the essence of Vladimir's training and the nature of the ‘Russian Martial Artis locate in its unique psychological and psy chic emphasis. In this book, Vladimir will begin to unlock some of those sesrets for You so that you can put them to use in your own attempt to master the Russian Martial Ar. 4 Key 10 this training is Vladimir's overall philosop! Key his in all philosophy to combat, Fighting skil should evolve into an unconquer- able Weapon that can’t be seen until used nor taken way while its practitioner is alive.” owe eing iss not nly measured by ysis wut by your ability to access your own unique psychologi . ‘chic and even spiritual powers, Te ee Russian Martial Art — A Brief History ‘Phroughout its history, Russia has been under attack. Whether from North, South, East or West its been a rare year when Rus- sans weren't involved in bate, Because itis such a large country, these battles took place on df= erent terrains and in a variety of climates ranging from freezing, winter to sweltering summer conditions. Attackers always came with their own unique styles of combat and weaponry. Asa result, the Russian defenders had to learn to fight against a variety of styles and in a variety of conditions, ‘The Russian Martial Art date back wo the 10th century and evolved. because of the wide variety of conditions and attacks the Russians faced. ‘The Russian warriors acquired a style that combined a strong, spirit with extremely clever and versatile tactics. These tactics were simple, practical and deadly and worked against any type of en emy in any circumstances ‘They were also not limited by strict rules oF engagement or struc ture. This separated them from most other martil arts There were hnostances, no katas, no uniform and no formalities, rituals or belts Alltrsining consisted of real-life, immediately applicable principles. Right away, you learned how to defend yourself against a knife 0 the stomach, punch tothe head or painful choke. ‘A “People’s” System Icalso must be remembered that most of the early Russian war- riors were not soldiers by trade. People couldn't afford the isury of supporting professional armies. Once the batle was over, they returned to their everyday lives in the fields and shops of Rus ‘In this way, the martial arts in Russia were incorporated into daily life. They weren't some contrived martial art form designed for the elite ‘The Russian nation prepared its warriors in a way that didn't in- {errupt their regular labor. Games, exercises, sparring matches and contests of guile were held on a regular basis. Holidays and fats ‘were especially good for these events and fist, wrestling sticky bie fights and other contests were held berween individual an {groups In St. Petersburg, once the capital of Russia, co up 10 10,000 participants were held. oysofen started thrtsiningat the ag of ye Fat heared {htsctn werpoms Then aa ou hrs ie rs Bydgeten a boy was expected o maser wenpon eciges sing her wepons aby age ane mame ‘iii eel as seimming sn beadung though «hallow ca Ath unr ac Thy a hao pasa sural textwhere they ef tone a frormany sheer wihout food or weapons These Were intense, gracing exercises : respecte by cot surprisingly, Russian fighters have been much rep ies cre thous The Crest Rema Arian ra ua cto them for thrown aes The Rassias Acar ned Tor te courage lovalty and pial preparaion. tclyy these great martial art sls and traditions devel craven ie course of centuries see nearly lost under Com ot mnist rule. Following the Revolution of 1917, all national Mullion were suppressed. The Russian fighting syle was lost, forthe common man peti eaoaenepe brag cnet Degrees rate Eecteeos ater rol a ee of human abilty-se pn, pepeelogi and pss- cree Seted inthe nn sytem Temes were gered See oftaorsncudng cover matary operations ‘Se pocton of gh ranking oki by ete oyu SOVIET SPECIAL FORCES Training Phe SOVIET SPECIAL FORCES appreach to traning in their ‘Russian Martial Art system was, to putit mildly harsh, Most people would cll it cruel. Some perhaps criminal, But their ial was to ‘reate a soldier who would be immune to the psychological tor ment of batt. ‘They wanted their elite Special Operations Units not to fear death, Fear was tobe kept in its proper place, at an intermediate or lower level where it would activate the necessary combat response with- ‘out producing any ofthe inhibition fear can bring, Inthe beginning, we were brought into morgues. There we were forced to carry dead people to make us less sensitive 0 the dead ‘When there were serious car accidents, we'd be calle to the scene to deal with the gore and pain there. All this time, our tainers ‘ere watching us to see how we reacted psychologically. We were ‘being sereened to see if we were mentally fit 0 continue we passed this segment of waining, we went ino the next phase Where we were tested to see how we perceived and responded to ‘our own physical pain. Electrical shock wa used, We were also hit ‘and punished in pressure points to see how we reacted In the Russian Martial Art, pressure points aren’t fixed a with ‘other martial ars, Different points on the body will evoke difer. ent emotions in