SYSTEMA BEGINNNERS
1. Instructor Credentials
Is the instructor a recognised affiliate to any of the major branches of Systema (Vasiliev, Ryabko, Kadochnikov, etc). Martial arts is notorious for self-appointed instructors, self-promoted dan grades and self-titled masters and experts. The fact that an instructor is an affiliate improves the chances that you are getting good information and training
These days it is very easy and cheap to set up an attractive website and promote yourself across the internet.
Bearing this in mind you should not use internet presence as a sole guide to good instruction. There are very good teachers in all styles who maintain a low profile. Of course the martial arts world also has it's share of those inflate their background and skills or who's internet presence belies the size of their school. Having said that a well organized website with lots of video clips and information can be very helpful in giving you an idea of how the school operates and the background of the instructor.
3. Communication
Contact the instructor prior to attending. How do they deal with you - polite, dismissive, helpful? This will give you some indication of what you can expect. However please don't expect a 45 minute conversation over the phone about the history of Systema or "is it like kung fu". Oh and please remember to call at appropriate times. I've had calls at 11.45 at night before - instructor's have lives too!
Turn up a few minutes early for class, it will give you a chance to introduce yourself and ask any brief / relevant questions. Let the instructor know any medical problems or concerns you have
Follow the instructions for exercises and drills, bear in mind they may not all be competitive in the usual sense. If in doubt check what the drill boundaries are, what the aims of the drill are and work appropriately
In a good group your training partners will be helpful. Typically as a new person you will be paired up with an experienced student who will guide you through. Ask any relevant questions you have, though also bear in mind the answer is often to be found by doing the drill. Not everything is obvious at first and if you have previous experience in other martial arts some drills may seem odd to start! Be patient and soon enough you will see the relevance and reap the benefit
Systema training is generally conducted in an informal environment.However it should still remain focussed and challenging in the right places. If at any point you feel the training is too uncomfortable, dangerous or innappropriate, then step out of the drill. Beware any instructor who demeans people for not being "tough enough"
I've always found there is a high level of humour in training, though this is of the self deprecating or general kind rather than the sort of locker room / racist humour used to put others down. Any sign of pecking order, bullying, so-called "alpha males" or similar should be taken as warning indicators
5. Content
If you attend a Systema class you should reasonably expect to be taught Systema. If most of the class has you doing something else you may need to question the instructor's credentials. Having said that one of the strengths of a good class is the different type of people you get to work with. So it may well be the case you find yourself training with a good boxer - in which case there should be no problem in asking him to feed you boxing attacks. As Systema is not defined by forms, kata or techniques there is ample room for your own freedom of expression. The instructor's job in this case is to guide you to efficiency, power development, psychological understanding, etc . The tools to do this vary according to both instructor and student
Teaching styles will also vary - some may offer no explanation, others may offer a lot of technical information. Whatever the approach the majority of class should be about gaining understanding through good practice
6. Post Training
Most Systema classes finish with a circle-up. Everyone in the group gets the chance to express any thoughts or questions about the training, or wider topics. Again keep in mind that everyone should get a chance to speak and don't monopolize! However you should feel free to air any concerns or criticisms. You should always feel able to speak one to one to the instructor about any concerns, or indeed suggestions
7. Overall
You should find a good Systema class enjoyable and a bit challenging. I know that people sometimes look at our clips of taking strikes and feel nervous about attending. but there is really no need - all drills are voluntary and the work is always progressive, one step at a time. People often surprise themselves as being much more capable than they think!
For more information about our training see What to Expect in a Systema Class
SYSTEMA INSTRUCTORS
A few thoughts on dealing with new students
1. Be polite and informative when dealing with enquiries. People who want detailed information about history background, methods should be pointed to relevant resources on the web or elsewhere
3. Where possible partner newcomers up with an experience student. Monitor beginners, make sure they are not getting overwhelmed or are going outside the drill. Be ready with a few words of explanation if needed, or to appropriately demonstrate if neccesary
4. Don't overload newcomers with information. This also applies to your other students. I've seen a newcomer be given highly detailed explanations of a particular drill and stand there looking bewildered. The call then comes to "change" and the person has had no chance to actually do the drill
5. Be aware that different people process new information in different ways, some visual, some by explanation and so on. Systema teaches you to be adaptable, that applies to teaching as well as to "work"!
Levels of contact too much or not enough
Speed / intensity the same
Experience levels - the more experienced should give the less experienced the opportunity to work and not overwhelm them
Talking - may be about the drill or it may be something else entirely, the most common being "when I did -x- we did it like this". Again this is cheating the other person out of the experience of the drill
Inappropriate behaviour (outside of drills that call for them!) - loss of temper, insults, bullying, sexual innuendo or behaviour, emotional distress
7. Be open to a person's previous experience and bring it into the group. Not neccessarily martial art experience, it can be anything. Where appropriate allow students to share experience in class and incorporate into the training
8.. Class size - in the past I've taught groups of up to around 60 people at workshops. That's do-able for me with an assistant or two, but for regular class I prefer around 10-20. That gives you a chance to work multiple drills and gives a good variety of bodies for everyone to work with but still allows you to work one-to-one where needed. I also prefer running an open group. It is good in some ways to train only with a small regular crowd - it builds trust levels which allows you to explore deeper areas of training. but there is also a danger of stagnation. New people bring new challenges, new ideas and new skills to the group. I also have issues with those who deem others as being "not worthy" to train. We are all works in progress
9. Keep training - it's important for instructors to be students too! There is always more to learn, not in terms of "technique" but in how to refine your own work and how to communicate that to fellow students. Above all remember that as an instructor you are a sign-post, not the destination!
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