If guys from Russia told that Systema doesn't Work, then doesn't work.
If people (even Russians) who havent trained something comment on that art, it is of very little validity.
- see and use your own mind to observe common principles of high level martial arts.
- as has been repeatedly stated, something like systema is great if u already have skills in other arts.
- experience the art, then talk.
- do solo training in excercises of the art, then talk. E.g. kyokushin and systema both love knuckle pushups on harwood floor or concrete. Try it, then talk rather than being a keyboard warrior.
- respect a real fighter like the guy quoted in the OP, who has a far higher knowledge than u and says systema is legit at the top levels.
2 The"Master"
- If you cannot perform a technical action in a sports bout with more or less free rules or in sparring, you will never perform it in a real fight. Dozens of battered so-called martial artists prove this. All real self-defense systems use full-contact sparrings in boxing, kickboxing, wrestling to prepare its students for the realities of the street. A typical excuse for all charlatans "our techniques are too deadly for sparring, so we either do everything in slow motion or don't spar at all" does not work here.
- Knuckle push-ups are performed in any sensible martial arts schools, but not on concrete surfaces, of course, because there are no fools to spoil their hands (read - a working tool) among normal fighters.
- Real fighters also like to earn money, and it’s much easier to train urban loafers - "white hucksters" in the secret martial art of the mysterious Russian SpetzNa without the risk of injuries and physical exertion than to teach some kind of mma or other martial arts.
What you seem to fail to realize is:
1. MMA is evolving. We see TMA's being used a lot like karate, when in the early 90's it was widely considered useless an no doubt u were parrotting this line also before being forced to dance another tune. For me I observe the shift and evolution, and like to see guys like Fergusson use WC skills in the UFC even though more commonplace arts are far more widely practiced and utilized by majority of fighters. It only takes one fighter who uses something new efectively and everyones opinion changes.
2. In a sport like mma wrestling will always be the best base. Against 2 or more guys or someone with a weapon grappling is suddenly out. This is a simple example how some aspects of combat sport translate and some do not. Martisl arts is far far bigger than ring fighting, even tho sport is a good testing arena for
some aspects.
3. If a said art is so bogus, why so many very experienced sometimes 15 or 20+ year martial artists say it is legit? BJJ and Judo bb's, some former pro mma fighters, kickboxing champions etc? Maybe your just so smart you saw through something and even tho being champions often or very high level in their martial arts they saw great value in becoming a wannabe spetznaz according to you, at ages 30, 40 or 50's? Or maybe their collective experience allowed them to see and feel what is good to take their skills to next level,and they know more than a low level hobbyist who only saw youtube vids but doesnt like Russia to be 'tarnished' by predominently American mma fans likewise ignorant opinions?