different people and at different times. Certain places would provoke fear. Others would produce aggression. The trainees were taught to fight these emotions Each person would have sensitive areas. For example, wth a very fattractive man, you might take off your shoe and hit him across the face. This could be an area about which he was very vain and sensitive, ‘Overall mood also plays a role in pressure points. Russian Martial Art doesn’t tell you what point to hit as much as it teaches you to sense what point to hit. Icis intuitive. You'e basicaly telling your fist to find the right point to attack. ‘Weil be forced to go through unbearable pain during some of these exercises. The SPETSNAZ trainers would bend your arm back until you started screaming because you couldn’ take the pin anymore. At that moment, as if this wasn't enough, some: ° dy ee would gt kif and start poking you with. You were sae sess hoi of te two extremes-breakng your amor be ing ct wah a ee “Then they'd take your friend, another trainee, and have them ad ‘minister the punishment to see what your reaction was. They wanted Tovsee to wihat extreme you could go before breaking. They also tied this exercise to teach you how to relax under pain and open up ‘how personal potentials for endurance. Again the goal was to teach the tances how to survive in any kind of environment. Tones wl et aso be exec the point of exon and made 0 Wed ae ote point Wel bern hard forfong dans, sere ee ying hen anemia mame 10 es cgi nyo arg tout ene a eae op ai any ning back You went ar taguc sale ie omeauencs ” nds of water. For “cold training” we were forced to swim in all ki The SOU saying was, *“The waters oo cold fr swimming only i iteice They'd alo take our beds out in the rain and snow anc eave them there allay, Often, they'd free sf. Then they ding {hem inside and weld have to slep in them overnight jut id inthe ge wor ho aint flo he ge an hills yout find Thandie hc ne at hat ned reo i STi yom ci oa couple of minutes un we wee Meecha rs pan outers es moze oe oe is how tn sree he pa. Te paso oF the Saree ey NS mutant and gave You exe energs ring ie thal gtunons Psychic Training “The goal of this training was to make you multi-functional. You were ta be able to work effectively in any kind of situation and never fear it 10 Pethaps more importanily,you were also expected to learn how to be creative and act spontaneously. Divergent thinking, being able ‘o come up with unconventional and unusual responses and deci= sions indifferent situations, was an absolute necessity. You had to be totally adaptable to survive inthe unit, Key to this adaprability was the psychic training you recsived You \Were expected to go well beyond mere physical and paychological ‘mastery to a point where intuition and that sixth sense that we all hhave but seldom use became a part of your daily life Awareness, or tapping into your sixth sense, was a focus for many’ of the exercises. Training classes could run for S hours andy in some, you'd be blindfolded for the entire time, You'd have to fol. Tow what was going on, do your exercises and come to an under- sanding ofthe principies the instructor was teaching without the tse of sight, While sparring, the instructor would also walk around the class ook ing for trainees who weren't paying attention tothe total environ ment they were working in, Ihe thotsht yout werent aware of Bis presence, hed hit you with a stick over the head. This taught the trainee very quickly to be aware of where everyone was ata times. Atother times, we were brought into pitch black rooms and had to zuess how many people were ini if any, We'd uso be blindfolded and have to identify colors just by touching colored blocks of pa- per. Again, awareness was t0 extend far beyond the normal five senses into the urea ofthe psychic. ‘Some instructors, who were skilled at passing psychic energy, woul take a few glasses of water and charge them with energy. This was hot an electrically based charge, but one grounded in a psychic form of energy. Itwas much lke “touch healing”, They'd concen Irate on the water and send energy into it throwgh their fingers without touching i. ‘The tine woul! then have to come into the room and tell the sstructor which glasses had been charged with the energy. The ppurpose Dehind this exereise was to teach the trainee how, on ‘mission, to tll if their drink was poisoned. Poison has a much stronger energy than regular water and that energy is discernible ‘wvthose who have learned to access and use their psychic abies Before sleep, we were also taught to picture everything around us. ‘We became completely aware of how a ro0m looked, sounded and smelled. We even became aware of tactile or touch, perceptions. ‘We put allthis information into 2 mental picture and then fell asleep. If anything at all changed while you were seeping, you ‘were to waken immectately to respond to any'situation, ‘The trainer would change something in the environment, some- times even slightly, an weld have to Wake up oF answer For it with four superiors. After mulch experience, we learned how to do this {We were alse taught 40 slop with our feet outside of our blanket for bag. That yay, it some threat presented ise, we'd be able to fet up immediately to respond. Asabove, [sil sleep this way. My Feet are newr covered at ight We were abs given exercises 1 help us come to terms and not be afta of ouredark” side Wed go into a dark room and sit down in front of a mirror. We'd light a candle next tous. That was the only Tight in the room. Then weld stare at our reflection in the mirror ssithout blinking After 40 minutes of staring ito the mirror and not blinking, your mage would be replaced before your eyes with that of an animal that matched your true nature, Sometimes, for some peopl. this animal would be terrifying in appearance but overtime you'd learn to deal with itso ito longer scared you. You were being taught to Tear about and be at ease with that “dark” side 1 know it sounds extraordinary, but the transformation really did take place, Ifyou like, you can try it yourself but don’t be sur- prise if you end up ina situation where you're dealing with alot zore than you bargained for. ‘Afr thee mont ofthis Kn of serious physi, peso ‘and psychic training you'd gain an enormous potential for fight- ing sil Because we were in a special unit, we had a license o ill find we used it when necessary: But we didn’t have to show off. IL ‘hecame difficult to even hit somebody at this point unless you had ample cause, ‘venta, you came tounderstand and respect the extent of your Icthal passers and learned to use them only when necessary or in pursuit of the necessary military goal. AS well talk sbout later, 2 there isa strong moral side of Russian Martial Art a there isin ‘many of the other martial arts around the work "To become & bully o use your powers in the pursuit or in connection with evil would be a disgrace, totally out of character for the warrior, and ‘would ultimately weaken th inner power A Force For Good Despite some of the I training described above, the essence of the Russian Mareial Artis a “good” side. When you be- ofthis se, your feame to appre ciate how frag ile the human body: is and how easy itisto_. Kill You come to respect your own abili- ho ties and their place the world. Antyou camo expect uma if a bore cael doth fas posible our ca an ie than one dead.” ee Physical skill and knowledge aren't enough in this system. If you want © be a master, you must stay on the moral side. All move ‘ment in de Russian Martial Arti fee and natural movement I youhave an evil nature, your movements will be a prisoner of that «vil and lacking in freedom. You won't be nearly as effective, We ‘each this principle in our classes strongly tolay. Certainty a everone ho practi hese ars cae god and "spel o God anna ut he eters hen rath ey fh evel of ang you cone to undertn hot ihre met bspond ou Hi undcsandse a a ‘new levels of ability. cee -Phisis one reason why [eft Russia and settled in Canada, T came To understand hor fragile hamans were and how valuable human, [ite wasand Td’ want to be associated with someone who might tse the lethal force Pd acquired for evil However, practical application of a martial arts asad and! inevi- table partof our eiviltzation. There are many aggressors out there. Hho uve a persistent need to control, put down oF hurt some- Dade They abo fear the possibility of their own humibation and {is drives them even harder away from good. “With all the aggression inthe world, there's albo a great fear of be~ Mining a victim ‘The Russian eystem tres to fre the student ofthis earana protect him from the even greater terror of becoming an {garetsor Sometimes in life we become those things that we fear {he most-and the Russian system guards against this kind of excess, In short, an aggressor can only be overcome by an individual who Jeong spiritually The Russian system stresses the need for moral shad sptitual growth'To understand yourself and realize what your ‘bilties are and what your role ia lifes should mark the beginning of your taining “The physical components of the Russian Martial Art are only one spe of the fighting systema, Such @ powerful weapon can only ‘ally be revealed toa person witha good! psyche and honestinten- fons, Use it for evil for aggression, and you limi its potential. Difference With Oriental Styles "There is, of course, no ritual or bowing with dhe Russian Martial ArcYou may shake hands with an opponent, but there is mo for ‘mal gresting process. ‘You can also smile of laugh during sparring. In fact sparring is Seen more in terms of a game in the Russian Martial Art. Its not ‘ealy tha serious. The sparring is supposed to take place with & ‘ositive energy in tune with the overall Russian philosophy. You espect your opponent Andkafter ally if you're deadly serious during a practice session how {hil yu be able to be serious when areal threat comes along?The FRnsian Martial Art philosophy i Ut if you take Fife and training repel al the time, you wl he unable o too fatigued to make the “ ‘ante in demeanor nevessary t0 react toa truly serious situation, Many ofthe trtonal martial ar 1 arts are ery seri, though. The fishers lok tough, Laughter and joes ar very uncommem int inupproprinte Faces tke ona tee or stern expression Moves are choreographed. If your opponent takes » particular ition, You act with a specific, ingrained response, You have no Slexibility. BuLityou take your sparring more asa game, ais done wh the Rusin Art, yu are allowed to at with ntuon and = isis essential to proper execution in the he the the “oven breathing techngus ther maria ss All that rae of rth and energy With every punch hat “hotng et fai does motallow or tang tobe fn oa game Uke the Oren Arcot aca aren your atl alld Danan scone tobe the sen me bean oa ce whee line neg aioe Chraccumultes he Rus sige recognizes sini pointe solar ples ‘chin he stornach butts nota mer clon pe i are Cmprss a powerful ftereonnece system of neve endings OF ten refered fo asthe “brains othe abr by phyogs snare endings a at te semper omy segura When the boy expres increase nat an “mergeney skuaton, the sympathetic system responds The solar plexus nerve endings have the r 7 wir own access t0 internal ‘ontans.‘The solar plexus thus Works as a provider of electrical en- ‘ray forthe inner organs, blood vessels, glands and contraction of wnt unde pei of es, Whee the Oneal Dan an serves asa reservoir, the Russian solar plexus i interactive with the set of the bod Agu ois wih he principio he fee ‘Jom of movement so important to the Russian Martial Act an ao represents the center of gravity fora person inthe tratonal at: Fighters in the oriental school are more in Wich withthe ground. They tend to take fied cable stances, “somes from the mate of ie the mountains where hess sneer rina Remember that ography and climate and people's biphysl erm he ats rina arias, be mo TER pera ves and moves nay to minimize the lest o Sze uni gaan peeing winds The a sain Snug wih hs cto nde abe sn Aten afower center of gravity, for increased sability the element, wae neces turopeancondions were diferent The need for ich stabi tre petal hing new marl ets nlm Ty Wet ower omer ef evi provided sab the Far pean gr center of get Eve sou refer moby Tn the Rau temitsnotstaliy,bat eostant movement you most effective ’ se the Oriental mati arts cultural fo- Te also important t0 0 ual Ming anita Ire belived hats person i Meee UP smal n his movements wl bing him closer of peoples ver diferent han that of animal. In his teh animate movements se nthe Ores do not {Spt human morement patter. Ka fac they imi or her ‘ural movement. This not good for the Russian system. 6 ‘n naware, every being hus its own identity. A rabbit, for example, n't play the part ofa wolf successfully, Likewise, a human ear. ‘ot lay the role of a snake or dragon, It disrupts the paths of nature and the natural movement on Which we rel. The Foundation-Natural Movement ‘ational marsal arts are not relly spontancous. They rely on imulus-response routines. Practitioners ure taught that whett sirike with a stick comes at you from a particular angle, you use specific, pattemed response or block. If they lo thiss youl do this.” iy what they are taught “I they come at you this way, you block it this way.” But this is not very practical. Nor sit good for somebody who has ‘never had to deal with a real strike, Indeed, the principle doesn't seem to make sense. If somebody is coming at you with a bat i real combat, you wouldn't want to use a block ‘There'd be a good ‘hance you'd break your arm, What is important is to lear what your natural response to such san attack would be. Though it may’ sound illogical given the need to contol fea, it is important to experience fear to know how you'd naturally react ta strike, When I was first being trained in the SOU, all the trainces were lined up and the instructor would ht each one of us unexpectedly ach person reacted differenty. They performed different body movements to evade the same kind of strike. Each person way ‘unique in his reaction, ‘This “natural reaction” is something you're born with and itis «essential © become conscious of jt when learning the Russian system. We had to know how we'd naturally act when reality stack, ach soldier was taught to build his fighting abilities om those hnatural reactions. Technique was ukimately based on those fist ‘natural reactions, We do the same sort of thing in my class, When a student is new wwe will for instance, charge him with a knife at full speed to s0 how he reacts. He wil always move away spontaneously in pars ‘icular manner Bringing attention to this movement wil help him realize what hi 7 aural vention i He may rp aay ean bask duck or ver ay vere acepable The important ing up Nawal any person reacts lferey ad hat thse Seer encom are he He for devising defense inal movernent In “tne ten is then taught to but om that In Fa et ont fight your natural movement Dat use 103 ahs way oe eal facut ean buck, for example @ ate fest fll by ralng Hs am 0 steree the knife, Sn Ofcourse itis also essential ro learn what your natural responses eee yu ean guard against itwhen in situations where it may Be HAMIL Tor instance, if man i standing ona bridge and is a ted and his natural response ist jump back Hes got te De reer that he can't do tha inthis situation Ihe does. hel al of the bragge and int the iver, Ain arenes of sour on Hoy {and identity along wih what's going on around you mastery ofthe Russian system, athe sever your natal esponse, earning to move propesy Wha he egg inthe Rass Natl Art One Prima eta move all body parts separately. Each shoulder ca st ly, frase You dont ned 1 vore the 18 \whole body.‘The rest ofthe body can thus stay relaxed while you ‘move the necessary part. The “Flying Center OF Gravity” Then again, to master this sytem you must abo be able to move so that your appendages and the rest of your body cin move in sitferent wags simultaneously: 8 kind of Seimensional move ‘ment ofthe bod: The principle used here isthe so-called “ying center of gravity” (Phe body sways up and down, spinning inal 3 dimensions simul- taneously. At the same time, it moves like a pendulum. The poi bof suspension of the pendulum is somewhere over the head. In this way, the pelvis always moves ahead of the shoulders. Pelvis, tnd shoulders also spin on their own horizontal axis and form the “figure eights” we talk about in-depth during physical taining, Siding into the pendulum is much lke skating without allowing your feet to leave the floor. Keeping the feet grounded enables, ‘maximum power for movement ofthe arms and legs. Acthe same time, arms ancl legs must be fee. Legs should stay light and mobile. Arm movement should not be reliant on a par- ticular stance or support from the legs. Hitting power comes from, the pelvis, ‘You shouldn’t think about a particular strike or defense or the per- son you're facing off with at the moment either. When the physi- ‘al contaet begins, Fighting should be completely unconscious. It 's impossible to prepare techniques for all potenti situations ina {ight beforehand bat its possible to teach the body to “think” bby “thinking” we mean allowing the body 1 spontaneously find the solution for any unexpected situation. That's why, during train- ng sessions, you should never prearrange atacks with Your part- nr in the Russian system, Allmovements shouldbe dynamic and multi-functional You should never move just for the sake of moving. And ee any moment, the \whole body should be perceived and used as a complete system, Though one part of the body may be moved while others relax, they should never be eut off or physically or psychologically sepa ‘ated from the actions ofthe other parts 1° thing to remember: hares singe kind of combat tue Ce ne peen and sou must eres fr arn on hes eB tc a dy oe ght eat oF Ho SHPPTS Cont een aren or open park names a cacsirwaly any nany. Itean take place “The conflict can also be with one person or many. drelose quarters oat dstance, You maybe ted skkor wounded Uta: you'll ave to fight without any physical or peychotogical eae Nou never know what the conditions of a confrontation willbe ors jo sho onside Rs Mara Ae spot Toe and combat isto sate exter on Th es Recon don ake se 920% iis opr not io ge Yura as ou wou in as Ha laut preserve some strength so you can sari alt sor Jory and cate for your wounds hep somebody els Bt Aula trap or perform ether necessary tasks «Russian system econies that a it cam break of aa ee et Sates ho sly defense ro 2c any ay pou nl be any potion hey happened enn nding sting, ning sr ig wow. We be a hi commen poston whee the a8 te a uncunfvae pion for arg Fa i y cid Se tne and resting pass Yu find 8. The Fae i of ia reniness nee De 2 Russian arts and their focus on continuity of movement. These stances are not practical, which is why none are included in the system, As martial arts master Bruce Lee once wrote! “Real application of techniques themselves has litle Use in a street fight. It hard to apply the prin- ples ofelassic Kung Fu or Karate to veal ie In a confrontation with opponents that have no kale edge of the techniques of classical martial aeisthase ‘opponents have reactions amd behavior that are completely unpredictable In many martial arts classes 100 much time is spent on learning. ‘unrealistic poses and classical moves that no loner have meaning. ‘While it may have a particular beauty and the ritual be inspiring doesn't prepare stidlents fora real fight. "his isnot to say that such training is totally useless It dacs pro ‘ide akind of order or internal and external structure and organi~ zation for training. Nor should this make you diminish the importance of body pos- Ing or body language in any way. Body language will tll you a ‘great deal about your attacker and his intentions, ‘The way you position your body in response toa possible threat ‘can abo provide great advantage. I can sometimes be beneficial {w express weakness thtea, indifference or confusion with your ‘wn body. It's aso very important to be able to show unusual or ‘unexpected stances. Sul itis natural movement, person's natural reaction to unpre slictable situations, that defines the Russian Martial Art. Most of these eactions come from inborn defensive instinets. Ue fact that no two street Fights or combat situations are the same fits wel with this “natural movement” philosophy. Ie woul be im= ‘sible t tain and memorize every possible response ta par= ‘eularsituation You're facing a neatly infinite amber of possiblis "hats why its much more practical and effective to become con- ‘iusly-asvare-af sane natural movements and come to under- 21 stag apd se sham abs fr her workin “teaching your soavio me cus sents inthe Rusan Mari Art dont presranse pine eee teen ore er Sink ovine cure of ang Ps has ate prac Gay inher wo. 2 TRAINING TIPS 'clow are several taining tips T use in my gym that you may want 4w apply to your own training. Some go buck 10 my own SOU training, although 've made them more humane and less pain for my students. Others, I've more recently discovered tobe effec. tive for students, ‘As an instructor, the first thing Took for ina stent are payecho= logical characteristics. I'someone is smart anc! quick on thei fet, this can be developed and used for maximum advantage. If they 6 tenacious and psychologically determined, this van also be uved for maximum advantage In fact, the key factor in mastering the Russian Martial Art i desire, You've got to want it You can’t just take a person off the Street, bring them in the gym and expect them to exeel. Degermi. nation is essential. "believe thatthe main thing a teacher can give a student is strong, spirit. Once they have that dedication, T can help strengthen thers psychologically and spiritually. | ensure that there isa good! atmo. sphere in the gym during training, Any “tough guys” trying to prove themselves atthe expense of other trainees ate quickly coreected "ako try to keep the training sessions fun and urge you to do so, ‘oo. You should be serious on the inside. but on the outside look so 48 (0 relax your opponent. Again, I must make this point If you're serious is no threat, when a threat rally docs arrive You'll Be left with nothing in reserve, You've used yourself up and left no more room to make the transition from civilian to warrior. ‘Not that I don’t insist on dedication. 1 do! I came to become 8 her in a roundabout way. Inever really thought seriously about it unt I started my school. I never even wanted t0 teach and it took the efforts of people who wanted traning in the Russian Arts to get me into the field Now enjoy doing it bu stil insist on effort from my students. 've no time for someone who Wants to comye in and mess around ‘ernot putin the necessary effort They are wasting both ther time and mine, ‘Mut raining must be made fun. You don’t want tobe totally sev ‘ous until something totally serious happens You shoukt als werk 2 and diferent. In four years at tomake every training session fresh and di jor yar at iny school, have yet to repeat a class, Variety is essential. Ye should not allow yourself to get ima rut -syeaknesses” when dealing with my also don't think in terms of “weaknes ng with my dents. Any so-called “weakness” can be turned into an aan tageand you shouldn't Tet them Keep you from taining oF Jing you can become a master wee Aicaletetee tm Ifa person is short, thi Use The Real Thing {We use woxnlen knives or sticks in the inital stages of taining. We Watt sane ta hurt angbead, Butonee you teach an advanced stage ‘traning, you should try working with the real thing tnd ea Shien i ac tie Sf ean ate ra Share anette more tong she individ can propel an sf ; SINE te eaiing the beter Ko deense tac, for mse, ae tin theses: The ree alo fr proper ung cl you haw someone is “The shape of nif, for example, can ll eres rong to ace Wiha tight ads pers smo neti ping aa crtng motions Wah a curved lade, Entar work and localized cuts are more key. Rerez morc heathy and alncedpeyholoie! ouook Any d= Rte oca sea of ence or uch empe. 24 Granted, these are general characteristics and can't be taken as a rule. Specific moves can be performed with any kind of knife. You aren't limited in the way you ean strike. Likewise, knife type won't Always tell you about personality type. But it is something you should be aware of in sizing up your opponent. An attacker's physical demeanor wllalo ell you something sbout thelnif.Ifdheatacker throwing the ke oon haa tote ‘her or rating between fingers youl ku he lng a lighter life and that i wil bring lighter cus You can Keita think of your own clothing interns of defence and ew te tee DosiionSoureiio present an effective defense For these reasons you should practice with diferent kinds of knives {and make them as realistic as possible. Knives present a very riz ‘ous situation, When an attacker uses one, he is making a choice between life and death and greatly increasing the possibilty of a fatality in comparison to empty-handed combat {someone takes a knife and attacks you with iis also important to realize he's most likely expecting a passive victim, Ifyou react defensively and with the effectiveness proper traning can give you, fhe may be scared away in the first moments of the confrontation. Striking For Awareness "Earlier, [told you how the SOU instructors used to surprise teain= es with a strike from a stick when they were sparring to throw them off balance or handicap them, In this wa), they hoped to increase your abilities over a wider varity of conditions. Itry 10 do similar things, albeit on a less painful eve ''m careful who I hit, however: Some people may not be read) for such things. Their confidence may be low at the moment and this ‘ould set them back. Others may be less committed to thet trait Ing and be offended by the act and I don't want to lose students ‘But you can pretty well sense what people need and who can handle it and who can’t. We have some pretty tough customers in some ‘lasses and, ina way, they'llbe asking for tis kind of taining. And ‘Vm glad to give ito them because it does work There's nothing likes surprise stick or slap to extend one's avite hes tothe proper parameters. IF you're in a training group, you 25 may want to try this yourself by having one of your partners Pro- vide the surprise strike Bir id Training 3 fae ac him, move avy rom a Knife 1c ence cn Bene teak to the dieu Galle exerese, You tay ant 1 sy at es ng tne sta al avin im Bol Sa ues aay io atc hel ete not oy ee onthe ttacker but to Bot spl the wale 38 OU {O.ne esa grea exercise for teaching balance Bindfolding a stxlent nd ha attack by sing his intuition and e between tring parners re same kind of exercise can be done ara sa oper star wh eet ees open ad eBN ty Rutt hes Dilecat ody parsesarmy oula Tages ke pashing gets harder asthe exerie > nna i re mt men sm tent of body parts Ifthe shoulder is being targeted for instance, meee ei cco bo heel ves maltese aco ae ees eh Tear cates lh via ea Sa yesh eyes ae Fee pen aso be a his exercise e more slid prone Sia ca deen more ieee for is Hind of wan Post-Training Exercises aaa [Atthe end ofeach training session, it isimportant toh 2% lulk about their experiences, Each person should explain what he ‘unerstood during the session, what he's having trouble grasping sn what insights he might have had during the clas, Iv helps to put your actions to words. In your own mind this will, help you understand principles better. ‘Talking makes you more ware of these principles and their personal application. Talking tnd verbally examining some of these principles may be the key in ietting a good start on mastering them. 1 alo have my students close ther eyes at the end of a sestion and answer questions about what was going on around them du ing the class. “What kind of socks did your last opponent have on?” Task. “Who was the last person to walk into the gym?” ‘How many windows are there oa that wall?” "What was written ‘on the Fshirt of your opponent?” ‘These questions, and the added focus they provide, will help the student achieve the kind of awareness necessary for proper execu tion of the Russian Martial Art Relaxation Exercises ‘Though it seems lke the last thing you'd want to do in a fight is relax, you need to be able to effectively deal with tension and ne- sate ito be effective. One ofthe things [find with my students is that they don’t know how to relax because they don't know what real tension is. In es sence, they don't recognize or aren't aware of when they're tense My response is to have them work on tightening their muscles consciously so they become aware of the tension, By contrasting dlfferent levels of tension they better come to realize what a re- Taxed state Fels ike. IF see someone in class who has tense shoulders and can't relax, have him stop and tense his shoulders up degree by degree unt they're as tense and tight as they ean be. Then Tl have him relax $0 hhc can consciously fel the difference between the (Wo sates, Sometimes have students lay down on the floor and coneen- tate on tightening up body parts one by one. I'ltll them to tighten up the right arm, then relax it'Then I have them tighten thei left arm, hold it very tight, and relax i. I'l follow with the right le, D then left eg and then both legs at once.’Then we'll do the whole ‘ody. This tensing up and relaxing shows them the difference be {ween relaxation and tension and helps tem be more aware when tension is present. [As far as dealing with this tension, breathing isa very good tool ‘Beep, slow breathing «0 siffevent counts can Be very helpful in elaniag, For instance, sou ca ake 10 counts to breathe in, bold {healt for another 10 court toll by taking 10 counts to breathe the air out and complete the exercise by Boling the breathless Sate for another 10 count Breathing through lifferent bosty parts can also eel that area iMhie wctinge energy inte it fn the SOU, we were taught t0 heal Purses ius any The excreise i simple. Suppose you want 10 Polis your right sem. Youd simply imagine taking air in through {ec an thctreshng through ft Positive energy or power isimag- tial cosning into the body part a it breathes in and negative en Crgy iv exhaled through that same part Any body part ean be relaxed, energized or even healed in this ‘uy: It your stomach is hurt, for example, you can treat ity imag- Jniny breathing through it.The mere at of breathing through the injured body part will bring a great deal of added energy to the fared and promote recovery, ‘You should also try to breathe in different positions. Don’t just lay Gn your back, Knee, stand and twist your body and then go through ‘our breathing exercise, We'l talk more about breathing later when. ive discuss the Russian Health System, Fear And Pain Control “There are two basic kinds of fear The first is“ mental fear” and it's inside your head. It's the fear that your mind deals with when fac- ing a dangerous situation. “The second kind of fearis“physiea fear”. Ie in the body and its physical sesponse to danger or attack. It may even have 10 be ‘eat with during a taining exercise. Mentally, you may under~ fand that your partner isn't going to kil you But your body sil may fear the contact. ‘Most trauma and injury comes from the animal-like response of 28 “scl eae Your body reacts ina “aa snadsquately You ts vay shan ara ma ar our kes Or youmay padded pres oa, rsd y wing to pula. nts wa 908 ‘own injury. Ie’ a result of your own response to pains eS aye arog ide ran ye Sti to mh fear can fre Sil 00 mac ee can sre you or present ani to ntra Imvement Whie i important wo contol ment ft rm a In sr is imprint orogens trolled. It. can be your friend a een ie estab ks the ams esc ead. Each ls thei body part and is nthe one han he sade muse dea he tude mus with some mes ‘scause he can't control the situation. But, afte tart ss ca con te tuo, it afer ve test ‘Ip you relax and even get away. Ge aa Eee 29 In the proces of the eerie you Find that atackers an ae tnrfee wih one another and tke peste of one bod pat by ‘novingamoernacomplementy Elon Dey thus work gins acheter and to jour bene By not ging he atacand ps Sting ourselin various ways youn as create a station Whee thetwbuingf the atackers actualy coma ise ‘You'llalso find tha, ill extremities are being twisted, you'l nat rally be able to relax more. Here’s why. Ifsomeone is just vwisting fone of your legs, you tend to concentrate all your attention on that Teg, tense up and make the pain even worse, But if all your ex- tremities are being twisted, your attention is more dispersed, Its Spread out overall the pain areas and this helps. paying attention wll aris inscad of ust one, yu tke avay thetpun ecu You ls come to se pl as Tsp fearful H you eeeC up ull quely nd ths worsens te swaton but if Jou ‘earl oul ake aay the pty that ol injure Youre thro your espouse Yt ale give the atacers he anes [Basically you don fight your attackers here. You learn ways to Bo ‘wth what they're doing or position yourself o the twisting can {Cel itgelf out. You conquer your “physical fear” so itean't harm Sout and learn to Timi the mental fear so you don’t freeze and can act creatively Contact Is Important Indeed, any sort of physical contact exercise helps you to contrl pain and (ear. The pushing exercises we described above are 8 food example. The most important thing is to-make sue there fontact. Don't just preiend you're pushing, Make real contact [From there you can progress from pushes into punches. Thos: punches should wind into the body 2s taught in Russian Martia ‘Bre physical training. As you contact the body, your fst twists 1 rotates This provides even harder contact and provides more pat for your partner. Strikes in the face can also be useful. You don’t want to overs this, of course, We're not trying to injure anybods. But you ex ‘workin teams having one person hold sour arms down while some ‘ne slaps or otherwise works 10 your face. This wll create fear 20 first but the more you practice the les likely you'll be to jerk and, freeze and give in to “physical fear”, fm very careful with this in clas, of course, The goals to create ome pan witout injury. But this kindof habituation to pain and cing hit must be done. Contact is a necessity. Only by being hit and experiencing some pain Wil you Tearthe nature ofthat pain, how to react to it and how best to deal with your fear of i Confidence Builders In SOU we would spar while being presented with physical handi- aps and [find this very useful today [raining wih aati obo tied behind your back or otherwise limiting Four aly to move «can be very good for developing your abilities jghting with a limitation can also demonstrate how much you can do to protect yourself even when under a handicap. If you can't use your arms, use your shoulders. Ifyou can't use anything else, lok to that matter inside your head called a brain and tse it You'll be surprised what you can find to defend yoursell when you use your mind creatively: Demonstrating the abiity to defend your self against such odds during a sparring or other training exercise «an really be a great confidence builder. Extended squats are also good for confidence building snd strengthening the spirit. Rather than going up and down in the standard squat, vou dp the exercise very slowly You star hy taking 10 seconds to go down, hold it for 10 and then eome back up sing the same 10 second count. AAS you continue your training, you can move these time periods slowly up ty 20 seconals to give yourself even mote of a test Push ‘ps ean also be done this way. y lighting yoursell through these execs you can ald character, seth sh con Use OF The Eyes The way you use your eyes is very important during a fight:"The level at which you look st your atacker will greatly determine en= ergy levels during the ight ooking below the eye level of your opponent (especially below 31 the waist line) activates an animal tesponse in eras of

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